December is the birth month of David Shands and Donnie Wiggins, friends and business partners. Most people have fun by throwing a celebration. Others imagine it must be catered for. The chosen ones spend the day relaxing in peace and quiet.

Then there’s Shands and Wiggins.

The two decided that the best birthday gift can be to offer individuals with resources for generational wealth through a conference called “My first million”in Atlanta.

It’s a compromise between how their families and family members need to honor them and their desire to proceed to serve others. Shands acknowledges that almost all people won’t understand, and he unapologetically doesn’t expect them to.

“It’s not up to us to convince anyone why we do what we do,” admits Shands.

“I think everyone does what they do for different reasons, and I would just attribute it to a sense of accomplishment that I can’t explain to anyone else.”

He doesn’t need to clarify this to Wiggins because she understands his feelings. Wiggins has had a passion for serving others for so long as she will be able to remember.

“When I was in middle school, there were child sponsorship ads on TV featuring children from third world countries. I was earning money at the time and I asked my mother to send money,” she says BLACK ENTERPRISES.

She recalls how sad she felt for youngsters living in a world with so many opportunities, but at the same time going hungry. Her mother allowed her to send money, and in return she received letters informing her of their progress.

“It was very real to me,” Wiggins says, now admitting she’s undecided the letters were authentic. “I received a letter from the child I sponsored, a photograph and some updates throughout the 12 months. It was such a sense of being overwhelmed and it was something I felt so good about. I didn’t even tell my friends I used to be doing it.”

She carried this sense throughout her life, even when she lost every little thing, including her house, cars, and money. She still found ways to serve and give back, which is the basis of her friendship with Shands.

They each love seeing people at the peak of their potential, and that is what “My First Million” is all about. There can be no higher birthday gift for them than helping others create generational wealth.

What to expect during the “My First Million” conference.

They each built successful seven-figure empires, then train others, write books about it, and launch an acclaimed podcast Social proof.

Now they’re imparting that knowledge through the My First Million conference, an event for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Shands and Wiggins need to prove that being profitable is feasible and encourage people to bet on themselves.

“David and I, on paper, are not two people who should have made millions of dollars. Number one, we want (people) to see it,” Wiggins says. “Then we want them to actually get out of that room with practical and actionable steps.”

Both are clear: this just isn’t a motivational conference. This is a conference where people, irrespective of where they’re of their journey, will come away with clarity about their business and what they must be doing as CEOs. Shands and Wiggins want individuals who do not have a transparent marketing strategy or are considering starting a business to also attend the meeting.

“A few areas we will cover are inspiration, information, plan and partnership,” adds Shands. “We will give you 1-2-3 steps because some people get depressed and uninspired. Even if they know what to do, they won’t leave, go home and do it. So we have to really put something into their heads and hearts that they come away with.”

Sign up and enroll for My First Million Here. The conference will happen on December 13 this 12 months. but Shands and Wiggins say it definitely won’t be the last for those who miss it.

New Orleans has given a historic monument to a Black business district closed for interstate construction.

The marker was a project fulfilled by in response to the initiative of Plessy and Ferguson. Founded by descendants of men involved within the Plessy v. Ferguson case that legalized segregation within the United States, the organization worked with other community groups to put a marker under the Claiborne Viaduct.

Before the upheaval, Black New Orleanians could find stores owned by other members of their community on Claiborne Avenue. Racial discrimination originally limited the power to buy on the famous Canal Street. Given this, blacks as an alternative flocked to the realm to purchase every little thing from groceries to funeral arrangements.

This mall was home to many Black-owned businesses, and emerging and established entrepreneurs had arrange shop for generations. Consisting of pharmacies, theaters, studios and more, it helped maintain a vibrant black culture in the realm. It reigned because the most important street of Black New Orleans from the 1830s to the Seventies.

The street once featured a picturesque cover of oak trees surrounding bustling businesses. However, its decline began with the expansion of roads within the southern state. The first casualty was the oak trees that were cut all the way down to make way for the development of Interstate 10, and shortly thereafter, the district’s thriving entrepreneurs suffered an identical fate.

Many residents do not forget that they didn’t know in regards to the upcoming investment until the trees began falling. Raynard Sanders, a historian and executive director of the Claiborne Avenue History Project, remembered the “devastation” felt by the community.

“It was devastation for those of us who were here,” Sanders told the news outlet. “I was walking to school and they were cutting down oak trees. We had no warning.”

Despite its eventual decline, the district stays an integral a part of Black New Orleans entrepreneurship. Now the town will physically resemble a historic center where Black business owners could thrive. They celebrated the revealing of the statue in true New Orleans style with a second line that danced down Claiborne Avenue.

“The significance of this sign is to commemorate the businesses, beautiful trees and beautiful people that thrived in this area before the bridge was built, and to save the people who still stand proud and gather under the bridge,” also said Keith Plessy, a descendant of Homer Plessy’ ego.

The growth of local black businesses continues. Patrons and owners alike hope to evoke the spirit of Claiborne’s original entrepreneurs, empowering the community.

Louisiana State University women’s basketball player Flau’jae Johnson recently announced that she is an ambassador for the upcoming women’s skilled basketball league, Unrivaled.

After signing a NIL (name, image and likeness) agreement with the emerging sports league, Johnson is the second college athlete to sign with Unrivaled. In August, the league signed Paige Bueckers, who plays for the University of Connecticut (UConn). Johnson joins former teammate Angel Reese, who signed with the league earlier this 12 months. The college junior posted about joining the league on her social media platform.

“The future is second to none. I’m excited to join the Unrivaled team as an NIL Ambassador 👑💜4️⃣.”

Johnson’s deal with NIL features a stake in Unrivaled, providing potentially greater financial success beyond her athletic prowess.

She talked to her concerning the deal means for her and her future.

“I think the most important thing is equity, just being able to invest in something like this,” Johnson said. “And for me, the opportunity to leverage my brand and create business opportunities. This is what the NIL space is all about. When you’re at NIL, you literally have a short window where everyone wants you to be a part of (something), so really leverage it into something that’s going to last for a long time. This will be in my business portfolio and allow me to raise capital in the future, it’s a really big deal.”

Unrivaled is a brand new women’s basketball league founded by Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and New York Freedom forward Breanna Stewart last 12 months in July. The league is scheduled to begin on January 17, 2025. It is a 3-on-3 format that already pays players higher salaries than the WNBA. The ladies founded the league to permit players to earn money within the off-season by playing basketball without having to travel abroad to accomplish that.

“In leagues like this, women don’t have to go overseas anymore,” Johnson said. “Now they may stay home, play in Miami where the sky is gorgeous and collect their paycheck. I feel it is very vital what they do – they really change the sport. Being someone who can be within the WNBA soon and having an alternative choice is big.