Pennies To Pounds Podcast

123. Faith in the Hustle: When Passion Meets Business Reality ft Priscilla Ohene

• Pennies To Pounds

Share episode

Send us a text

This episode features an entrepreneurial journey filled with financial challenges, moments of doubt, and unexpected breakthroughs that keep dreamers moving forward. Priscilla shares her personal story of building a children's book series while balancing financial struggles and maintaining faith in her vision.

We discuss:

Turning something you love into a business can bring unexpected challenges that make it harder to enjoy at first
Money problems can be challenging to handle and can seriously affect your mental health
Key moments and the right people can completely change the direction of your business
The importance of reaching out and connecting with others, even when success feels far away
Building something that lasts takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work.
Sometimes, just one person believing in your actions is enough to keep you going.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Anaiyah Series on Instagram at @theanaiyahseries or visit theanaiyahseries.com to learn more about Priscilla's children's books and upcoming animation series.

• Purchase 'How To Handle Money' - https://amzn.eu/d/gjomK0T

Support the show

FOLLOW PENNIES TO POUNDS 💸
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/penniestopoundspod/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/penniestopound
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@penniestopounds?_t=8ZGvHcCqLIs&_r=1
LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/company/pennies-to-pounds
Website - www.penniestopounds.co.uk

Contact - info@penniestopounds.co.uk

Speaker 1:

Hey guys and welcome back to the Penny Spounds podcast with your host, kia, and this is the podcast we aim to dispel your myths, simplify difficult financial jargon and rectify your own personal problems. Happy Monday, everyone. I hope you've had an amazing week. Last episode, we were talking all about insurance how to make sure you're financially protected, whether it's income insurance, life insurance or critical illness. Spoiler alert. It is for everyone, so don't think you are too young or anything. It is for everyone. Definitely worth to listen. So if you haven't heard that, go back to that episode before listening to this one. If you have, welcome to this episode. We're talking all about entrepreneurship and being a business owner, something that I know all too well and as much as it's high, high highs, there are definitely some challenges that we can learn from and to do such, I have got an incredible guest with me today who has achieved so much and is going to give us a lot of insight when it comes to business and their personal journey. So, without further ado, guest, who are you?

Speaker 2:

Hi everyone. My name is Priscilla Hiney. I am the founder and author of the Anaya series. I'm also a humanitarian and a public speaker.

Speaker 1:

What is it that you do? Talk us through your journey and what that's been like.

Speaker 2:

When I get this question I think, wow, this is a fully led question, because I don't just do one thing. And I've never just done one thing. Even if you look at my track records from school, it was never just one thing. My mum used to say you just, you don't have to sit down. Mum used to say you just, you don't have to sit down, you don't have to just just do. One, just do. It's never been that.

Speaker 2:

So at first I always wanted to be a lawyer. From the age of nine, literally year four I watched an old show no one would even remember it now, but Sir John Deed, and it was on BBC One. I'm telling you, you wouldn't know parliament. So at first I wanted to be someone like coffee and and who was representing people like that in the un. I wanted to do that, but then I thought politics is a bit dirty, it was a bit corrupt for me.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if I'm built up with that, so, but I always had a genuine interest in the law, the government, the state, how it runs, what, who does what. So it was all, and I loved defending marginalized people. So law was always at the forefront of my mind. Plus, I'm a heavy reader so it was like yeah, but I always loved writing. So you can see I was just like yeah, they all link. So leading up in school I ended up choosing all the writing based essay questions that topics you can think of at a level oh yeah, politics, history, english literature, theology, philosophy. Yeah, eager beaver, I was got the gc's like yes well done, because that's not me girl, but I love them, I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 2:

They challenged me, the open perspectives and different things. And then, yeah, went to study law in uni, then went to law school and currently just finished my llmlpc, my master's. So, yeah, qualified lawyer. Everything's going well. So I'm thinking, yeah, law's great. But they were along the journey.

Speaker 2:

Uni came um, fun fact, I didn't graduate with my peers. Yeah, so much had taken place in Midlands that that's one day, another testimony. But during that period of time, it's funny how God works. Because then it was like so what am I gonna do? Okay, I felt lost because you've just been following this educational path since the age of three. You don't know where to go.

Speaker 2:

And so I used to write poetry and monologues and stuff. And, um, the girls shout out to the girls I went uni with. They used to read my stuff. I'd be like, oh, can you read that? How do you feel when you read that? What do you think? And they're like this is good. I was like, really, you think so. I was like, okay, so I then downloaded Wattpad and I became a writer through that and I met, met great people, um, through the Wattpad series, met them through Twitter and I would exchange, like be on a thread with someone and I'll follow up the story and then write, and then meet other people and write stories and stuff, and, um, it was great.

Speaker 2:

I was like, wow, this thing gives me a thrill. I was like I wonder if I could. So I looked into Amazon Kindle publishing and then I ended up publishing my first book in September 2017, which was just a poetry book, but it did well, surprisingly. I was like, oh, people bought it, people like it and people say okay, and no one knew I wrote, not even the closest to me. No one knew, because writing was my form of escapism, it what I couldn't say out loud in a classroom or to a friend or to a family member ended up being a piece for another. That's how I took writing, so it was mine, it was something dear to me.

Speaker 2:

So then I never called myself an author up until probably two years ago, cause I didn't think writing, I didn't take it as that talent, that skill, cause I'm not a basketball player, I'm not a you know, an accountant. I didn't take it as that but lawyer, I claimed it wholeheartedly, although and I can say this now I definitely did fall out of love with law because it was like oh gosh, this is never ending. And I got the degree and I was like yay, because finally I did it. But it wasn't such a long process trust law. When I found that it's the third hardest degree in the world, then I knew thank god, because I thought I was going mad. The degree is heavy. It's heavy loaded. Once you get it, of course it's good, but it's heavy to grasp at first. But so, yeah, I'll say lawyer and an author, but at the same time, recently, um, becoming advocate for women's rights. So I'm doing my third year running as a un delegate participant for you and women and I'm loving it.

