Fueling Dreams: How the BBOP Center is Revolutionizing Opportunities for Women of Color

The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center is shaking up the small business world and transforming lives. Erin is joined by three powerhouse women driving this revolution: Cheryl Chesnut, Vice President of Operations; Jennifer Yturralde, Chief Innovation Officer; and Lakeisha Charles, BBOP client and owner of LDR Cleaning Services.

At its core, the BBOP Center is more than an economic hub—it’s a catalyst for innovation, empowerment, and action. By fueling bold ideas, nurturing entrepreneurship, and providing the tools to succeed, the BBOP Center is redefining financial opportunities for women of color. This groundbreaking initiative is not just about business—it’s about changing the economic landscape and creating an economy that truly works for them.

Transcript

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 0:04

Erin, welcome everyone. I'm Erin Brinker, and this is the making hope happen radio show. I love this time of year. Fall is in full swing. The election season is in the rear view, and there is a joyful anticipation for the holiday season. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas for the five F's, food, fun, family, friends and football. There is so much in this world that is working hard to divide us this holiday season. Give yourself the gift of love and community by being intentional about connecting even with those you haven't seen in a while, talking about like even called your parents or seen your grandparents, an old neighbor or an old friend, be intentional. Reconnect. They're if you're thinking about them, they're probably thinking about you. I don't believe in coincidences, do you? I don't think there are accidents, really. There are things that happen, and they can be not good, or they could be good in the long run. Think about people in or on your path who drive you up a wall. You know the extra Grace required people, and guess what? You're probably that to them too. I'm just saying I know I am. Again, there's no accidents at light in life. At least that is my worldview. You're in each other's space for a reason. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned. Perhaps it is humility or patience. What if they have to learn the same thing in the 12 step process? Yeah, I'm talking about the one from AA. I'm not a friend of Bill, but there are tried and true tools that anyone can use in the 12 steps. The first one is the recognition that there is a power higher than ourselves. The second is that we are accountable to ourselves and to others. It's not just about you. It's really not. It's not, it's not. No one could get through this life alone, and the price you pay for being on this earth in a community is to fight the worst parts of your own nature. And it's hard, because I have a lot of worst parts. Worst parts. Can you have more than one worst part? I'm telling you you can how grammatically incorrect that is. I have lots of parts of myself that I need to fight, and popular culture tells us that our nature is always right and that should be nurtured above all else. I'm going to do me, I feel like Dr Phil when I say, How's that working for you? Probably not very well. It's not just about you. It's not just about me. Judging by how the world is working, it's not good for anybody. I would say, Well, having said that, there are some stellar examples of humanity at its best, those who roll up their sleeves and help during a disaster. And there's tons of stories from the Carolinas and eastern Tennessee and from Florida of people doing exactly that. I know there was a crew from my church that that went out with Samaritan's Purse and were cleaning up properties. A crew of men who went, they went grab their gloves and their work boots, and they they took off and were there for several days helping the cleanup right after the hurricane. People who offer their time and their treasure to important nonprofit causes, they're pretty wonderful too, too. So as Thanksgiving approaches, I'm grateful for my higher power. That's the God of the universe. I'm grateful for my family battle for holiday, holiday tables, a roof over my head, warm blankets and community. And of course, I'm very grateful for you. All right, it's time to get started. I have if you're an entrepreneur, or you've ever wanted to be an entrepreneur, you're gonna love this show. This is a story, stories, plural of triumph and perseverance and just how to get there from here, it's awesome. All right, let's go well, I am always up for good stories about people making their dreams come true, and we've had a lot of those on this show, and we're going to bring you a lot more. And today, I'm absolutely thrilled to be sitting down with Cheryl chestnut, the VP of Operations at the Bebop center, Jennifer iteral day, and I'm sure you're going to correct me, because I probably pronounced that correct incorrectly. Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Innovation, Innovation Officer at the Bebop center, and Lakeisha Charles, she's one of the Bebop entrepreneurs. So we'll start with you. Cheryl, first of all, welcome to the show.

Multiple: 4:53

Thank you for having us.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 4:55

So what is BBOP? We've had, we've had Vanessa um. Perez on the show when you all first opened, what was that two years ago? And maybe a year and a half ago? And but we haven't had an update. We've got new listeners. So what is the BBOP center? Yeah,

Cheryl Chesnut: 5:10

So the Bebop Center is an amazing place. Bebop stands for black and brown, opportunities for profit center, and is an Entrepreneurial Center designed specifically to help women of color entrepreneurs build, grow and scale profitable businesses. It's a 10,000 square foot high tech building that is designed to help empower the women provide us the tools the community and the support needed to bring innovative ideas, so that way women here can help thrive and succeed and build that community.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 5:48

Wow, that's that sounds amazing. So what is that? What is that, when you say, build their careers, do you have just to kind of set the table? Do you have co working space? Do you have services? Can I take classes? What can I expect? So

Cheryl Chesnut: 6:05

I would actually like to defer to Miss Jennifer, Chief innovative officer, to talk about what they can expect, what the ladies can expect from coming here to the Bebop center, definitely.

