50: Making Education Debt-Free the Rushell Lashay Way

Speaker (00:00:00) (-) - Welcome to Work it, Live it, Own it!. A show that explores how to upgrade your lifestyle through life lessons, real estate and entrepreneurship. Here's your hostess soccer player. Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Work it, Live it, Own it!. I'm your hostess SaCola Lehr and today's guest is Rushell Lashay. Now she is the dynamic force behind a girl dropping knowledge, also known as AGDK. So you're going to hear that acronym throughout our conversation today. And what does AGDK mean? A girl behind a girl dropping knowledge. Well, the girl behind this business grew up in the rural parts of South Carolina, and she went from being a scholarship winner to a successful entrepreneur. Her story is nothing short of inspiring, so we're going to tune in. If you are an entrepreneur who's looking to go back to school, or you may have kids who are looking to go to school and you're planning for their education, Michelle is going to talk about what she envisions for her business, why is she so passionate about it? And she's going to talk about her journey and even some of the challenges that she's faced along the way from establishing AGDK.

Speaker (00:01:23) (-) - Welcome, Rushell. How are you doing?

Speaker (00:01:25) (-) - I'm good. How are you doing?

Speaker (00:01:28) (-) - Doing well. Thank you for asking. So let's jump right into it because I have busy entrepreneurs and they want to get to the nitty gritty. So can you share with us a little bit more about the evolution of a girl dropping knowledge, also known as AGDK? How it started from a blog, it started from a blog, then it evolved to a podcast, and then you made a decision to integrate flashcards and interactive guided workbooks. Tell us, first of all, tell us what ag DQ is all about.

Speaker (00:02:01) (-) - Yeah. So AGDK, also known as a girl dropping knowledge. It started as a blog. It was a school assignment. One of my professors wanted us to do monthly or weekly postings, articles on whatever it is that we wanted to talk about. And I thought, well, let me do something that I am passionate about. That's something that I can actually be dedicated and dedicate time to write about.

Speaker (00:02:23) (-) - And that's how it started. I started putting out articles weekly on the scholarship process, about resume writing, about using your scholarships for for professional branding. but then it got to a point where it just became overwhelming. That's when it transitioned to a podcast. I honestly did one recording. It was the intro, and that was it, because the time I had to set aside to do that 1/32 recording, I just was not willing to set that time aside to do so. Then I had to make an executive decision because I knew I there was a problem, and I knew that I had the solution just by my experiences with getting scholarships. I grew up in a very small community where I had to go outside of my community to learn about scholarships, about professional branding, and it's because of that, I was able to go from zero to almost a quarter million dollars in scholarships. And then as I was doing my internships in college, I was speaking to a lot of business professionals and their parents. And the main concern was, how do I get my child in college and how do I help them get scholarships? So I kept seeing that problem come about, and I knew I had the knowledge, which is why I decided to start a business.

Speaker (00:03:37) (-) - I knew I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and then finding out this is a problem, I just kind of put two and two together. Together. How can I make an impact in a way that has never been done before? What can I do to make my business different, and what can I do to make my business stand out? So that's how I came up with the idea of doing the flashcards. And the flashcards initially started was just going to be the box of flashcards with a framework on getting scholarships. But then I kind of took it a step further and decided to compare or pair them together with a workbook. So that way you read, you learn from the flashcards, and then you do the interaction and you retain more knowledge by writing it down in your workbook or journal. it goes from a seven step flowchart to a scholarship organizer to a checklist. So it's a lot of information together. And that was kind of like the early journey from where I started from class to where I am now, owning that educational company, trying to make a difference on students education.

Speaker (00:04:40) (-) - Okay. That was a lot. That was a big journey. So let's recap this all started as a school assignment. In college or is this high school.

Speaker (00:04:51) (-) - In college.

Speaker (00:04:52) (-) - In college what was your major. I just have to ask what was your major.

Speaker (00:04:56) (-) - I did, majoring in marketing minor and mass communications.

