Episode 223: We’re Not OK and We Can’t Do Business as Usual

00:00:00 Gloria: Hey, small business heroes. It’s your host Gloria Chou. And usually this is where I give a spiel about how we are here to make marketing and PR accessible, but honestly today I want to talk about something else. And if you’re a human being in this world, especially if you are in North America, if you are in America, you are probably experiencing a wave of heaviness, a wave of fog that has descended on our country. This is not a political show. I am not a political commentator. I am not a political scholar. I do have a master’s in political science, but that’s beside the point.

00:00:32 Gloria: I want to address something that is very real for us in business and it has been happening for a while, which is this heaviness of how do we move ahead and do business as usual while everything around us is broken and people’s rights are being taken away. Innocent people are being gunned down. There’s state-sanctioned violence and it seems like the world is so broken.

00:00:54 Gloria: And I’ll just preface this by saying that the other day when I saw the video of Alex Pretti getting killed, that was the day that I couldn’t get out of bed. Not only because of that, but because everything that has been compounding over the last few decades honestly. America has always had its issues, but now it’s in the limelight and people are being more aware of the interconnectedness of the tech billionaires and the prison industrial complex. So I think it’s just a general awakening, right?

00:01:21 Gloria: But I basically signed up to send an email that day promoting a summit that I’m a part of and I couldn’t send the email. And I had to email the summit host. And I said, you know, thank you for so graciously inviting me to be a speaker, but I just can’t get out of bed today and I don’t feel right sending an email promoting a marketing bundle when this is happening. And I want to honor my commitments because when I say I’m going to do something, I show up, right? That’s the type of person I am. But I just want to let you know that I don’t feel right to send this to my audience, not now, not today.

00:01:54 Gloria: And I asked her if I could get an extension and I actually told her I was going to write a different email. And so the email that I ended up writing wasn’t the email that originally I was going to write about why you should join this bundle and it’s free to opt in and you can get all these tools and tips. It was about how it’s heavy as fuck right now as businesses and we’re just trying to get by one foot in front of the other while screaming, how are we still doing this? But also knowing that there’s business to be done and there’s values to be shared and that we have to still put money in the hands of good people.

00:02:27 Gloria: And so the email I wrote was about kind of this duality of how hard it is to carry both. Yes, we are broken and there’s so much heaviness. And the last thing people want to hear about is marketing and PR strategies. At the same time we need to elevate and help small businesses grow. Small businesses who are the local backbone of communities, small businesses who are saving grace against these big corporations who are directly funding prisons that are ICE’s biggest partners, right?

00:02:57 Gloria: We know that prisons are privatized and ICE feeds into that by giving them clients. So everything is interconnected. We know that democracy is being bought in real time. We saw that with the elections. And it just seems like this endless, this unbreakable cycle of people controlling our democracy and there’s nothing we can do about it. But if it’s one thing that I know, it’s that I want to be honest and authentic. I’m not a solver of world problems, right? I can’t do that.

00:03:23 Gloria: But I can record a very honest and real episode, which probably will get me unsubscribed because let’s be honest, the nation is very divided right now. We saw with the elections. And people are going to unsubscribe like they did when I wrote the email about Trump being elected on MLK Day. And that’s fine. But I just had to be honest and hold space even though I don’t have all the answers and to just acknowledge that it is hard right now and it has been for a while. And it’s been building up. And there are people who will use their platforms to speak about their values, whether it’s values that are antithetical to mine or in alignment.

00:04:01 Gloria: And we as people, we have the right to decide, right? We can vote with our dollars. This is a consumer-driven economy, but it’s also an attention-driven economy. And I just want to encourage everyone to just be cognizant that you do have power to purchase or not purchase from these big companies, to invest money back into small businesses who are not a part of this big, endless oppression cycle of end-stage capitalism. You have the ability to vote with your attention of who to follow, who to like, who to share. And so do I.

00:04:33 Gloria: I have that responsibility as well because now I’ve built a community of the things that I share and the values that I stand up for and not being afraid to call out my views, even though it’s going to be controversial and that people are going to unsubscribe. That is… that is what I want to do because I am not here to be wishy-washy and make money at all costs. My business is an extension of who I am and people buy because they resonate with my values. And it is my job to keep standing firm in that.