Jennifer Yturralde: 6:14

So here at the Bebop center, we have different ways that entrepreneurs can engage with the center and with different educational programs. So we have, we are we have a pillar of our we have more pillars. So we have, we're really focused on access to capital, access to information, action, access to technology and access to networks, and with all of that, build that around our bee box Center and the memberships that we have so people can access the center here the 10,000 square foot facility, and here we have network, networking opportunities. We have workshops, we have community building events and activities. We have a beautiful space where we can have child care facilities for women who are coming in and need support, but also need child child care support, you know? So we have all these different things that take away the barriers for entrepreneurs to be able to access entrepreneurship as a as a pathway. We also have an academy where we help women go through all the things that are needed to start a business, to grow their business, and then also to scale their businesses. Well,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 7:32

that's excellent and and you know your backgrounds are are diverse and rich, and Jennifer, your background, you're an accomplished leader with over a decade of experience driving innovation and entrepreneurship programs. You You are at UC San Diego, and you manage pioneering master of advanced study programs and spearheaded new initiatives such as hacking for defense. Who at the Institute for Global, for the global entrepreneur, and your experience has fueled your passion for Empowering Entrepreneurs to leverage technology for social good. What led you to San Bernardino,

Jennifer Yturralde: 8:12

yeah, so throughout my career, I've been able to work with different kinds of entrepreneurs. So as you mentioned, in San Diego, I was looking at supporting entrepreneurs that were students and faculty, and then coming to Finland empire, I was able to work with UC Riverside, where we were able to really build out the entrepreneurial ecosystem and then be able to impact The broader community, so building programs and and resources that would actually support, you know, more than just the campus, but for the but the community as well. And then I really was interested in going into supporting social entrepreneurship and people who are really making an impact, and then coming to the bee box center, you know, being able to really focus on using all of that experience and that passion to really make a difference, to support women of color entrepreneurs, to to have all of those connections to the networks and the resources that have been built over the last seven years throughout my experience here. So really excited to bring all of that together so that we can really drive the wealth building here in the region. So

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 9:32

moving on to you, Cheryl, I read Jennifer's background. Why don't you tell us what your background is and what led you to San Bernardino and to the Bebop center? Yeah. So

Cheryl Chesnut: 9:41

I am Inland Empire, born and raised, and my background is a bit buried. I, you know, education wise, I have a Master's of Science in energy management, a Master's in Public Administration. I'm currently also working on my educational doctrine of organizational change and administration. I have worked in many. Different sectors, from the energy sector to owning a few small businesses, like owning a small restaurant and then also being silent partners with food truck company. And then I've also had experience in local government, and I would say all of my experience is very unique. I have, you know, my most recent experience before coming to the Bebop wouldn't have been I was involved with a lot of community engagement and outreach, and I have a heart to help make a difference in the community, especially women of color. I know what it's like, personally, to build from nothing and rebuild, and to have that you know, way to kind of show you can always rebuild, you can always come up with something new, and you can make your own path. I find that it's very important to help just inspire others and also make a difference and an impact in the community, so that way the community can keep on growing. One thing that also led me to the Bebop center is just, you know, through, you know, people that I've known even before. I worked at the Bebop center. When I was in my community engagement efforts, I would invite folks here, say, Come on, check it out and talk about how wonderful it was through some of the community partners I was working with. So that's, you know, then I ended up, you know, coming here, working here as the Vice President of Operations, and really just, you know, part of me is also fascinated by puzzles. So to me, it's just, how do you put together a good, systematic framework to also help make a difference, and put a good organizational framework in place.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 11:35

Oh, that's fantastic. Well, we haven't heard from Lakeisha Charles yet. What is your story? Tell us about yourself.

Lakeisha Charles: 11:43

So like you said, my name is Lakeisha Charles, and I am the co owner of LDR cleaning services. Before I started LDR cleaning services, I worked corporate for about 17 years for a top water company through safety, health and environmental and different positions there, I just learned a lot about my environment and things, but then when they decided they might sell, I had to pivot quickly, and I just went back to what I knew, which was cleaning and just an entrepreneur making it happen, basically, well,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 12:19

it's Fantastic. Now, when did you first engage with the Bebop center?

Lakeisha Charles: 12:24

About I just hit my year mark in July, that I've been a part of the Bebop center. So prior to that, I was like I said, I had started being an entrepreneur, and I had already been an entrepreneur full time, but my 17 year job to become an entrepreneur with my cleaning company, and I found myself stuck a little bit with some ebbs and flows in my business. And I guess through my prayer, I was asking God like, I don't know where I'm going to go from here, and this place just kind of illuminated. And I had an opportunity to go in. And once I found out about what this place was, I felt like, Oh, my goodness, it was made just for me, center where I could just rub up against other entrepreneurs. I don't have a background. My family doesn't come from entrepreneurs. They are. You work a job until you get pinned, and then, you know, you retire and you keep going. So this center here was a place that everyone in here look like we women of color that were entrepreneurs and trying to make it happen for their family. So

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 13:26

I know that vision. So this, this project, was born out of the Time for Change Foundation, which I'm a huge fan of, say, help women turn their lives around, get their kids back, start jobs, move into homes. They're just a phenomenal organization. And this bebop center, it, you know, that was born out of a need to overcome barriers, so that money for entrepreneurship can start flowing and, and know how, and management, and all of that could start flowing to people who had been largely locked out of the system. Can you kind of talk about, kind of the founding and, and what are some of the barriers that are faced by women of color?

Lakeisha Charles: 14:06

This is Lakeisha again, at as an entrepreneur. I believe that I knew how to work, but I didn't know how to run a business, and I knew how to use my resources, which were my job or my community, my savings, my things, but access to capital or just even understanding what that looked like. Bebop has gave us an opportunity to we've had pitch competitions. We've learned how to get our finances together on paper, our taxes and things, to where we can go into banks and even be Loanable, you know, like some so the things that you don't know, as an entrepreneur, they have helped break down so many barriers and just put people in front of us to give us access to capital that we wouldn't necessarily had at any opportunity of meeting.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 14:55

So, and I have to think, and this is really a comment for all of you, I have to think that to. So many people they want to maybe they can do a thing. Maybe they make cookies or make cakes, and they do it really well, and they take their orders from friends and family over Christmas. But the whole idea of of of creating an actual business, buying the insurance, getting your getting certified or licensed, or whatever it is they need to do, file the taxes correctly, it's overwhelming, you know. And so, you know. So I'm and so this question is for Cheryl, and I say that I I am, I make. I am the baker. I am the person who can make these dynamite cakes, cakes by Erin. And I walk in, but I don't know where to start, so I walk into the Bebop center. What can I expect?

