Money Making Conversations 7/25/16

Good Morning Mr. McDonald, I am looking for ways to make my gift work for me. I sing but I never charge anybody because it’s what I believe I am gifted to do. How can I make money while still operating in my calling and not feel like I’m robbing God?
-Tamika from Swainsboro, GA

Tamika,

God is giving you an opportunity to achieve your dreams every day that you wake up. God wants you to live a happy and fulfilling LIFE. So when you wake up you want to be happy. Every day you get older and the entertainment business shines a lot friendlier when you are not a senior citizen. I believe in GOD and I would be robbing him if I did not live and pursue the opportunities that he is giving me every day. Life is good!

Good Morning,

How am I able to promote myself utilizing social media without going broke? Also, when is it the right time to say bye to your current career and begin working in/on your destined one? -Ta

Ta,

Considering social media is free unless you boost your post, how can you go broke? The boosted posts on Facebook are very reasonably priced. Now when I decided to pursue a career in standup comedy, I was still working at IBM. I planned my exit one year in advance. Noticed that I stated that I planned my exit and that is very key. That one year allowed me to plan the reality of the exit and make sure that I cut back on silly expenses like cable TV and social entertainment to build my bank account. Follow your dreams! Life is good!

Hi Rushion – hope all is well.

I have some good news, I will be an opening act for a big hip-hop summer event in Cleveland, OH with T.I., Wale, and Desiigner. I am excited as this will be a great opportunity for my career advancement. It takes place August 27 ay the Quicken Loans Arena. To prepare and be ready, I want to make sure I know not only that I will kill the stage with my performance, but I want to ask what else may I do to network, solidify myself there and really make the most of this opportunity? -Moses from Columbus, OH

Moses,

Congrats on this HUGE opportunity. I would start tagging the other acts when you post about being the opening act. Now realize that this will not be a life changing performance, but an opportunity to be seen by thousands and make some business contacts. You should also sell your product at the event and put your CD in the hands of one of the support talents that you will be opening up for. Cleveland is rocking now and I am happy to see your shot at success. Here is the order of success: post and tag the stars, set up a table to sell your product, prepare a demo to the talent management, and give out your social media at the event to build your followers.

Good afternoon Mr. McDonald.

My partner is opening a non-profit community center in the near future and we are building a grant proposal and looking at legal representation. My question is, is it possible and even legal to operate a small for profit businesses within a non-profit establishment and still receive grant funding? -Carmen

Carmen,

I would never do that, because of tax reasons and the potential to be audited. You should have two separate businesses and this is proper business planning. Do not mix the two, because potential sponsors will not like this charitable model.

Hi Mr. Rushion,

I am looking to help the elderly and also help people get back on their feet. What process can I go through to accomplish this golden opportunity to help others?
-Catina from Alexandria, LA

Catina,

Are you trying to start a charity or are you trying to get employed in the home health care business (which is a very successful business)? Have you been trained in any special skills like massage therapy? If not you should get licensed. That field is very profitable and growing with clients every day. My mother needs one at least once a week and finding a quality person can be a pain. But we have been fortunate and she is doing very well.

Charles,

I am ready to roll from Las Vegas today. What a spectacular weekend. This is the 14th year I have produced this event and it was awesome this year. Here is some information filing for a LLC.

Rushion,

I would need to finish my masters degree to qualify for a certain job. The job is not guaranteed. Should I spend the money to finish? -Kay from Baton Rogue, LA

Kay,

You need to finish your masters degree, because that is part of the original plan. No one can repo a college degree, and bad credit cannot take a college degree off the wall. Always remember that you are building a career and it is not for this one job, but for many opportunities in your future. Get that degree!

Mr. Rushion,

I’m in school for business management and my goal is to own my own crime scene cleanup business. My
question is should I take a shortcut and just do the certificate online and volunteer at a job concerning crime scenes? Are shortcuts a hazard to my career?

-Sandra from Milwaukee, WI

Sandra,

First, don’t take shortcuts. You want to learn your business, so you can build your business. Learning hands on is very good, but NEVER shortcut your way to success. A lot of the crime scenes that you will be cleaning up are because someone decided to take shortcuts.

Good morning,

I manage a free neighborhood bicycling-to-Better Health Club. Because we operate in a challenging neighborhood, offering life skills, food budgeting, in addition to supervised cycling, I chose not to expel individuals for behavior concerns. Instead I prefer tightening the circle of support, such as cycling escorts for individuals that do not display sportsman’s like behavior. My volunteer staff do not agree with this policy, and would prefer dismissals. I respect my volunteers and need them to manage this business. We have been robbed by an individual in our program. If we dismiss these children, they would not have access to mental and physical benefits our program offers. Our website is www.conkeycruisers.org. Please advise.
-Theresa from Rochester, NY

Theresa,

I prefer dismissal or setting rule boundaries, telling someone that if you continue to violate the rules you will be dismissed. Theresa, you cannot let individuals who don’t respect your dream create drama. I would have a meeting with these individuals, because it sounds like it is more than one and set the rules. If they make one more mistake then they will be suspended. The suspension will allow them to reenter the program on probation.

Good morning Mr. Rushion McDonald!

I spent 3 years in prison for making a stupid decision. I now share my story to encourage and inspire youth in my community, all while promoting my book. Any suggestions or recommendations on how I can broaden my audience and speak on platforms that are outside of my area and state? -Yolanda

Yolanda,

Your social media pages do not promote your brand. Which means there is a big inconsistency in your marketing and branding. You need to build your brand locally and fix your marketing issues. There are a lot of local centers that your story can be told to and should be told weekly at the same locations. Start mentoring these young people into a positive direction. Telling your story is great, but mentoring them to a brighter future will help solidify your foundation for success.