Speaker (00:05:00) (-) - Okay. All right. Because the way you sort, you set everything up, it sounds like an educator. It sounds like the way educators think. But then the marketing piece, I can see that because one, you created something, and then you saw that it didn't work right, because a lot of people just think, oh, I can just start doing a podcast, do the recording and blah, blah, blah, and it's going to be easy. I'm going to share it with the whole world, Bip and boom, and we're done. But then you realize that wasn't a good fit for you. So you shifted gears, but then you actually went out to the communities. You met people you found a need.

Speaker (00:05:37) (-) - You knew that there was a need and you knew you had a solution. That's what businesses are all about. It's not about creating something brand new out the gate. Right? But you actually seeing that need and knowing how to fulfill that need. And you found your target audience. And then it went to flashcards. Yeah. And that now was an interactive workbook. So you take the flashcards, right. And then you put it into a workbook to make it make sense. So they're actually documenting their journey. Right. Wow.

Speaker (00:06:11) (-) - Yeah.

Speaker (00:06:13) (-) - Okay. So I, I do have to ask you this. What inspired you to focus. On providing this practical information. You already said that there was a need, but you said you had this background. And of a quarter million. Let's let's back up on that one. A quarter million dollars in scholarships. What was the need and the desire? To do that for yourself first and foremost.

Speaker (00:06:40) (-) - Yeah, well, honestly, when I was in high school, I lost my father in a car accident, and that kind of, like, changed my life in a way.

Speaker (00:06:51) (-) - Whereas I knew I wanted to go to college. And I have two younger siblings. I'm the oldest and my mom. She became a single mother instantly, and I was thinking, well, why would I have her pay for college or have her try to take out loans? Or why would I put myself in debt when there are people willing to pay for my education? That was my simple thought. Why would I pay for my education? When someone says they'll pay for me, I just have to find who that someone is in that different organizations. So that was the starting field. I knew it was scholarships out there at the time. I've heard about people getting scholarships. It was kind of becoming more of like a popular thing on social media, where on my algorithm on YouTube, there would be students saying, I got $1 million in scholarships or I got a full ride. So I knew it was possible, and I just wanted to educate myself on what if they can do it with so different from me? And that was the starting force.

Speaker (00:07:44) (-) - I did not want to owe anybody money, and if I did, it was going to be money that I could pay off instantly. Not having to be in debt because my ultimate goal is financial freedom and I want to teach that to others. So that's kind of why I decided to go for myself. And over the time, I'm actually in my master's program right now on a full ride scholarship. So it's just time. Every time I've been applying, it's just accumulated, and it's allowed me to go to school and not worry about financial burden and allowed me to focus on, like my, professional skills, getting internship, getting opportunities and just kind of being able to reach that goal. So that's really why I decided to go for it for myself.

Speaker (00:08:28) (-) - I love the fact that you were able to. Walking your own shoes. You saw, hey, if other people can do this, there's there's plenty of money out there, right? Right. I can do it too. And you didn't get discouraged? Or did you get discouraged along the way? Because how many? First of all, how many scholarships did you apply for? Do you did you keep track?

Speaker (00:08:51) (-) - I, I kept track, up until I got into undergrad because I remember every day after high school, I didn't have a social life outside of high school.

Speaker (00:09:01) (-) - I had early release, I came home, I set up my own table, and I applied for scholarships for hours. Like I get home around 12 and I'll be up until after midnight still applying, and I probably apply to hundreds. I'm sure I got rejection from most of them. It was a discouraging process because it's it was something I had to dedicate my time to you. I had to be okay with putting 110% into something and not getting anything back in return. But I do think that process prepared me for life, especially entrepreneurship, because every day is like, I'll put 110 into a project and it goes nowhere. And but I have to be okay with that and I have to continue moving forward. So it was very, very discouraging. I remember the first scholarship I got was $75. I was grateful, very, very grateful for it. But I was like, okay, great. But I'm so trying to, you know, reach that goal of having a full ride. So it paid off.

Speaker (00:09:56) (-) - I just had to develop that mindset of being okay with failure and understanding that it happens. It is a part of growth. So it was discouraging, but it was a process that I learned and it helped develop me into the person that I am today.