Jennifer Yturralde: 15:40

You can expect to walk into a warm welcome. We have very friendly staff that help you, help meet you where you're at, and also we're here to make this a safe space for you to see how we can help offer the support and provide you the access that you need to be a successful lady, boss or business owner, and you know, help help you with whatever we have, you know, lots of trainings, lots of workshops, and you will be provided with a lot of that information. You know, we want to make sure you're comfortable and your questions are answered. And you know, fill with your level of comfortability to try to see, how can we help support you? So you probably also would expect an informational session, and also just to see, you know, what is the best way and what is the best way for the services to help support you.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 16:39

Now we're talking, oh, sorry, go ahead.

Cheryl Chesnut: 16:41

So just to jump in on that, you know, I think that's where our Business Academy really supports entrepreneurs through that process. Because, yeah, it's really daunting to figure out, where do I start. And so our build program really goes through all of those different aspects of building, the foundational basics of what you need to do and how to even approach starting the business to, you know, actually launching that business. So Lakeisha can talk a little bit about going through that program.

Lakeisha Charles: 17:11

So like I had said before, I had already been in my business for a couple years, just as a side business. When I decided to go full time is when I experienced the ebbs and flows the Bebop build program. Even though I had already had a business that was able to navigate and make some sort of income, I had found that my foundation was kind of off center. So even though I could have came in right at the Grow thinking that I know everything going through the build program helped me to stabilize my foundation by just understanding from the beginning of branding and marketing and just what that looks like, and your licenses, and knowing that you have options, because if you do the tiktoks, or whatever the 32nd video goes and everybody says, go get this and The LLC and you can get those things are not true, but the v map helps you navigate through some of the incredible staff and the teachers that we have here saying what that looks like for you and your business.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 18:11

You need to tell me that tick tock is not the well of all true.

Lakeisha Charles: 18:15

No, I heard it was not a proper resource.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 18:19

I'm shocked so and so. Let's talk about as we as we can, kind of gotten the nuts and bolts, an overview of what's going on at the Bebop center, and it sounds fabulous. Let's talk about the what goes on inside the head of an entrepreneur that what, what has How do you overcome the barriers that that you might like I, oh, I could never do that. I'm not good at math. I can't do accounting. Or I could never do that. You know, i How could I possibly start a business when I've got kids that take care of or I could never do that for fill in the blank. And I'm sure that some of the women who come in, they have those stories, how do you overcome that?

Lakeisha Charles: 19:02

Unfortunately, but fortunately, you're all the things when you're an entrepreneur and starting up. Well, most of us are, you know, here at the Bebop. So where are marketing, where are accounting, where are all the things you know? So what that looks like at the Bebop, to help you navigate through those things, is through strategic planning, strategic planning, so just to break things down and compartmentalize each one of them, where you think about you carve out the time and think about each one of them in their own aspect, and how that all built one big puzzle for your entrepreneurship, you know? So we think that, okay, I know how to make these cookies per se, or I know how to build the best room ever so but it doesn't teach you the back office parts of it, but be pop helps you navigate through that, just through some of the build program, through the Grow program, and what steps you're in through your foundation. Like, if you don't have a solid foundation, you will see and I think also, you know, just the opportunity. To be in a community of other people who have done that or are going through it, you know, being able to go through it together. You're learning from each other, you're bouncing ideas off each other, you're asking each other do, who did you use to do this? Or how do I navigate this area? You know? And so being able to be part of that bigger community really makes it from a lonely entrepreneurial journey to something that you know, even though you're pushing it forward, you're not doing it by yourself. And so, I think, with the Bebop center, and like the the community that you get alongside of, that you get the you get the community of people, and then you also get the mentorship of experts, you know. So if there's areas that you're needing support, or, you know, you're like, oh, I need, I need to have connections to these types of organizations, being able to hook into the networks that we have here, and the experts and all of those things are things that will help you move forward quicker than if you were trying to do it all by yourself and navigate the whole journey on your own. Yeah, absolutely I would. I would say for me, even when I was afraid to even ask certain questions or didn't even know I should ask those questions, someone in our classroom space asked the questions and we're all in there nodding like I didn't even know I needed that. I did not even know that there was a difference between what's the difference between a sole proprietor and LLC somebody asked the right questions. It's

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 21:34

$800 in the state of California a year.

Lakeisha Charles: 21:39

We know that now, which if you don't actually know that it's going to take you, so you're just starting it and you're going out, because, like we said before, other streams are telling you, go get this, but you're not understanding California that is due in 90 days. Yeah, people don't know those things and but when you're in this classroom and in this space, we're already been through it. So many of our sisters have already mentored, and we're asking the same questions, where you or we're just conversating about it, you're going to learn so much just through our natural, organic conversations around lunch, around the coffee pot. We don't have that when you're an entrepreneur, you don't have the water.