Speaker 2:

Every year there's a different theme. This year we're doing equality for all women and girls globally and it's amazing. You get to talk to people around the whole world. We're talking from Sudan to Nigeria, to the Caribbean, to Asia, and everyone comes together with their opinions of. So how can we help girls achieve things? Is it education? How can we give them finances to digitally see things as the way we do?

Speaker 2:

I tell you one thing we don't realize how privileged we are. Yes, the UK. We can complain. Our weather is not so great. The people? So on the train. Let you just keep their head down. However, we don't have. We have. We don't. We don't realize what we have. We have so much accessibility. The difference between us and, let's say, the third world country is opportunity. If they had that, they would be higher than us. You get what I'm saying, but how they, how they know, like, put like this someone can come from wherever you're. Where you from? I'm Caribbean, you're. Someone can come from wherever you're. Where are you from? I'm Caribbean, you're Caribbean. Someone can come from the Caribbean, yeah, from any island. Bear in mind islands, many, right, you've got St Vincent, st Kitts, jamaica, right?

Speaker 1:

Dominica.

Speaker 2:

Even Dominica Republic Not.

Speaker 1:

Republic.

Speaker 2:

Dominica, there's two, it's it's given Congo, but thanks for letting us know so you can come from there, right, and maybe that person had the same degree as you. They're going to work twice as hard as you, knowing that they have something to fight for. You're just going to close by because, at the end of the day, you know you're getting a job because you know you're going to work, but for them they have something they're fighting for. So their gender is different, their mannerism is different, the decorum is different, so different that you even spot yourself different from them. Even how they respect their parents and how they speak is completely different to us.

Speaker 2:

But they have something worth fighting for, whereas us, when the UK, it's all right, man, I'll get a job, it all. Because that's the case, because here you're going to work, it's the, it's the community we're in. But with the UN I started realizing there's a lot of things such as like administration, poverty not having access to, not even having access to, sanitary towels, or girls being able to go to school because they have to look after whoever's at home, or parents not being able to pay for, you know, hospital fees. Okay, nhs is backed up. Now they don't even get me started on that, but do you see what I'm?

Speaker 1:

trying to say in privilege.

Speaker 2:

So I'm doing that again the third year running and I'm loving it and I'm like this.

Speaker 2:

I need to do more so there's other things I'm building that I'm not yet to reveal, but I'm doing more. But someone will message me and be like how'd you do it? What'd you do, girl? It's god. It's god because I could, you know? I sometimes I think I'm spread too thin, but I go to bed. There's a dream, there's a vision, there's a prompting. I gotta do this. If I don't do this, I could, I could be delaying myself, I could be delaying a destiny that's in front of me, that. So if you told me I was ever gonna dive out of law, I would have told you nah, but now now I'm an advocate and I'm working in domestic abuse amazing heavy, but love, yeah, of course you know, and that's just me giving you a bite size yeah, a little comprehensive

Speaker 1:

breakdown of what you're up to, because it's a lot, of course, and I think the main thing that I take from what you said is there's such a passion behind it and I think you mentioned about almost like your vision, and I had this thought the other day because I was reflecting on my journey and, obviously, building pennies and pounds and everything that I've done in these five years, and a big thing is that if you, if I didn't, if I put it back to me, if I didn't actually pursue what I'm doing, think about how many people stepping stone to their dream and vision you're tied to, like I think, what if I didn't create pennies and pounds and it wasn't a podcast episode or a post that they were meant to see, that was meant to get them to the next step in their journey? But now, if I didn't fulfill my vision.

Speaker 1:

I've now blocked someone else's dream and what they were meant to fulfill and there's so many layers to it. But I was like wow, like I wonder how many people's journey I was part of and I was meant to be part of because I started one thing, and that's a, and that's a good, because that's a good thing to reflect on.

Speaker 2:

No, it's true, you reflect on it. I've never reflected on that I promise you.

Speaker 1:

I was in the kitchen the other day making a coffee and it hit me. I was like if I had never done this what if there was?

Speaker 1:

someone who was meant to see a post of mine and was meant to do something with their money and if I'd never made that post, they would have never maybe gotten there. Maybe someone else might've had to intervene, but it might have delayed their vision or delayed their journey, and there's so many things that are tied to it. And I think the reason I bring that up is because, hearing you, you're so passionate about what you do and I think being multifaceted is something that is so prevalent in this generation now and I think we should embrace it.

Speaker 2:

I think this generation now and I think we should embrace it.

Speaker 1:

I think our previous generations, our parents, grandparents and so forth.

Speaker 2:

Survival of the fittest, survival of the fittest and a lot of them, like my parents, are first generation caribbean, so their parents came from the caribbean part of windrush then yeah so my grandparents came from the caribbean.

Speaker 1:

My dad's dominican mom was jamaican. They came over and then my parents were born here, so now I'm second generation. Okay, but seeing that they didn't really have the choice to be multifaceted like I know everyone's got more than one interest. Everyone's got more than things they want to pursue, but sometimes necessity breeds. I just need to get things done. I need to feed my family, I need to do this and keep a roof over their head, so I need to just do the generation they are from, exactly from the baby boomers.

Speaker 2:

But then, if you think, about it.

Speaker 1:

It's passed down because then my dad it's a little bit more, but it's kind of like you work your job, you do your job. You're not always going to love your job, but it's part of, but do the job.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And it's only when I started paying his pounds that he started to realise maybe there is, maybe I can pursue, a passion, because this has always been a passion of mine, same way you have you for financial education and providing accessibility to people, and it's only when he saw that that I could make a career off it. And a life off it that he realised he could pursue his passion. So my dad right now, which I shared before.