Speaker (00:10:09) (-) - Thank you for sharing that and for my fellow entrepreneurs. If you are a parent and you want your children to listen to this particular episode, hone in on what Rushell just said. She focused you. You focused Rushell. You knew, like you said, you didn't have a social life in high school. But you carved out that time. You didn't use it frivolously. You carved out time and you already focused and said, okay, you already prepared your mind. There going to be some no's? Yeah, right. And yeah, sometimes I would think a $75 scholarship would kind of sting. You'd be grateful. Thank you I appreciate it. But you know, I need a little bit more. But you know what they say every little bit helps.

Speaker (00:10:58) (-) - But you got a lot of no's, but you also got some yeses. So that's real life. And like like you said, it prepared you for the real world. And that is what life is about. That's what business is about. You're going to get a lot of no's. Yeah. Before you. But those yeses are so sweet. They are. They come.

Speaker (00:11:18) (-) - They are. And I can say it was so powerful because the I was able to get a scholarship from Thurgood Marshall. So that just goes to show, I mean, when it's for you, it's going to be for you. And those scholarships were just they came at the right time, I can say, because going into college, I was able to accumulate enough. I went semester by semester or year by year. That's kind of how I tackled it. I didn't think about the big picture because it was overwhelming. So that's one thing I can say is start small, understand? Okay, you may get federal or institutional funding.

Speaker (00:11:51) (-) - That was one thing. Or funding from the state that our scholarships or grants and then take what's the remainder and then tackle it piece by piece. And that kind of is what kept me saying through the entire process.

Speaker (00:12:06) (-) - I like how you said that. I mean, we can have this ultimate goal, right? Ultimate goal for you was to finish scholarship with as little as of debt as possible. But you took a semester by semester. Phenomenal. Because sometimes we can get lost. We can, like you said, feel overwhelmed, burdened by the big picture. But you enjoy the journey along the way. And that's what I talk about all the time. Enjoy that journey and those in those winds along the way. So while you were envisioning. AGDK because you saw a need into this. How do you envision your business fulfilling its calling to educate aspiring leaders across diverse educational fields? And what innovative technologies or approaches are you utilizing now to achieve this goal? You talked about workbooks. You talked about flashcards.

Speaker (00:13:05) (-) - Is there anything else that is helping you to envision how your business is going to help solve the needs for those who are pursuing education?

Speaker (00:13:17) (-) - Yeah, honestly, my business is is growing. It's always one minute I'm I'm trying to be open to different avenues. I'm not trying to stick in one place. Like I just updated the the vision. Our vision is every student debt free, every dream within reach. And what that means is we want students to graduate debt free. That's the goal. it's a big goal that it's going to take years to accomplish. Having a large team that is dedicated to that goal. But that is something that we want to do, and we feel that that is extremely important, because if students do not accumulate student loans, then that allows them to be able to follow their dreams more. It allows like, for example, I give the first gen college student, if you don't have the education or knowledge on how to get scholarships, then you might not be able to go after that dream.

Speaker (00:14:02) (-) - So I envision my business accomplishing that goal specifically through the products that we do offer. we also have like online, online courses, and also like some consulting. So I do have power chats where I'm able to sit down or book a call with me, and then I'm able to talk to the student and the parent. And then in that session is what we kind of get deep into, okay, what is it? What is that you're trying to achieve? What action steps are you taking. And then I'll put my input in, and then I'll follow up with some strategic plans on how we can reach that goal. So of course doing like our services and products, that's one way we see ourselves reaching, students in reaching that goal. ultimately, we also are trying to get in schools, high schools, colleges, higher institutions of learning, because that's really where majority of the students are. So trying to get that flash, flashcard workbook set into the high schools, into the colleges where the students can benefit from that, the districts or schools, they can purchase the bulk order and then give it to the students.

Speaker (00:15:03) (-) - That way they have access. They have the direct access to this is the steps on what you need to do when it comes to getting scholarships. So that's kind of how I see the vision going again. It's always changing. Like entrepreneurship. It can be one way today and it could be another way tomorrow. So as of right now, that's kind of where I see myself, and that's where I see this product reaching that goal and helping those students.

Speaker (00:15:29) (-) - Excellent. You've got a roadmap, but you also realize that running a business is like life. It can have its twists and turns, and it can take you in a totally different direction that you don't expect it to. But it's good that you do have that vision. And I will tell you, as a veteran educator, it is entirely needed. The school district I've been in, they send out a list of scholarships and I can't tell you students don't even see it. They don't see it. They don't read it. And growing up the way I grew up.