Cheryl Chesnut: 22:14

I wanted to add to one of the things you made me think about Lakeisha was what the Bebop can offer the entrepreneurs is savings and time. So the time that you know as something you brought up, entrepreneurs, you know, you're spending a lot of time figuring it out. Well, you come to the Bebop, we have it figured out for you over work alongside with you to figure it out, to give you some of your time back. Which time is a valuable resource. Time is everything, yeah, and then also the child care. That's huge with the Bebop membership, child care is included. So imagine some of these, you know, moms that want to work on their business, but they're like, Okay, I don't have a child care. They have a place here where we have a child care

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 22:58

well. You serious? I had no idea. on site as

Cheryl Chesnut: 23:02

yeah, so there's that, and then we have a beautiful cafeteria where there's a lot of refreshments. So does waters all included for the entrepreneur to gather around? Yeah,

Lakeisha Charles: 23:13

our water cooler is fancy.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 23:19

Well, and it sounds like you have the real and the figurative water cooler, because I know that, because I've been, I've been an entrepreneur a couple of times in my life, and my quote, unquote water cooler was Facebook, right? But it's not the same as standing there with a human and having a conversation that you know that. So especially if you're working on something that is you really takes a minute to wrap your brain around, and you have to process, you talking about systems, for example, to use up my real my real life situation. You're thinking about, Okay, well, what will that workflow look like, and what will the system look like, and who do I need to have be part of that? And all of the things that go into planning your business, you know, sometimes you need to take a step away. And if it's just you and your cat, you know it's not necessarily what you need at the moment. So it sounds like you all have other entrepreneurs to talk to,

Lakeisha Charles: 24:10

right? So I have also been able to have focus groups here. I tell my friends all the time with my friends, like, Oh, my be bought. My sister's my friend. So all my be my sisters. I say it doesn't matter. Give us all the logos you might have been thinking about, and then we're going to all vote on you have a focus group here, which a lot of people don't even have, that you can put on Facebook, and probably have some people vote on it. But it's not the same,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 24:32

no, and you don't know if it's accurate or not. You know. You know it's different from sitting across from somebody. You show them a piece of marketing, and the look on their face says, oh, no, don't do that, sweetheart. I love you, but no so. So one of the things that that this when you say, when you say, you want to start a business. People say, Okay, you always got to put together a business plan. And half the people say, I'm not going to plan. I'm just going to do and the other half, maybe not half, another group of people will get analysis paralysis and never get out of the gate. You know, what was your experience, Lakeisha? And if anybody else has any other stories about people in that phase, what did that look like?

Lakeisha Charles: 25:19

So I do have a strong background in strategic planning, but the execution, in part, was not, was one of my weakest points. But I had never made a business plan, so I would make this gigantic list and start checking it off, but where was it actually all the way going? So to have a business plan and think about what that looks like from a one year to a five year perspective, and just write it completely out and think it out that was big for me and to have other sisters to come in and help alongside of me, like, Okay, have you thought about this part and to look over my business plan before I'm shopping it out to someone else? Sometimes

Unknown: 25:59

it helped as well. Oh, I

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 26:00

bet it forces you to think everything through right

Lakeisha Charles: 26:04

elements of it, all you know. So we say we have a business plan, but do you have the marketing piece and then your research? Miss? One of our teachers here is really big on, did you do the research?

Multiple: 26:14

And what does

Lakeisha Charles: 26:17

when we think about, what does the market look like that research piece of it. Then I didn't. So I can think in my own head all day long, but then with a proper business plan, if you don't do the the outside research of what your market looks like, what your niche is, and thinking of things like that, you get that type of influence here at the Bebop I think also,

Cheryl Chesnut: 26:38

you know, this is something that, you know I was talking with some of the entrepreneurs here was becoming an accountability partner. So it's like, you're talking about analysis paralysis, or you just checking things off. But it's like, okay, being able to talk to each other and be like, Okay, how are you moving forward? Are you moving forward? What are you needing to do to get to that next milestone? So that, you know, you may think through all the things that you need to do, but, you know, it's a daunting list, you know, and so it's like being able to have other people to be like, accountable to to make sure that you're making the progress that you need to make in order to keep moving the business forward. You know, I think that's something that is really valuable for entrepreneurs to do to have, you know, that extra boost and extra support that and push to be able to keep things going. Because, you know, there's going to be days where it's really overwhelming and it's really hard to figure out, okay, what? What do I need to focus on right now? But being able to have other people, or, you know, I know, I'm an accountability partner to, you know, some of the entrepreneurs here, being able to check in and be like, so do you need support? You know? How are things going? What are some obstacles? What are some barriers that you're facing? Then it's not something that is just all on you to figure out, like, how to be constantly so self motivated, because you have to be but you know, it's also nice to have other people to help push you along.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 28:11

Well, I know I work better under deadline, and I work even better under deadlines that I don't set for myself, because I can always say, Oh, I'll get it done tomorrow afternoon or whatever, and especially if it's particularly unpleasant, you know, taxes, but, you know, but those are things that need to be done,

Jennifer Yturralde: 28:30

right? And then to add to that, going with a quote from Benjamin Franklin, if you fail to plan, your plan to fail. So just to kind of anchor to that, you know, planning is essential. You can be full of these amazing ideas, but you know, you need to have a path forward to be able to get you there. And that's one of the things that you know, definitely we are here to help Well

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 28:54

viewers realize that. So, you know, I especially think if you want to go get any funding. I mean, if you are self funded, then then you can be as motivated or not as you want to be, because it's only your risk. But if you're looking for somebody to fund your organization, whether it's a loan or whatever, or even a supplier or a vendor, they want to know that they're going to get paid. So that planning becomes important, because it tells them what you're planning to do, what you intend to do. You intend to do, right,

Lakeisha Charles: 29:24

right? So I also believe that they put it all in the growth I keep, I keep going back to the build program. Also that foundational piece, it talked about what that looks like for you to be able to be funded and down to getting your DUNS and Bradstreet number. It gave it to itemize each and everything that you needed to do to even start being looked at as fundable, like, don't use a cell phone and things like that. Like, it told us where to go get these things. So having someone else look at your plans and give you the shortcuts

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 29:57

are amazing. Oh, that's huge.