Speaker 2:

So you influenced your dad. Yeah, that's a big thing. He's an influencer for that generation. That's a huge thing to shift their mindset.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he's not going to be happy, but he's 51 and he has almost 50,000 followers On Instagram. Go him. He does DIY stuff at home. He's growing.

Speaker 2:

Let me tell you One thing, caribbean, men I'm gonna go off topic. Y'all can do things.

Speaker 1:

Oh DIY. My dad can do everything, I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 2:

I ain't met Not met a Caribbean man who can't build or cook. Let me not digress, but there's something there. There is the way they're taught and their manner is yeah, there is what woke him up. So he's got his own DIY, he's got his own page.

Speaker 1:

I set up for him two years ago and he's taken it in the stride. He's growing the following Every day I come home.

Speaker 2:

I look up for him.

Speaker 1:

Like I'll call him. I spoke to him before we recorded and he was like I'm just editing a video, it's never too late, it's never too late, it's never, ever too late. And he's doing so well now and he's created another stream of income for himself outside of his 95.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, because he works 95 as well, yeah, but that was a long-winded way to say it's great to see how you have such a passion and you can turn that into a purpose that's also going to be part of your lifestyle, and it's amazing to see what you're doing and what you've really achieved thus far. But I know business isn't easy. Running a business having multi streams, having different ideas and passions is not easy. I know that. You know that. So what has been maybe a big challenge that you don't mind sharing with us that you've faced in this journey because you've done many different things? What's the challenge that you've had that you faced during this journey and how have you overcome it?

Speaker 2:

I think the biggest challenge is getting someone to love what you do, because you have to realize that if you're doing a business, but solely based on reciprocation, you always lose, because there's an audience for everyone and as much as someone can you, they don't always have to support you. Harsh reality, because someone will say yo, my friend's story posted. You like you're my friend, though, you're my mom like it. No, but you can't force a human being to do something they don't want to do, and it doesn't mean that they don't like you. They just don't have an interest in what you're doing doing, and that's okay.

Speaker 1:

We all have different likes and dislikes audience, like my friends. This is it aren't interested in not all of them, but a lot of them aren't interested in.

Speaker 2:

Penny's fans posts because I'm not, they're not my target audience, and that's absolutely fine and this is something our society and generation need to understand that it was a harsh lesson for myself because I was like, oh, I'm posting this but no one's really okay is. Is my business not good? There's no one like it, what's going on? So it's like I've died into many things pandemic. I did silly heaney collection of books. I started my own book club and I did subscription services and you get a book every month with a mug and it's boxes and people were buying and collecting it for my door and it was going great. I only stopped it because finances and it was costing me extra because it was pandemic time, so sourcing out things. But I always knew, okay, I'll come back to this then. Then I re-entered the writing studio helping people edit their manuscripts and read their stuff.

Speaker 2:

Design Didn't even know I could design. I just put myself in there because I realized for me, when it comes to time and the Lord knows I'm still looking at my patients but if I see a vision in my head and I know how I like it, I will attempt to try at least to see how I'd want it, how I'd want it. So the writing studio is there, I have the podcast I'm editing and I'm rebranding, but when Anaya's series came, it was funny because I hadn't written anything in a long time, and so I became a born again and gave my life to Christ in 2022, officially and so it was different. Things have shifted friendship, family, career, view, mindset. I I'm I'm uncomfortable because you know it's not me, this is not who I know. Personality and character is all conflicted. I don't know what to do.

Speaker 2:

I talked to my cousin, um Bridget amazing woman. She's also, um, her publisher and author as well, and so we're sitting down. I'm talking to her about life and I'm like I don't know, I don't even want to go out this day. This was a day I was having as I call my relapses, and so I was just sitting down and she was like no, come meet me, we'll go out for brunch and then we can just talk. I was like about what?

Speaker 2:

Because I was like I don't want to give you the warning. Don't come and say that you know. So we sat down and we spoke and God bless her. She listened to everything. She was like you know, there's a children's story in you. I said me write for children. I said for what? For the why I write poetry, I do monologues, I write songs. No one knows this, but that's what I do, it's my calming. She's like no, trust me. Your childhood and the things you've been through, someone will understand. And she was like you have so much in you, but you just keep limiting yourself. Because why don't you see? You're a writer. You could write other things. And I was like, fair enough. I was like thanks for today, but yeah, I'm going home. And she was like, okay, make sure you get in. So I went home, prayed on it, mind mapped a few things. I was children. What did you go through? I was like you ready to talk about that, open dora's box. So I was like anything I do, I'm gonna have to explain to it, explain for it later. Essentially, so this one hand on heart, and I've said this at my papa.

Speaker 2:

I dreamt, woke up, everything came out of the book the names, how they looked, what they were going to wear, what they were going to represent someone be like isn't that your daughter's and I? Just no girl. The name just came to me and I had to search every name. I was like okay, jacob, he's a supplanter, so he does it. Okay, micah. Yeah, he did this. Okay, naya. In hebrew that means god has shown favor, god has presented.

Speaker 2:

And everyone was like what's going on? I said I don't even know what's going on with me, but I wrote the book in a day and I was like this is weird. And I was like but god don't make mistakes, so let me just follow this through and see how it goes. I don't know. And then I was like so this is where I'm like do I call myself a children's awful, children christian awful? So I'm battling myself in that. Because the minute you label yourself, as you said, your finance, education, that's. That's that. Because today cancel culture, people saying things. So whatever I'm about to say, I'm not gonna have to talk and I'm gonna walk in and I have to speak on it. So I did that and everyone loved it.