Speaker (00:16:06) (-) - Low income. I didn't get to hear about all the scholarship programs out there. It was someone who knew someone. When I decided I'm going to go to school because I had no plans of going to school, I was first generation graduate. I graduated high school, college before my parents did. And my way of looking up scholarships was through Ebony or jet. You know, I'm dating myself. But, you know, back in the day when those magazines, there was a certain time where of the year where scholarships would come out, like the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship, the Coca-Cola scholarship, things like that, that you would apply for those really big scholarships. So tell me this. What would you say would be the ideal time period or age period? To actually start looking at scholarships knowing what you want to apply for.

Speaker (00:17:10) (-) - I say it depends. I say that earlier the better but mainly like high school. sophomore junior year is when I would really start what junior year I would really have momentum. But you can really start your freshman or your sophomore year, depending on what scholarship, organizations they might have eligibility for students who are freshmen or they may have, you know, opportunities for students who are younger.

Speaker (00:17:36) (-) - So it really just depends on what opportunities students are applying for. But definitely start freshman year, start getting to know. Familiarize yourself what with what scholarships are with. Loans are just kind of like start the process. Your sophomore year, I'd say take it seriously. Start deciding, okay, do I want to go to college? If so, what do I need to do? And then start putting that together? Start putting a roadmap. Start applying and then by the time your junior year comes around, you should have already have a couple of scholarships, or you should be in a place where you're good. When you're able to start applying to more scholarships and to kind of pick up momentum. Because honestly, once it hits that senior year of high school, you're about to go off to college. And I wouldn't say it's too late because I started my senior year of high school, but then I had to sacrifice my time. And I tell people all the time it was four and a half years of failure and rejection and just dedicating my time to it.

Speaker (00:18:31) (-) - So it was a sacrifice that allowed me to get to where I am. But if I know what I know now, I would have started sooner. that way, as soon as you're graduating college or you graduating high school, going into college, you have money that you can put up for your first semester or your first year, and then that's a worry that's off of your mind. And then you can continue to do that every year. So I would say start kind of getting to know the process. Your freshman year of high school is my best advice.

Speaker (00:18:59) (-) - Okay, great.

Speaker (00:19:00) (-) - Because you meant as a freshman, students don't know what they want to major in or they're not quite sure. I didn't even decide that I was going to go to college until my junior year. So it was like really scramble session. And then it was like, okay, how am I going to pay for this? Because college, you know, it wasn't the cost of what it is now, but it was still pricey even then.

Speaker (00:19:22) (-) - So freshman year will be ideal for them to start looking and start researching the schools that they want to go to. Okay, now let's talk about and highlight some of the key challenges you faced, because on the Work on It podcast, we can talk about entrepreneurship, but let's go in a little bit more behind the scenes of Agtech. What has been some of the key challenges you faced in growing your business, and how have you overcome them and continue to make a positive impact?

Speaker (00:20:00) (-) - Yeah, I would say one of the biggest problems is getting the word out. marketing, even though I majored in marketing, is a very tricky thing, and it has a lot to do with knowing your target audience. Like I kind of said earlier, we're really switching paths. Initially, my target audience, of course, is still students, but having to figure out, okay, if my if I'm targeting students, I have this product that is worth a certain value. But my audience, they possibly can't afford it, but it's made for them.

Speaker (00:20:32) (-) - So then I had to think, okay, well, how am I going to get it in their hands? So then I was thinking, okay, well parents and then how am I going to get it from the parents? And then I had to redirect my entire marketing strategy to say, well, our parents more on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. So kind of understanding that. And then once I'm able to implement that and staying consistent with it. And then I also had to think, well, what is another big revenue or was another organization that I can target, which is when I came to the idea of school. So it's a process, I would say like the target audience, then the marketing and getting everything worded correctly and presenting it and getting it in the hands of the students, that has been the biggest challenge. It is something that I am going through currently. I feel like I'm kind of midpoint. I've been able to communicate with some high school, some colleges about the products and see if it would be a good fit.