Jennifer Yturralde: 30:00

I also, I also Lakeisha, recently we had you come as a guest for so cap conference, right? So if you want to talk about that, and we're speaking about investors and everything your experience with that,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 30:11

wow. What is SoCap?

Lakeisha Charles: 30:15

So So cap is a very large conference in San Francisco every year around just entrepreneurs and just the impact to your environment and giving where entrepreneur and impact meets investments. So even though the Bebop has given us opportunity to do pitch competitions and things like that, this was more on a global scale, like, how are we changing the world? So we're watching some of the best pictures. And so we're in here. And people, we might be asking for maybe a million dollars or 1000s of dollars, you know, and help our business. But these people were saying, like, billion and trillions. Wow,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 30:55

Elon. Elon, trillion,

Lakeisha Charles: 30:57

you know, like, I didn't even know you could ask people for that type of money. So just being in like minded people, it taught me, just even as a small entrepreneur, to also think bigger than myself, you know, like, okay, my community, but we're talking about global change and how I can impact my environment just by the small things that are going to add up to the bigger things. So those are the type of opportunities that we get here at the Bebop as they take us with them on a journey, you know, like through all of it, I, and I would have never even thought about going to a Spokane as just a lone entrepreneur. So my network is even that much bigger

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 31:36

well, and I gotta think, you know, if you come from the Inland Empire, but especially San Bernardino, you might, you might come from a place of scarcity, right? So there's not a whole lot of money that's going around that you're not thinking about. You're not thinking big, big, that your own vision can limit you. And I, and I understand that, because that's the nature of where we live. But you go up to the Bay Area, where money flows like water, you know, and use all of a sudden, yeah, all Yeah, all of a sudden you're thinking totally different. That must have been, that was, must have been eye opening for all of you. Yeah,

Lakeisha Charles: 32:12

it was, it was eye opening. So we took a team of three entrepreneurs, and then our found one of our co founders, and all of us were moved in different ways, and how we impacted our business in different ways, and how we came back thinking differently, you know. So we brought a fashion designer and a lady that does retreats, Dream cultivating retreats, and then my cleaning company, we thought even we were changed just by taking that small fight that bebop allowed us to take.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 32:42

Okay, so I went on one of those retreats for that, that our three retreat from the dream cultivator, holy cow, yeah. Holy cow. It was amazing, absolutely amazing. And, you know, judging just from from her, from LaShawn, you guys, the the quality of your entrepreneurs is stellar,

Lakeisha Charles: 33:02

yeah, yeah, yeah. She's, she's pretty amazing. And just being able to rub up against someone like her as another entrepreneur, that's a blessing, you know, you know, just being able to come in contact with that type of caliber of entrepreneur, that's going to automatically make us better. We're, we're as good as each one of us. You know, our brains are all working together for the greater good of whatever our businesses is. So I have LaShawn brain with me. I have Miss Rose's brain. You know, all of our tax preparation. We have all the things here. So I'm telling everyone I come from San Bernardino, and I'm super big on I've been through the school system, Erin, all that I don't want to leave to be successful. I believe we can be successful here through programs like the Bebop, through programs and just having that entrepreneur spirit, you can make it here. We don't have to leave, because if we take it somewhere else, then someone else is going to reap the benefits. And that's why I have found that people from San Bernardino and and the the surrounding areas, do we take all of our knowledge and as soon as we make it, we we beep and then come right back here. Yes, quiet, right here, you know, and change the narrative of what people feel, and that's what the Bebop is. And I felt so blessed that this beautiful building was put here for us to make it,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 34:23

and I said this at the retreat, and I and I really think that, you know, there's, there's a lot of people in a lot of spaces in in San Bernardino, who are working towards a renaissance, but I really think that the Bebop is, is is leading that charge in many ways, Because of the energy, exactly what you're talking about, real entrepreneurs wanting to do the work here, which is absolutely phenomenal. So I've kind of gotten a little bit of a bit of an answer, certainly the community spirit. But individually, as an entrepreneur, you know, how do you keep yourself motivated? And what is your philosophy? About? Philosophy? Philosophy about keeping yourself motivated and on track. Everyone has ups and downs. How do you persist and persevere?

Lakeisha Charles: 35:08

I know we need this. I know that my community, my co partner, is my daughter, so she you know what I mean, so my I have my family and my community on on our back, you know, for us an entrepreneur. So my motivation is different. So I could go back to corporate, which I did very well in, but I also no longer had a say so of what my objectives was and where our dollars went. So being an entrepreneur allows me to do that. That's my motivation, is to say, I say when, what, who and how it's going to impact my community. That's huge. So most corporate are in Connecticut, or most corporate buildings are even not even in California. They're not impacting us the way that they should. You know, besides giving us a paycheck

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 35:59

well and international companies, your dollars that that you're earning for that company could find their way to Switzerland or find their way to Dubai or find their way to wherever.