Speaker 2:

People were like I wish I had a book like this. I didn't have this growing up and I went to church heavy, like I was a catholic before I became a born again, and so altar serving, reading in mass, you name it, I did it. So, switching from that to now this book, I'm trying to give a book to people that as a child you can see yourself, but you also can understand biblically implemented things to you. So through it you know your identity, through christ. Yeah, so everyone loves the first book, becoming a knight, because there's positive affirmation. So you're, you're going in the mirror, you're saying I am favor, I am loved, I am blessed.

Speaker 2:

I didn't have that. I didn't know what that was. I'm an only girl. My mother's tough, she's from the survival of the fittest generation, sister. Play with the emotion. You cry, infirm it, you're in pain, it's okay it. You fell down, get up. You know that's how it was. So I didn't have the nurturing side of me birthed from the beginning, although it was in me. Although I can be very feminine, I was very guarded and defense, always defense, sarcastic, witty, rude, defensive, because that's how I could go, it's how I functioned. But when I wrote this, oh, vulnerability, I'm opening up, I'm crying, I'm becoming soft. This is, this is weird for me, like, ill, like it's like you know, telling the guy I like, you like, stop it, slow down. This is not me, but that's what the book did for me. And so birth and their Naya series, as you say, it's not been easy.

Speaker 1:

I mean it's such a testament as someone who also believed in their vision that I have funded everything, everything up until this point.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, we've had partnerships and stuff.

Speaker 1:

But it's been me.

Speaker 2:

It was my initial investment, my savings went into Sight for these Pounds, your savings.

Speaker 1:

My savings that I, because I left my job to do this. Yes, yeah, yeah. And I put my money into Penny's Pounds and obviously it's grown over the five years and it's incredible. I mean it's going to be even bigger Than what it is now. Wow. But, just to see it Get to this point. And I put in I think I put in about £600 To start putting this balance Right and to see where it is now Is incredible.

Speaker 1:

That's huge Thank you. It's incredible but I completely understand you Of you know, sometimes when you look at friends and family and I think I don't think I looked at my friends and family necessarily to be my cheerleaders when I first started because I knew it was quite niche I knew what I was going into was quite niche and I think I'd already seen before you know that whole thing like, oh, my friends, don't support me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I knew that was the case. You knew that was coming. I thought, if you expect nothing, you can't get hurt. So I didn't expect anything. Yeah, I didn. Yeah, I didn't expect anything from you. I put my hand up for that. Yeah, I only shared it.

Speaker 1:

I was like oh my gosh, thank you so much, because I was like I don't expect anything from anyone like I don't expect my friends to share it. The only person I expect is my dad, because you have to everyone else. I don't expect anything from them right time to time, but I think sometimes we get lost in the fact that you think every single post you post, your friend should share it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it's not the case number one.

Speaker 1:

They're not your free promo number two they might not be your target audience.

Speaker 1:

And number three yeah some people just don't want to share it and like I remember that's life, this goes like the topic. But I remember I had a friend that I used to work with I worked part-time before I started this and they had started a project and I was like, when I tell you, champion, like I was like, if you want me involved, I will help you, because at this point I'd started pennies to pounds to some degree, I was like I'll help you, blah, blah, because I'd gone to the following and they wanted to follow it. Bear in mind, no one helped me get this following. They wanted me to reshare it.

Speaker 2:

So I reshared the first thing, okay, okay, I was like yeah, and then every time they posted a new thing.

Speaker 1:

They were like wanting me to reshare, and I was like yeah. And then every time they posted a new thing, they were like Wanting me to reshare, and I was like oh so every single post.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was like I'm not going to reshare the rest. That can be a lot, though.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and then they came back to me With like a voice note saying I kind of feel like Our friendship's different.

Speaker 2:

We always love someone.

Speaker 1:

We love a friend. That's you know. Yeah, and I was like by the way, I'm not saying it in a way that I'm upset completely fine, but if you're bringing it to me that I've reshared your stuff, I'm just saying you've never done mine and I've never made it an issue because it's not an issue.

Speaker 1:

But now I feel like you've reshared all your stuff and you've never done it to me. I don't know why I would do that. Is that I feel like you might feel the same? But with business, business is difficult and I know how difficult it is. I've been in it for five years that when I have friends you want to start stuff. We had a conversation off camera where we were saying like some people start stuff and everything. Everyone has a gravity of what they're starting. That I've told my friends like I will support you as an, as your friend, but publicly I need to know that you're invested in this, because if you're going to stop this in six months time, it's like there's no point in me sharing it. If you're not going to be committed to this, I don't know. And committed doesn't mean you're not going to change your vision.

Speaker 2:

You can change your vision throughout.

Speaker 1:

You can even re-band the name of the logo but if you're also invested, which is what most investors would say they would say I need to see some sort of proof that you've done something for x amount of time before I come on and do something, because if you now say I've got this brand new business idea.

Speaker 1:

Some people might jump on board from the beginning, but a lot of big investors will say well, how long you've been doing it? For a year, is that it? I need to see more proof. I need to see more dedication. What are you planning on? What's your five-year goal? What's all of this before? I can now come on board and publicly say I'm there.

Speaker 2:

It's funny you say that because that links to faith. Yeah, so someone would expect me the minute I gave my life. I'm going to be this straight Christian and I'm going to be no, Exactly. It's gonna. I ran back to my father. This is not gonna be An easy relationship.

Speaker 1:

Just to build.

Speaker 2:

So you saying that it's like that's how the faith is? Yeah, there's gonna be work.

Speaker 1:

Of course, I'm gonna have to learn, but if you're not willing To do the work, then there we go. I would rather just be your friend Behind the scenes and support you that way.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, of course.

Speaker 1:

I support you, you I need to see a level of dedication that you've really put in and commitment it's a big thing, though, friends doing this, like voice notes and that threw me off, and that's when I was like I don't know if I can do this, remember it all stems from environment, though.