Speaker (00:21:24) (-) - And again, it's just trial and error. It's just getting feedback. Being that I have not had been able to get this product in universities at the moment. So I kind of really just started refining this process. So it's like I'm starting back from square one. So getting that feedback has been something that I have been trying to do to navigate through that, which has been one of the biggest challenges.

Speaker (00:21:46) (-) - Okay. But I love the.

Speaker (00:21:49) (-) - Fact that you're still. Going and doing, and you've got the credibility behind it. And sometimes it can get discouraging because like I said, I've worked on school systems and I've talked to so many entrepreneurs who have a great product, who have a great service, and I've even refer them to that. And so I would just say to you, Rochelle, personally, heart to heart, here, right here, now, keep asking, keep knocking, keep pursuing. Because eventually you'll get a yes. And I will say this made me check and look into some of the what they call title one schools.

Speaker (00:22:29) (-) - Or also known as the low income schools, were 75% or more of the students are on free and reduced lunch. Maybe doing a virtual workshop with counselors. At the school and administration and see if you can get in that way. And I'm happy to give you some connections of people I know personally in education to, to get that started. I can't guarantee that they'll say yes, but to just reach out and see what they have to offer. Okay.

Speaker (00:23:05) (-) - Okay. Thank you.

Speaker (00:23:07) (-) - I'm passionate. I will always be passionate about education, but I'm even more passionate about free education because if there is a way to help students grow and. Progress, but not have to go into debt because I'm one of those people. I will be honest. I have over 20 years in the education field, and I tell people all the time, when a student asked me if you had to do it all over again, would you go to a four year university? For me personally, I would say no. I would have went to a tech school.

Speaker (00:23:42) (-) - Yeah.

Speaker (00:23:43) (-) - Why? Because I wouldn't have had to pay off all that student loan debt. And even when I did go to grad school, there was an opportunity for a fellowship. I applied, I got it. So even for those who are thinking about if you've already have your bachelor's degree and you're thinking about it, Rochelle's in grad school right now and you're on a scholarship. You've got scholarship money. So grad school, you can get free money. Even in graduate school I got some. Rochelle has received some. So it is possible. It is doable. And that could be another thing to another focus. I'm like, I feel like I'm coaching on here. I'm not trying to coach you or anything, but I'm just trying to brainstorm with you. Think about some of these things about potentially even reaching out to the universities and colleges, but also focus on certain programs that you may want to say, hey, let's help graduate students who are working that need free money as well.

Speaker (00:24:42) (-) - Right?

Speaker (00:24:42) (-) - That could be another target audience.

Speaker (00:24:44) (-) - Okay. All right. Now I'm done with my tangent. I'm done. I'm done. So what advice would you give? To aspiring entrepreneurs. Or content creators who are looking to start their own platforms aimed at empowering others with practical knowledge, knowledge and resources just like you.

Speaker (00:25:09) (-) - Yeah, I would say the one thing is understand what your problem is. And at times for me, my problem has always been a reassurance for me to keep going. Because if you know exactly what the problem is, if you know the market that you're getting into, and if you know how much that industry is worth. that is something that it will always be reassuring when you going through your process of entrepreneurship or content creation, you'll know that when it's times get kind of rocky and where you feel like this is not it, maybe I should have told something different or I won't be successful in this. If you go back to the start, which is that problem or which is how big is this market? Is there a market for it that will kind of reassure you and keep pushing.

Speaker (00:25:54) (-) - So make sure you understand that. I say the need the problem before the product. Make sure you're actually trying to achieve that problem, make sure you're doing things to better others and not. So focus on what you're selling. Try to relate to them. Try to understand what their struggles are. I think that is something that I wish I would have done at first. understand the pain points truly, because when you're understanding that and then try to find a way if you can relate to. Because if you're relatable, if you're really understanding of what it is that they're going through or what it is that problem, then your product will just kind of come in second nature because it's something that supports that, and it's not like you're pushing the product on them. You're actually pushing to solve that problem. So I would say before anything, understand the problem, understand the market, understand is this a lucrative industry? Understand is it scalable like in the next 5 to 10 years? Will this even still be an industry? And if it is, what does that look like and how would you be willing to move with that? So kind of doing that research before even coming up with a solution or even making everything shiny and pretty through the business, doing the gritty stuff, the stuff that's not fun.