Lakeisha Charles: 36:09

So the water company I work for was not the actual real building. Was not here. It was overseas. We're making their dollars spin before we even allowed here in America, live in lonely California, not even to mention in San

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 36:23

Bernardino well, and there's something to be said for that. You know, we in the era of Amazon and the big box store, we forget about the impact of the small entrepreneur. When I say small, I mean under $100 million or whatever, small to mid sized businesses, because those dollars are spent in this area. When you shop at stater brothers, for example, it's the headquarters is here, and your your all the corporate employees and all the store level employees, they all live in the Inland Empire, or wherever their stores are. And so that's a different and has a different impact than going to Aldi. And nothing against Aldi. I do shop there, but you know, their headquarters is not here. So, so what's on the horizon for you all? What is it that you are, that you are, what goal are you shooting for now, both at the Bebop center and then Lakeisha with your business? And let's start with Cheryl. Well, you know, we're

Cheryl Chesnut: 37:21

really trying. We are working hard to grow the Bebop center. And, you know, welcome more entrepreneurs in here, and then also building a mentorship pipeline, and then also just making sure our current entrepreneurs do have success, uplifting them, seeing how we can offer support, and, you know, just seeing what we can do to help grow

Unknown: 37:45

the center. Yes.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 37:48

Alright, so I'd asked Cheryl a question about what, what is on the horizon from her perspective. Jennifer, I'm kicking it to you, yes. So

Jennifer Yturralde: 37:56

for me, you know, I really want to be bringing the innovation, and ways that we can continue to to impact the community. So looking at what that can look like with technology, looking at what the future of work looks like. So bringing in experts, bringing in community partners that will support the growth and the direction that entrepreneurship is going. So, you know, technology is always changing access to different kinds of technology, so like AI, that's always changing from day to day, bringing out, bringing bringing opportunities to learn more about how to infuse that into business and other kinds of technology that will make entrepreneurs more able to compete with the market, you know, so all of these things that we're looking to for the future, you know, making sure that we're staying on trend and knowing what kind of things we can share with entrepreneurs so that they're ready for for the future as well.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 39:08

Excellent, excellent. And Lakeisha, what's up? What's in the future for you? So

Lakeisha Charles: 39:13

I honestly believe that my LDR cleaning services will be one of the top commercial cleaning services in the IE, I've already seen the pathway to be able to do it, and with the help of the Bebop center, I'm believing that I'm going to be able to do that. And within the next five years, I want to be able to be franchised so that I can bring more autonomous jobs to the woman entrepreneur here. So I'm going to build a way through standards and stuff like that, so that it doesn't matter which building are you're getting, and just allowing women to be more there for their children while making

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 39:47

a pretty good income. Ah, that sounds amazing. That's That's fantastic. I'm thinking about my house and how it needs to be cleaned, although you said commercial, COVID.

Unknown: 40:00

Right out for you

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 40:01

so. So if you, and all three of you, if you could spend time with a middle school aged girl full of emotion and doubt, self doubt and you know kind of trepidation about how you know what's ahead and what's in store for her, what would you want her to know about her possible future. What would you say to her? And maybe it's yourself as a 14 year old or a 12 year old middle school, what would what would you say to that little girl?

Cheryl Chesnut: 40:31

I would say your path will find your way. You may have some hard times, but that's going to make you a stronger person. And use your imagination, use your creativity. And just, you know, don't be afraid. I know it can be scary in trying to figure that out, and that is a scary age. But also know that you can do anything you put your mind to and dream big. And just, you know, there's so many amazing things that you can accomplish in life. And you know you will pick yourself up, you'll move through. And you know your path may not be what you thought it is, but that's okay, because it builds to something else and it feels to something even greater. You

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 41:13

know I have to say that if, if I were to describe young people post COVID, is that they are terrified of making mistakes, of saying the wrong thing, of doing the wrong thing. They're they're terrified and and if you to truly be successful, everybody who's been successful has failed at least 20 times. I'm just making that number up, but they failed a lot. I mean, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, yeah, and, and you have to, you know, learning how to pick yourself up, pivot, make adjustments and move forward. That's, that's huge. It'll serve you in life, in every endeavor, like in your marriage, in your business and all of it, yeah, you

Cheryl Chesnut: 42:02

just also made me think of the Meet the Robinsons movie and the quotes, and they are the lessons from there. And it's like, if you fail, you've done great, and everyone's cheering on the failures, because that's how you're going to learn. But it's also very inspirational. But I think I would also show the movie

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 42:16

Meet the Robinsons to have never seen that movie. It's amazing,

Unknown: 42:20

the songs and the quotes and everything. It's phenomenal.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 42:25

Alright, now, something to do this weekend. So, So Cheryl, Jennifer, you know, what would you say? And we can go with you. Jennifer, what would you say to that 14 year old girl?

Jennifer Yturralde: 42:38

Yeah, so I would say, I would say, Be okay with yourself, you know, so I had this conversation with Lakeisha, actually earlier on, or maybe like a month ago, about just how, how it was difficult to navigate a lot of things you know, my identity and all of that, and so learning to have confidence, and learning how to just be willing to to stand apart from other people you know, so being willing to do that made a huge difference in my life and so, so building it, being able to build on that confidence as a as a person, learning how to How to grow and be open to to all of that. I think that's what I would have said me. You know, as a as a middle schoolers, it's okay, it's okay to to be who you are, and it's okay to stand on your own, and you will find people who will love you for the way you are, and if they don't, then that's okay, too for me, you know, just that journey, just thinking about, you know, I was wanting to start a business when I was in college, but I wasn't confident that I could make it happen. I was like, who am I? Like, why would I think that I could do this? And I wish that I had that confidence to be able to say, okay, I can, I can try it out and see if it this is what I can do. Or, you know, even if I don't have background in this, like, I can still follow something that I am passionate about. So I wish that I was able to instill that more of myself when I was a child or middle schooler, to be able to truly build on on that for

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 44:54

myself. You know, you think about that age, and that's an age when your peers are probably the most important to you. Like, what other people think is so important and and that, that fear of, again, fear of, what are people going to think of me? What if I fail? What if, you know they're going to laugh at me, they're going to nobody thinks I can do this. That can be really hard at that age and and often older ages too.