00:05:02 Gloria: So I just wanted to let you know that you do have power to vote with your attention, your money. But it’s also okay if it feels really hard and you don’t feel like doing anything right now because it’s almost… the numbingness has already passed. I think we’re past the point of being numb with everything that we’ve seen. And now it’s to the point where it’s just broken. And I wish I had the answer and say, well, everything’s going to be better and we’re going to have [stutters] hope. But I’m not one of those coaches that’s going to say, oh, you can manifest your way out of anything because that is also privileged and bigoted.

00:05:37 Gloria: We absolutely know that people come from different starting points and people who have access and don’t have access to resources and generational wealth, you know, it’s not so easy for them to just manifest and start a business, right? I’m not going to sit here and tell everyone to start business and how that is our ticket to freedom. I’m not here to say that. I’m just here to say that is hard for me too. And I have business decisions that I’m conflicted by while trying to honor my commitments.

00:06:03 Gloria: But the only thing that gives me hope is that everything that I do and everything that I aligned is from a pure intention. And that intention is to uplift the underdogs. That intention is to give a microphone to people who historically have been cut out of the conversation. So it’s mainly small businesses, it’s mainly people of color. And that is my mission.

00:06:23 Gloria: I was on a podcast and the person was like, you know, if people were to describe you, what is the through line of what you stand for? Is it being a rule breaker? Is it… what is it? Is it being a disruptor? And I said, it’s not so much about breaking the rules. It’s about disrupting the status quo so that the rest of us can get a chance, whether it’s being seen in the media or feeling like we feel safe to finally advocate for ourselves when generationally we’ve been told to be quiet or maybe it hasn’t felt safe to be seen. So this work is so much deeper.

00:06:56 Gloria: And I’m also watching, right? I’m seeing the people in my industry who are taking a stance. And look, this kind of violence and brokenness has happened for so long. If you look at the black experience in America and what has happened, like, I’m sure all of them are like, well, this is what’s been happening to our communities. And so now that there are white Americans being shot, it’s finally coming to light. It doesn’t make it okay or better or worse, but it’s just now it’s like everyone has cameras and it’s out in the open, right? It’s out in the open.

00:07:26 Gloria: So I just want to let you know what I stand for and the work that I’m here to do, even though I don’t have all the answers and it’s okay. It’s okay to feel broken and not have all the answers. It’s okay to feel like you can’t get out of bed and we don’t have the answers. And I think so often as humans, we want to help. We want to rescue and be like, here are five tips to get yourself up out of bed or here are five tips– Like, I’m not going to do that right now. And I don’t think it’s the right time to.

00:07:52 Gloria: So I just want to remind you that we have power, right? Like voting with our dollars is absolutely real. And if you can support your local heroes, your local mom and pop stores, your independent retailers, that is going to help a lot. We have a lot more power than we think. And also, if you feel comfortable and safe calling out the bullshit, which is what I’ve been doing for a while, and it has gotten me a lot of unfollows, but it’s also had a lot of people say, I’m so happy that you finally spoke up about something.

00:08:25 Gloria: So I’m going to be even more selective about what I promote, who I promote and being open to talking about this openly. You’re going to see people disagree with me. You’re going to see people getting unfollows and blocking me. And that’s okay, right? Because my mission will always to support small makers, women-owned businesses, women of color, BIPOC founders. And I’m not going to pretend it’s business as usual because we cannot do business as usual and it is not business as usual.

00:08:53 Gloria: So this is my way of holding space for you. This is not a call to action episode of sign up for this and AI visibility tips. It’s just letting you know that it’s hard to hold both. And I’m heartbroken. I’m sure you are too. And we’re still going. You can be angry and still have hope at the same time, right? You can want to burn it all down and throw it all away and still create something new. You can love money and abundance and richness and refuse to be a part of the system, right? I’m not going to sit here and say, I don’t love money. I think money is great, but I don’t buy into this more is always better and stage capitalism.

00:09:35 Gloria: I’m redefining wealth differently now. And if you listen to the previous episode where I talk about how getting more followers is not a good business metric, I talk about losing followers when I did speak up about what it was like to live with my best friend’s family, a black family in America and the intersection of being in all of these different spaces and lived experiences.