Speaker (00:27:10) (-) - So I would say do that first, that research.

Speaker (00:27:13) (-) - I'm not going to even chime in on that, but I'm in full agreement with I've mentioned that before, because a lot of times when we start a business, we think about the shiny. The business cards, the website, and nobody cares about that really. They care about what's in it for them. And.

Speaker (00:27:34) (-) - It's not.

Speaker (00:27:34) (-) - Sexy. It's not fun to sit up here and be like, okay, what are people's problems and what are their struggles? What keeps them awake at night? But when you truly understand that, like Rochelle says, you are speaking, when you know your target audience, you know what keeps them up at night. You can speak their language and then they want to know, okay, what's in it for? For me? Well, fortunately, I have some practical knowledge and resources to share with you, to take you from where you are right now to where you need to go. Right. And if you know your why, that is your why.

Speaker (00:28:15) (-) - I'm here to help, to be of service. I'm here to help solve that problem like Rochelle just mentioned. Great. Guess what? It's going to keep you going, right? But a lot of entrepreneurs give up.

Speaker (00:28:27) (-) - Yeah they do. And honestly I do think it has a lot to do with that either during and after . We saw a lot of people starting businesses. For me, I saw it everywhere on social media. It was it was made to make it seem like it was so, so, so simple. All you have to do is get a logo, get a business name, get an LLC, go to whatever, whatever.com and get everything. And then boom, you're making $10,000 a month. And I was like, okay. Even though I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur from the beginning, and I was going to do it regardless, but I think it was very misleading. It was very easy to do. And then I think a lot of people started to realize that this is not as easy as it seems.

Speaker (00:29:14) (-) - It's like one minute you're up, then the next minute you can be like starting from the bottom ness. The process that I'm going in right now, just like doing minor rebranding, refining what I'm trying to do, refining everything and then being open to changing things. So it's it's really a journey. It's I feel.

Speaker (00:29:34) (-) - You, I feel you, I. We talk about this all day long because there were ups and downs. But you know what? I remind myself at the end of every race, there's a beginning of a new one. When you get to the bottom of a mountain or you're at the top of the mountain, guess what? There's going to be another mountain to climb, and there's going to be those peaks. There's going to be those valleys. And guess what? When you're riding high, it's one of my mentors. I've never met him yet. I haven't met him yet. I'm looking forward to meeting him one day. Brian Buffini says that when you're at the top of the mountain, you throw a little dirt down into the valley because then your fall won't be as far and deep.

Speaker (00:30:15) (-) - Because you've already.

Speaker (00:30:16) (-) - Preparing, because you're going to have those ebbs and flows.

Speaker (00:30:19) (-) - Yeah.

Speaker (00:30:20) (-) - So we're I want to thank you. Thank you so much for.

Speaker (00:30:24) (-) - Being.

Speaker (00:30:25) (-) - So transparent with your journey.

Speaker (00:30:29) (-) - With your.

Speaker (00:30:30) (-) - Story. And my heart really goes out to what you're doing because. Here's a person again who secured. Almost a quarter million dollars. And scholarship money. So when you finished your four year degree, though, I'm curious, did you walk away debt free or did you have to pay like just a little bit?

Speaker (00:30:56) (-) - Yeah. So I have to pay back a little bit only because my daughter is around and I decided to take like extra classes and I just got very I got in a point where I just got tired of applying. Like I said, I took everything kind of step by step. Sounds like, well, I'm just going to go through it and I'm not going to worry about it. So that was kind of my own fault because I lost motivation. I lost the reason that I was doing it, but it's not something that would keep me back.

Speaker (00:31:23) (-) - Meaning like it's something that I could pay off easily, not something I have to set up necessarily a payment plan to do, which is the goal. Like I say all the time, if you can, debt free is great, but if you can't go for as little as possible, that way you're not paying a.

Speaker (00:31:38) (-) - Car.

Speaker (00:31:39) (-) - Back as far as student loans. That's how I like to think about. I mean, who wants to pay? That's the best money for a new car. That's money for a down payment. Or you don't want to think you're paying a whole trip, a couple trips for it. So when you put it in that perspective, I feel like students can understand that go as little as possible. That way it won't handicap you in the future.