Speaker 1:

Oh 100, but I've always been the friend who will support you right behind the scenes to the point where someone said to me your, your stories are looking like you're a probator yeah, but no, but, but I, I do not do that anymore unless I really believe in what they're doing.

Speaker 2:

I'm stuck because she was like no, because, firstly, you didn't even push your stuff, but you're a promoter, and I was like, oh, but it's because I don't mind really supporting your brand, especially if I'm like, oh, wow.

Speaker 1:

I've you're doing. Yeah, you took the step out of the 95 to be like you know what I like, this that's a big thing. I don't even mind, but I think I can. I remember I was watching I don't know if it was the apprentice or something and one of them maybe dragon, said. One of them said, like you can tell from, like talking to a business owner, yeah, how committed they are. And that's why we said before on the podcast yeah, people buy into people, yes, so so especially in business, people buy into people.

Speaker 1:

So, if I don't buy not don't buy into you, but if I can see as a business owner and I'm having conversations with you about your business, I'm like it's different if you don't know what you're doing. I had no idea what I was doing. I was 21,.

Speaker 2:

I had no idea what I was doing.

Speaker 1:

You can tell and that's not an easy thing, that not everyone has, but obviously it's very clear you have it, I have it. I think a lot of people watching will take this Like if you've got that dream and you've got that vision, it can be done. Yes, there will be challenges, but it can be done. So I want to then ask you if you come to like the financial side of things.

Speaker 1:

You touched on it a little bit, but what has been a big struggle for you when it comes to actually funding your dream, um, or raising money for your dream.

Speaker 2:

What's been a big challenge for you, I would say when it comes to because it's a, because it's a, it's more. The brand is now more than just books, so there's other things that I sell with it and there's other things I want to do with it, such as events on the side. But, just like you, Can you show us?

Speaker 1:

You've got some of it up here. Show us. So this is the first book.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'll shake the camera.

Speaker 1:

Lovely.

Speaker 2:

Becoming an IR. So this is the paperback. I'm still working on funding even to get the hardback and make sure it's done the right way and how you want it and stuff like that it's money, it's money okay, and then I've got my positive affirmation. T-shirts which this is um one of the characters.

Speaker 1:

So I get the character and then I look back.

Speaker 2:

It says you can put your personalized and have a name, but all of this it costs money. So someone could think, oh yeah, it's just a t-shirt, no, but, but I'm doing printing, I'm doing delivery, I'm doing. Do you see what I'm saying? It's time I designed them, I'm doing it, I'm doing the vision, but just there's no, there's no funding. It's a paycheck after paycheck that I manage, like I said, or Destiny Oprah along the way. Sometimes, like I remember my it was in my second event I spent money I can't even say the number, no come on.

Speaker 2:

I said pennies to pounds, come on, oh, it's true, come on you have to. I spent up to two to three K Wow.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, didn't realize. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

It was accum, small. Okay. Food was great, but it went very quickly. Okay. Drinks it wasn't this okay, so have this. I'm trying to bring a twist to it because it's an it's a children's brand, but I still want parents and teachers and people from church to understand this book. So I need to make sure the event I'm doing, my audience, everyone is understanding each other.

Speaker 2:

So I invested, I got a care, I got a care, I took a home, I got a venue, I got someone to decorate everything. It was money and I was at. I remember coming home, my friend told me she was like you, okay. I said you know how much I've spent. My heart is beating out of my chest and I'm like. It's not even like I'm not good with money, because there was a time where I wasn't good with money and I can say this hands-on, I didn't have the financial literacy. It was borrow this, spend this back, lend this, um, and I'm a lender, I don't ask for it back. I'm. I'm actually that person because just how I've been raised, it's weird. But borrow this, give this back to you, okay. Oh, are you a tenant? That used to stress me out as a teenager because I wanted to know how did I get into this cycle? It's not that I don't work or I don't have the funds, but I pay for the necessities but my money is not. It's not that I don't work or I don't have the funds, but I pay for the necessities but my money is not. It's not making revenue.

Speaker 2:

So then pandemic came. I got into investing. I wanted to learn things, assets, other things. Then I realized getting paid 12 times a year scam. So what am I going to do to make sure I do make generational wealth? I said I can start with this business 100 percent, I can see where this is going, but it was costing me.

Speaker 2:

So the point where I was like people don't know this and I can say this now, december 2024, I was going to close this. I said, midon, sorry, this is money and I don't know about you, but going back just on your previous and how you got into it and coming out of it, money can cause anxiety, stress, depression and it was affecting me and I said that this is such a beautiful thing God has given me and I'm so honored he's chosen me as his child to do this. But I remember saying in prayer we need to have a conversation here. You've given me this. Supply it Because for the life of me, I was getting weak, and it's sad to say, but I was Because I became some, and it's sad to say, but I was because I became some. And you see writing, remember what I said was my passion. So when you make your passion your business, you know how do you know what of a thin line that is?

Speaker 1:

You lose the part of the happiness you'd get, Because obviously I've done the same and there was a point in time where I began to resent what I was doing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, a little part of you dies with that. Yeah, and it's a shame. The kid that used to love I used to, I still do. But love opening a fresh book and smelling it, or walking around waterstones or foils, or going central london and sitting there like I'm showing myself now. But you know, just sitting in the library and reading or waiting for a new book to come out, I don't get that joy anymore, because now my mind is like oh, so what can I put in my next book? Oh, how am I gonna do you?