Unknown: 45:23

Still a journey that we're working it is

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 45:27

alright. So, Cheryl, your turn. Oh, I

Jennifer Yturralde: 45:30

already spoke my turn. Lakeisha, oh, Lakeisha, I'm

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 45:33

sorry. It's you know, and forgive me. We're all women, but sometimes it was hard to hear the that to tell the voices. So, Lakeisha, Europe, thank you. So um,

Lakeisha Charles: 45:44

I would tell her, Well, unfortunately, I have recently worked for 14 year olds. Right through the entrepreneur partnerships that I have had, I can go into the school, the entrepreneur High School, and talk to some of them, right? Did focus? I did focus on the girls and I, they're ninth graders. That's 14 year olds, you know. So I told them, it's in uses, you know? I just kept reiterating that. Then you're so unsure of yourself and you shouldn't be the things that we're doing every single day could be a path to

Unknown: 46:18

entrepreneurship

Lakeisha Charles: 46:20

and be kind just of who your your circle is. It's okay to lean on your other sisters, be nice to each other, love on each other, because at the end of the day, we're going to have to find, find a sisterhood, you know? So if I can say that to them, you know, I'm going to say it to every 14 year old. It's in you find a sisterhood that believes in you and you're not as weird as you think you are.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 46:48

You're not any more or less weird than everyone else, but it's hard. You know, women can be really hard on each other. I'm just, I'm just going to keep it real to use that phrase, we are really hard on each other, you know? And if we want to be supportive, we support Ted, we have to be supportive to others and create that space. It has to be intentional, yeah,

Lakeisha Charles: 47:12

and that's and that's hard at 14, because you feel like, well, am I weird? Because you don't know so many I think that thing that is for the Internet and helped us to find our tribes, but find your tribe and know that it's okay to be yourself. I think that this generation is a lot more accepted of people being their own person than they were maybe in our generation, where we're, you know, that was not okay, or we thought that we were so secluded, and we're just not anymore. You can literally type in what you're into and find your group, yeah, so that's just not the same. But I want them to know that they are not alone, and that they can do all the things girls can do, all all kind of things that we never knew. So when I go in there, the first thing I ask them, if they are even thinking about being an entrepreneur, just because you go to entrepreneur High School. Mean is you're going to be an entrepreneur? And a lot of them were like, No, I don't I don't have anything I want to do. I don't know anything. So I just started pointing out things. Who did your makeup today? Who did your hair today? Do you do your chores? That is a business. I have a whole business. That's true.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 48:19

That's true. You know, it's

Lakeisha Charles: 48:20

already there. What are you good at drawing? Graphic design is a huge thing. Digital content is going for some stuff so they know how to do things. My granddaughter right now, she's only 11, and she knows I do a lot of things. She thinks she'll be a star.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 48:35

Yes, ma'am, unfortunately. I mean, go for it. Do your thing. Unfortunately, though, everybody thinks they're going to be a Tiktok or YouTube star and, and, but, you know, they're having fun while they're doing it and learning how to, how to, learning skills that can be used, you know, in their future life or in a business, I more power to them. Yeah. So, so what are some of the, I mean, besides the, besides Lakeisha, what are some of the Bebop success stories? You know, where have, where have you guys really seen people soar?

Lakeisha Charles: 49:15

You said, besides Lakeisha,

Unknown: 49:18

well, we've heard

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 49:20

yours success story every day. Okay, so I I'm sorry I was like in addition to Lakeisha. But you know what Lakeisha tell your success story?

Lakeisha Charles: 49:30

I wanted to say each of the be pop members and be pop sisters are own. Are their own little success story. Everyone has accomplished something and growing and learned, and we celebrate all of them. So, you know, each one is their own success story in their own way. Lakeisha, you know, is there any like particular story that we want to, you know, um, Pitch Competition, successes or not just the pitch conversation, just the everyday

Unknown: 49:56

people, like,

Lakeisha Charles: 49:57

we have a solid lady here named Miss Rose. That is. Day in and day out. And when she came in here, she was actually just doing church plates. She has an entire catering business now, seriously, her navigate through that with websites. And we're saying we're talking about a lady that is well seasoned and is already in retirement from the school system that has launched an entire entrepreneur, new venture, a new lease on life that that she is able to navigate through just by the Bebop shorter, what that can look like. So awesome, completely. Now she has an LLC. She has menu choices. She's doing full time catering, and Miss Rose is doing her thinking, right? So element of taste is, is Sky marketed just through her, your journey with me. And I say that because we came and started on the same day. So the watch her journey is, she inspires me day to day to go and who

Unknown: 50:53

she cooked with, like Juliet child Oh yeah, she's

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 50:55

studying with, like, Julia Childs and what's, oh my gosh, yeah, yeah.

Lakeisha Charles: 51:00

So, I mean, she's well, but she was still just doing it for her church, and bebop helped her become a profitable business with an LD like That was crazy. And just to be able to take some of those shortcuts work for her, like, and teach her how to get her LLC and walk through her iterate keystrokes and go from paper to being able to run in a whole back office. We're talking about a seasoned lady that was already into her retirement

Unknown: 51:26

age.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 51:26

Wow, that's so great. And you know what? And I'm feeling that because I said, besides Lakeisha. But in my mind, Lakeisha, you've told us that you're franchising. In my mind, you're already there, so already

Cheryl Chesnut: 51:38

you're talking about you know, your growth that you've experienced since you started?