00:09:56 Gloria: This is just to remind you that you are not alone. If it feels heavy, it’s okay. No one has to figure it out. I’m imperfect. I’m still figuring it out. I’m still trying to figure out what is my role in this, but I really do have to believe that supporting small businesses and money in the hands of independent businesses, good people, right? That is the work that we are here to do. That’s the work that I’m here to do. So I just keep showing up day after day, even though it might look a little bit different. I still try to show up the best way that I can. And I don’t guilt myself when I decide that I can’t and I need to take a break.

00:10:29 Gloria: So I just hope that you’re all… whatever you’re doing, if you feel heavy and heartbroken, you’re not alone. I feel that way too. It’s really hard to get on all these podcasts and be invited to speak and do business as usual when there’s this just looming heartbreak when you watch what’s happening in this country and has been for a long time, right? This is not the country that when my parents came here, they thought I was going to be. Things are unraveling. I always talk about this kind of like watching the fall of the Roman empire in many ways.

00:11:04 Gloria: But just know that I’m here for you. And for the people in my community and the get featured accelerator, I don’t expect them to always show up with perfection. You’re allowed to absolutely come as you are. And it’s just my job to hold space for that. And that’s why this year I hosted a new year’s meditation and intention setting call. And it wasn’t like, here’s your KPI and goals and metrics. No, it was honoring the year of the snake, which was hard for so many people, which represented symbolically, literally death and shedding and letting go. And now that we’re in a new year, year of the horse, what that means.

00:11:39 Gloria: And so often we start the new year or any day with, okay, I have so many things to get done. I have a billion things and we measure our entire self-worth and the success of that day by how many things we get done. But I just know that it’s really hard to do that right now. And remember, we are human beings. We are not human doings now more than ever. We just need to be gentle with ourselves and each other.

00:12:04 Gloria: So I understand that people are probably not going to agree with me and the All Lives Matter people or the pro-ICE people, or the… they should have just listened to law enforcement, you can just unsubscribe because this is not the community for you. And that’s okay. The more that I’ve built my business, the more I’ve realized that it is my job now as a community leader to filter and not to be a McDonald’s or revolving door to be liked by everyone. You cannot be a safe holder of space if you don’t stand for specific values. And standing up for certain values means that you’re going to stand against certain values. And I’m okay with that.

00:12:42 Gloria: So may this episode give you permission to feel whatever it is that you’re feeling, because it is really hard right now for me to do business as well. And I’m still figuring it out. And you’re going to see emails from me talking about navigating this process. You’re not alone. And I talk about this as well on my PR community, the Get Featured Accelerator. So I don’t know what the future holds. I just know that I can only do what’s in my power and that’s continuing to elevate small business owners, people who are doing good things in the world and believe that money in the hands of good people and helping them, giving them the tools and making it accessible for them to achieve whatever it is that they want to do, is going to be something that gives me hope.

00:13:23 Gloria: And so whatever that looks like for you, however you are turning your talents into creating hope and opportunity for people, keep doing that one day at a time. Thank you so much for listening. I know this episode is a little bit different. It’s not like something for you to walk away and implement and take action on. It’s not tips that you can go home and put on a worksheet. But I just wanted to hold space and acknowledge the moment that we are in and that has been building for a long time. And if you feel heavy and broken, if you feel a brain fog or you can’t get out of bed, just know that you’re not alone. I am here and I feel that as well.

00:14:01 Gloria: As always, feel free to pass this podcast along to anyone that you feel might resonate. I find that sometimes just having someone validate how you feel could really make a difference in the world. And on Instagram, feel free to reach out to me @gloriachoupr. That’s @gloria, C-H-O-U, pr. There’s probably going to be some haters, you know, in my DMs after this, but that’s okay. I want to create a safe space for people who do want to express if this has resonated with them.

00:14:30 Gloria: So as always, thank you so much for being my people, for being here. You have no idea what it means to me that you keep showing up day after day, week after week, listening to me in my little microphone here. And I’m just giving a big, big, big, big virtual hug from Brooklyn to wherever you are in the world.