Speaker 2:

see my mind is so open to my competitors. Naturally I've lost that. So finances was going. I'm thinking do I keep going? Everyone's like push through, man, you've got this, like you've done other businesses before. What's an aisle? Two years now you've got this. I'm like, yeah, where's your money? Because you can tell me I've got this. I'm telling you that for it to go where and need it to go, I know what I can do. Give me 5K today, I can make this, I can flip it. But when it's like you've got 100 or 1, because I started this with 150, it makes you feel like, okay, so okay, this month we had maybe seven sales, maybe one pop-up. Okay, it's great. I don't know how we do we doing it was your first year, yeah.

Speaker 2:

But then you subconsciously compare yourself to other businesses. Sometimes you don't want to, but you're like, yeah, but I could do more. I could do more. And then, to the point where I even started questioning myself, I was like, but I know, if I wasn't in my faith, I would blow. And it's sad to say, sometimes I used to say that to myself because I know everyone else in the world who do whatever they're doing, they're blowing.

Speaker 2:

But because I have a principle to live by. There's a walk, there's a certain way I need to write. There's a certain audience I'm tackling and targeting. There's a trauma that I'm unveiling about myself and making sure the pain turns into purpose. I can't play with it. Therefore, my path is always going to be different. There's an appointed time for it, as it says in KTSS3. There's an appointed time for it, as it says in kts is three. There's an appointed time for it, so I can't rush it. So I've learned patience, I've learned tolerance, I've learned obedience through an eyes and I teaches me.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes I'm just sitting there and I'm thinking what would a nio do? It literally I could be writing and I'm like also, you can't just write an average children's book. Then forget the money, the money will come. I started sounding like my mom the money, the money will come, and it's true because something will happen. And then, cool, I was in new and voices. It was like how did I get that? But I invited them to celebrate one year of anaya series.

Speaker 2:

So I did like a private, intimate dinner last february in canary wolf and pre-go. They were lovely. They hosted us in the room and my friend decorated. She was amazing. Um, her company, that balloon company. She's great. Sydney was great. Everything was amazing and I loved the room and I said I need to do this more. I like this. We're talking. It's intimate. Someone's talking about entrepreneurship. Someone's saying just like this, the difficulties. There's another author here, there's someone who's a social worker, there's someone who's an occupational therapist. This all is the foundation of many things, of where children struggle, of identity. I've got everyone in the room for that. So now this is my chance to show you why I need you. So I said okay, I see what the law's showing. This is going to happen. It may not happen the way I want it or the time I want it, but it's going to happen. But finances, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

When you link it to everything, your head can blow there's a lot that we can all implement when it comes to our finances. If you're running a business, you've got a side hustle in a nine to five that we can do to ensure ourselves and ensure that we are building something for the future. I think that's a key thing and that's what I love about our generation A lot of people forward thinking and thinking right, I don't want to be in the same job for 30 years. I want to pursue my passion. Maybe I have to work for a bit, and I think a lot of people have accepted that in your 20s, you're going to have to graft. That's just your 20s, right, it's just grafted. It's a grafted decade.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's just part of life, you're going to have to graft, and if you don't, your early 30s you Graphic jobs you don't like, you're going to have to save money Maybe sacrifice a little bit.

Speaker 1:

Still enjoy, but sacrifice a little bit.

Speaker 2:

So then in your 30s, To get FOMO Is peak for you, though I don't. I'm caught.

Speaker 1:

I don't get FOMO, but even then, if you do get FOMO, it's thinking about the bigger vision. Why you're not going out On this time or why you're know I'm trying to save for a house, or I'm trying to increase my investments. It's thinking about those things. That's going to get you ahead, and that's why things like having the conversation that you and I are having today is so important for people to really realise that A you're not a weirdo, because sometimes you can be made to feel like it.

Speaker 1:

It when all your friends are going out and traveling everywhere like, oh my gosh, I'm not doing the same because I'm trying to save her house.

Speaker 2:

Maybe I'm just a loser, the one that always says no.

Speaker 1:

Right, we invite you to hear that you say no yeah, but it's about the bigger vision yeah and I think hearing about your journey is also very reaffirming for anyone who wants to start a business, which is why I always try to share as much as I can that it's not all plain sailing. A lot of times founders online will show you the perfect picture to show you when things go right. Let's show you we had a good photo shoot.

Speaker 2:

We saw that event we saw that product line. There's stress. There is a lot behind it.

Speaker 1:

There's been so many times where I've struggled for money in this business and there's so many times where I've wanted to quit too yeah I've wanted to quit a number of times. I've wanted to stop this podcast a number of times I wanted to quit the business completely and just go and get a job a number of times, yeah, but then every time I've done it something has happened that has kept me going and like there's a, there's a story I don't think I've ever shared on a podcast before I was going to stop this podcast.

Speaker 1:

I didn't podcast for a year on this podcast, right, and I that year was for me to decide going or. I'm going to stop it. Spoiler alert I kept going because we're here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, thank God, but in that year I was going to stop.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I remember I was going to stop and it was coming up to like the 11 month mark and I was like, yeah, I'm not going to, I'm not going to keep going on this podcast, I'm just going to podcast first, then the rest of the platform, and I remember I I saw this girl online and she was running a business. She was 21 and she was doing so well, she became lord sugar's youngest business partner and I was like, oh, this is so cool, she lived in birmingham.

Speaker 1:

I think I read on this yeah, she lives in birmingham and I happened to be going to birmingham with my friend because we wanted like a little break, we want to create content there, and I was like oh, I was like oh, where does this girl? I don't think I'm on a podcast anymore, but maybe it'd be good to like meet up with her.

Speaker 2:

So I reached out to her, didn't know her anyway, reached out to her I was like, hey, like I kind of want to I think I want to record something I don't think I don't think I'm gonna put it as a podcast because I think I'm stopping the podcast, but it'd be nice to see what we can do.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and she's like yeah, come down to my studio, like where I she sold jewelry, come down to my studio and we can record something right. So I remember telling my friend I was like because I drove up to birmingham I was like I think I'm just gonna pack all my podcast stuff, but we're just gonna do content I'm gonna use it as social media content, not at the podcast.