Lakeisha Charles: 51:47

Yeah, my my growth here, I have stabilized. And I've already, the first year from being here at the Bebop, I've increased, no, 90 days, 40% and then this year, year to date, I've already been over doubled what I made last year. Holy cow. Just by stabilizing and going back to the bill program and my foundation, I can't I cannot say enough, then go back to your foundation. People, if you listen to me planning and found going back to the basic steps, don't think that we know everything. Then there's no shortcuts. There's none. Just do the work. Just

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 52:19

do the work. Let's do the work. All right. So we have about about five minutes left, and, you know, I, you know, kind of talked about, what, where you want the you're thinking that the Bebop will go in the next couple of years, or, you know, kind of where we're you're going, where you're strengthening. Do you have desires to scale beyond San Bernardino, like put a bebop center in, I don't know, Oceanside.

Cheryl Chesnut: 52:45

Yes, we are, you know, bebop is, you know, our big vision is to go global. And the nice part is, the academy is 100% online. So online can go anywhere indeed it can. So, yeah, definitely, we want to think big and get big and go there. And, you know, the stories that we hear coming through, it's very amazing. You know, I don't know what place you can go to, where you have other entrepreneurs right by you, cheering you on, that sisterhood, you know, that's something that you feel, that sense of community, you know, compared to the entrepreneur that's just sitting there all alone, not knowing where to go, and you have the lazy who have access to everything, all in one spot. So that's you know, something that you know has to be said. But it is here, also here to help San Bernardino and make a difference.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 53:36

So I'm thinking about all of the artisan women in countries like Mali and Ghana and Tanzania and Malaysia and other places where where they know how to make a thing but they don't have any business knowledge. You talked about social entrepreneurship. Is that kind of work on your radar? Reaching out to these women?

Cheryl Chesnut: 53:59

Yeah, definitely. You know, meaning what we're doing here. There's a lot of social enterprises, a lot of social entrepreneurs that are here that are wanting to make an impact, and so being able to expand that out globally through our online programs. But also, you know, partnering with local organizations so that they have access to these kinds of resources as well, you know, so that that impact can expand globally as well. So I think that, you know, it's really part of our core of really wanting to make that impact in our local environment, but also in a global environment as well, by, you know, working with the local communities so that that the women are also able to have that experience of having that community of people around them. Because I really think that that's really important. A really important piece is creating an ecosystem that's local, but also having access to. To, you know, these kinds of resources that we're building here at the bottom, it's really

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 55:05

about economies of scale at that point then, I mean, you're then you have an audience with much bigger venture capital opportunities, and you have an audience with, you know, if you need legal help, if you need marketing help, you know, you can take it, I would imagine, take advantage of some economies of scale, the larger that you get. That's right. So alright, so we are right about the end. Why don't you tell us how people can learn more about the Bebop Center, where they go to to like, if they wanted to, to pop in, what, where are you, and how did you find? And how do they find and follow you on social media? So

Cheryl Chesnut: 55:38

go to bebop center, com online, there's links to our social media. We have some of our events. We have a few exciting events upcoming. And I would go ahead and go there, and then there's links to the Instagram and the LinkedIn and the Facebook from the website as well. And then they can always feel free to come on by and give us a call, you know, and tour the facility. You know, they can give us a call at 909-530-2267. You know, I would say that's probably the best way. Is there anything else to add, ladies,

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 56:13

it looks like you have a business mixer on December 5. Yeah, we

Cheryl Chesnut: 56:17

have a business mixer on December 5, which is very exciting. It's a joint with one of the one of the chambers of commerce, the greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We also have, you know, some Saturday empowerment workshops with some of the ladies. We have the one on November 30, which is coming up with playlist curation for daily positive empowerment using the power of music. Is a tool for non members. It is $20 to join. And then we also have our holiday celebration on December 17, and all that's on our website.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 56:52

Excellent, excellent, excellent. So, all right, anything else, any final words you want people to you want to leave with people who are listening?

Lakeisha Charles: 57:03

Um, if I could say, come on down, sisters, if you feel like you even have an inkling of an idea of that, you want to start a business, come down here and and get a hug, come down here and take a breath with us. Come down and if you would like your house to clean, I'm

Unknown: 57:25

an LDR, Facebook and Instagram

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 57:28

outstanding Well, Lakeisha Charles from LDR cleaning services, and Cheryl chestnut and Jennifer iteralde, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining me for the incredible work that you're doing. I want these women to become kajillionaires and just revitalize this entire region. So thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you.

Unknown: 57:49

Thank you, Erin for the time.

Erin Brinker - Making Hope Happen Foundation: 57:53

Well, I loved that conversation. If you want more information about the Bebop center, please visit www.bebopcenter.com www.bebopcenter.com that's www.bebopcenter.com so this podcast, the making hope happen podcast is from the making hope happen Foundation, which is in San Bernardino, California. We are the foundation for the San Bernardino City Unified School District. It is the ninth largest in California. It is an urban school district, and if you're not in California, it's about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. So the making hope happen foundation empowers and engages the people of San Bernardino, California and beyond every day. Our programs are designed to help people realize their dreams how they define them from cradle to career, we have Early Childhood Mentor supported scholarships, innovation and education, and we are the backbone for the uplift San Bernardino collective impact initiative, which is focused on building a generation of successful adults committed to growing roots in San Bernardino, Hope has the power to change lives. Gratitude and hope, together can change the world. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone or whatever is in the future that is good for you that's coming up. I know that you may not be listening to this exactly when it was posted. So whether you're listening on radio, on the radio on X 95.7 or kql H both in Inland Southern California, or you're listening on any one of the podcast platforms, from Spotify and Buzz sprout, Deezer and apple and etc, Amazon, all of them. Thank you for listening. Have a wonderful week, and we'll see you next week, or at least talk to you. You.