Speaker (00:32:00) (-) - Right.

Speaker (00:32:00) (-) - It's doable. It's doable because the last thing you want to do, because starting out, getting a job anywhere, they're not going to be paying you top, top dollar.

Speaker (00:32:08) (-) - Right?

Speaker (00:32:09) (-) - They're not. And a lot of college students, what do they want to do? They want to have their own place.

Speaker (00:32:14) (-) - Right. So you want to make sure that if you do have to pay any loans back or anything that is doable, it's within your budget. So I have two rapid fire questions for.

Speaker (00:32:24) (-) - You, Rochelle, before we go. Okay. Ready? Ready.

Speaker (00:32:28) (-) - What is your go to productivity hack when you're facing a time crunch because you're a grad student. So what is your go to productivity hack?

Speaker (00:32:42) (-) - And I saw.

Speaker (00:32:43) (-) - Her trying to think. It's a good question. Productivity hack. I usually keep like sticky notes sometimes, or I would put notes in my phone. I feel like that keeps me productive, but when I have a lot of things going on and sometimes I go, hey, can you do this? Or can you do that? And I just put it on my phone and I have a note section that I share with my iPad and that's also shared to my laptop. So it's like a hack that I can look at on any device that I meant to make sure that I'm getting everything done.

Speaker (00:33:18) (-) - I would say that's kind of what I do, or it's like a hack I have.

Speaker (00:33:22) (-) - Okay.

Speaker (00:33:23) (-) - Keeping up with everything. Great. If you could only listen and I'm putting you on the spot. Sorry, but if you could only listen to one podcast for the rest of your life besides your own, or the one you created for 30s, which one would it be and why?

Speaker (00:33:48) (-) - That would be Ted business, because just listening to it, it has. It's just so informative. I learned so much not just about entrepreneurship, but about life. And I'm driving and I'm like, oh wow, this is a great hack. Let me write this down. So when my business grows into this large corporation, this is what I can do to apply here. This I can apply that here. So it's just building me into that entrepreneur that I am trying to become. So it would be Ted business.

Speaker (00:34:20) (-) - I love it, I love it, I love the podcast that you're like, oh, that's a nugget.

Speaker (00:34:24) (-) - Let me hold on to that one. I love it, Ted. Business guys. So I have my own podcast. But guys, I'm hey, there's a lot of other podcasts out there, so check out Ted Business. But most importantly. Check out Rushell Lashay. If you are thinking about going back to school. Or you have young ones and you want to help prepare them for the future. Real life skills of learning how to carve out time for what's important. Learning that there are going to be some no's before you get those yeses. But ultimately the the yeses are so sweet because they worked hard for it. Rushell, tell us how we can stay in contact with you. So that way you can help other families, other single parents or children to if they decide to pursue education, do it for free or with little cost.

Speaker (00:35:24) (-) - Yeah.

Speaker (00:35:25) (-) - the best two ways to contact me is on social media. I am on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, everything. my handle is the same.

Speaker (00:35:34) (-) - It's a girl. The knowledge. Find me on there. Also, I'm. I'm always on my email. I have my email on all of my social medias, which is info@RochelleLashay.co. if anyone sends me an email, I'm very responsive. I check that more than I honestly check my social media. So those are the best two ways to best ways to get in contact with me.

Speaker (00:35:59) (-) - Okay. And that's Rochelle. r u s h e l l l a s h a y.co info@RushellLashay.co. That's where you can catch her and ask her questions. Now, if you are already a part of the work at Livonia community, stay tuned because we're going to have a brief podcast afterparty where we're going to delve a little bit more and get some more insights from Rochelle. And if you are not, what in the world? I need you to go ahead and head on over to workitliveitownit.com and click on subscribe so you can stay in the know when I upload a new episode, but also get some of the bonus exclusive features that are only available to the Work it Live It Own it community.

Speaker (00:36:47) (-) - So Rushell, I want to thank you again for coming on, taking some of your valuable time to drop some knowledge on us, give us some insights on how to prepare our future generations for college if they decide to pursue that, but without going into so much debt. Thank you everyone, and don't forget to continue to work it. Live it on it in your everyday lives. Take care.