Speaker 1:

I'm not doing a podcast. This was meant to be your break. No, but I knew I still. I still ran it pennies pounds as a platform, so we still had the social channels, so I'm just gonna use this for instagram TikTok, that's it Also marketing. Yeah, but I was not going to use it at the podcast episode. I was like I'm done with the podcast, this is just for just in general I got to her studio told her yeah, I had a podcast.

Speaker 1:

I've stopped for about a year, I don't think I'm doing it again, but we're just going to do content. I was like, Up until this point it was just audio only. And so we did about Three and a half years Audio only, and this was visual. So I had one camera. She was like, look, I've got another camera, we'll have both of us recorded. Let's just capture it so you can use it for social media, right, but I think we should just Record it at the podcast. I did it. Then she had a friend who was also in Birmingham, who was also doing really well with him in the morning. He's got, he's got a space. You just did two episodes, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So in the end I recorded with him as well.

Speaker 1:

And I remember that episode the, I think when the cameras cut out and I was like, oh my god, she was such a good episode. And then she was like, record it again. She's like I know you don't want to do it because I'm scrapping it, I'm not doing it, so record it again. So we set up the cameras. Her and my friend were watching it, but my first, first time meeting this girl recorded this episode with this guy and I was like should I start the podcast again? I was like I don't think I am got back home, started editing it.

Speaker 1:

I thought this was a really good episode and I edited it. I was like this was also a really good episode and then she was like, oh, when you put it on the podcast, I said I'm not doing this podcast. I think you should just put it back out. Put it as an episode From then Got loads of traction. People loved the fact that we added video. Still, our biggest listenership Is still audio. Yeah, yeah, audio because On the go, isn't it?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we've got thousands Of subscribers on the podcast, which is incredible, but there is still A subsection of people who prefer video and were just watching YouTube People like to do.

Speaker 2:

Sometimes it's like working. I like Exactly.

Speaker 1:

But the whole point was I was going to stop and there was things that came in, like this girl. Her name's Marnie. She's now a good friend of mine. At the time I didn't know she was. I reached out to her and then she put me in touch with her friend who I did a thing with him and now all of a sudden that kept me going and this is when I was like this, Doing a podcast anymore.

Speaker 2:

But then that's when I sit down and I think God's so funny.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I was not going to do it anymore. I said, nah, I'm not doing it anymore, but I'll just go and record Some content with her. Isn't he funny? He knew you were going to. He knew yeah.

Speaker 2:

He knew. But I promise you Everything in my heart.

Speaker 1:

Everything in my heart Said I'm not doing this anymore. You had no business To reach out that's where I went so that's a lesson in there shoot your shot because you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Speaker 2:

I shot my shot with her and now we're friends because we built a friendship off the back of that yeah, networking can also lead to friendship, definitely, but obviously that wasn't the case. I just thought I'll be going and record some content, because I'm going to be in Birmingham. I guess I'll find someone in Birmingham and that's wasn't gonna so I hadn't. So after the event, after losing the 3k in may, I was like, like I said, I'm done I'm not gonna do this.

Speaker 2:

I said no, I'm sorry. I said I said respect yourself. Like you're losing money, you just just stop. Just, it's getting embarrassing for no one knows, but for you you face yourself with every morning mirror. I'm just giving shame, yeah. So I stopped and my friend sent me this is like oh, you should apply. I said every time I apply for the, I don't get get it. I was, oh, I've been so defeated I'm, so I'm not, I'm going to get it. Then they're like, no, we'd love to have. I was like, oh, they want for the whole weekend, they just have to. So I paid for it.

Speaker 1:

And what was it like? A marketplace?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, first weekend of the month and I've been applying, applying for about since Anaya came out and that's when they even started. But I hadn't, I didn't. I never get a slot on the chance or whatever. So I was like I don't know, is it Russian relay? How do you get your spot? But they gave me to me and I was like, oh my gosh, and we're in Westwood, london, let's see how this goes. This is a big thing for Anaya. We're like a year in, right, I'm nervous, but I'm like you know what? I've put money aside, I've guide, I've purchased books myself, created t-shirts, done the bookmarks, got badges, got affirmation cards. Um, I did flyers for anyone I wanted to take it the qr code, got my banner. I was like you know what, let me go try. Let me get myself my hoodie. Got my girls do my hair. So let me just try this. You know, go positive. Today, you never know, that's the day I met the cab family.

Speaker 2:

Now you need to understand, yeah, when I met tay, I would have never known I was gonna meet date. I would have never known that day. I would have never known. Literally, he's just shopping by and my girl's like isn't, that's it? I said oh, wow. I said yeah. So now I'm like, I'm like okay, so how do I do this? Because I'm definitely not a big. However, I am a fan of your work, so I need to show this level of, you know, decorum. So it's like hi, yeah, hey, hey. He's like what's going on here? So we told them we're about black culture market and everyone has something done. So, like someone here was doing hair, I was doing books, uh, someone was doing like gym wear different, different businesses going on together and we just all happened to be there that weekend in june. So he came, was like yeah, I want all of it. I said sorry, what is it? Every single one.

Speaker 2:

Mally will love this, tj will love this. He was like, yeah, give me the tote bag for Tasia. And I said what I was like, okay, it's my first sale of the day. Do you know what momentum that built for me? He doesn't. He doesn't know what he did that day, cause I came in thinking this will be usually no one cares, but that gave me so much confidence. I spoke to him about the books. I signed them. He bought each book, the t-shirt for all of them, the tote bag, and again I could have just been like, no, he take it for free. But he, like he doesn't realise he invested in Anaya, so he does that. We've gone to have our lunch. I'm sitting down, these are next to me. Like, oh, you know when? What are you talking?

Speaker 1:

about.

Speaker 2:

Posted it as well. So he's posted it on his story and he's showing Mally like opening the book and they're wearing their t-shirts and there's pictures and I'm there in tears and no one gets it. Because I've been wanting this. I've emailed every content creator, influencer you could know Even some to this day who have my stuff and don't post it. Money has gone wasted. He's posted. I didn't ask him, I didn't say anything. I just said let me know about the book if you can leave a review, took a picture of him, left him along his day because at the time they were planning for their wedding, so I left it. But to cut, to sit there eating my dinner and then we're packing up and everyone's like, go and check he's he had posted. It was like shout out priscilla, guys, go and follow that day. Traction on my.

Speaker 2:

I got an extra 150 followers on my Insta people from America were buying my book Canada, america, nigeria, germany. I was shipping the following month and then I said you know what?

Speaker 1:

it does only take one person it literally like what, like, as you, as you were saying that I was actually getting chills because it takes one person. And if I think of every pivotal moment in my career doing Penny to Pounds, it has been one person who, for them, that action probably seems it's not that big right.

Speaker 1:

It's quite insignificant so like for him personal story is like yeah, they love it, they love it, move on Right. But that momentum that it does for you is so impactful that all it takes is that one person. And I think, just to kind of come back where you mentioned, that you've reached out to a lot of people.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I emailed, but that that in itself is something that a lot of people need to realize, and not just in a business sense, even personal career, that, like I said, obviously you miss 100 the shots you don't take but, genuinely, if there is someone you want to network with someone, you want to have coffee with someone you think could push you to the next level send them a DM, send them an email.

Speaker 1:

And the reason for that is if you send an email to someone and they don't reply, you're in the same position. You're no worse off, Right.

Speaker 2:

If they you're in the same position. You're no worse off, right? If they don't reply, it's just.

Speaker 1:

It's just like that, yeah, like if they open it up and they don't reply you're no worse, you're exactly where you were this morning, yeah, in the evening, right, if you see they've opened it up and you're like, oh, they didn't reply, it is what it is right. If you hadn't sent that request and gotten approved to be, yeah, that market, all of those things wouldn't have happened. And I think there's a lot that could be taken. If there is someone that you admire in your career, who might be, might not be in your company, but someone else, you admire their journey, yeah, reach out to them you have no idea.

Speaker 2:

They might reply back to linkedin, but hey, I have, I can do a 10 minute call, you have no idea you have no idea.

Speaker 2:

I've had people who obviously I think I'm just me right, but sometimes you forget the impact that you've had and I've had people reach out to me on linkedin and I'm like yeah, we can have like a little 10 minute chat and they're like mesmerized and they're so happy that they can have a call with me, which genuinely is amazing, because for them it's plenty of surprises but you're like, yeah, yeah to me, it's me and it's always just going to be you right, you're just you thank god they're humble. Yeah, it's good humility, but for me.

Speaker 1:

I'm like oh wow, just that DM. I'm like, and I remember people told me I.

Speaker 2:

My first thing is oh my gosh. Thank you so much for replying, but you see, why are we in that bubble? That's the same human that is on the public transport. You drive in the same roads, but this social media bubble makes you have a hierarchy. Yeah, so it's like now content creators are coming across as celebs and everyone. So you don't feel like you, but you can reach out there actually people that will respond and be like yeah, sure, what was it?

Speaker 2:

and I'm like and I'm sitting there like I'm not going to respond To that. Nice, it's like a breathe, breathe.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Breathe, breathe, be calm, be calm, be cool, be cool. Exactly yes, how are you? Yeah?

Speaker 1:

And I just have to remember You're also human, exactly, but that goes to show that if you send DMs, yeah, the way the instance moves.

Speaker 2:

Now some of you are in like the other box. I don't see it Exactly.

Speaker 1:

I know, I know, but for me, I check every single box and there's going to be people like me I do now, yeah, no, but there's going to be people like me, who are even bigger than me, have done way more than me, they've been in the game longer than me who do the same thing who check their every single inbox, pop them a quick reply and then now all of a sudden, you're like this person's in my inbox.

Speaker 1:

That's beautiful to do it. Yeah, it means a lot to people. It's so important. And I remember, if you go back on the Penny Spans podcast, this one was audio only. I had Leomi Anderson on the podcast, yes, and that was incredible and that was I was at big moves. That was on just from a DM on Twitter. Seriously, I sent her a Twitter DM and I threw my phone down as soon as I said it. I turned off all notifications. Yeah, because she's got LAP brands yeah, so.

Speaker 1:

I wanted her to come on to talk about what it's like to be a business owner, obviously she's massive Victoria's Secret model, all of that, yeah, right, even her startup yeah, everything, but I just thought let me just send her a DM a day.

Speaker 1:

And then she came back to me. She's like hey, love what you do, would love to come on, stop. But at that point lap um was taking a break. She's like I'm restarting lap in about six months, so can you come back to me six months time? I'd love to come on, because then that's when we'll be launching, right, so I did just that I missed her again.

Speaker 1:

I said, hey, just reminding you, we had this conversation six months ago. I'd love to have you come back on like I'm in the podcast. And she was like, hey, I'd love to. She's like when are you free? I sent her a couple of dates. She's like, yeah, I can do it this time. And we did it Audio only. You just never know. You never know, and I feel like this whole episode is kind of here in your journey has reminded me the importance of taking risks, the importance of betting on yourself and the importance of patience, because, as you and I both know, nothing happens overnight and if it did happen overnight, you probably wouldn't value it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, genuinely you wouldn't value it, and I say this all the time to people like if people who really want like I don't know they want to have I don't know the house, deposit 50k in savings, right, if you got that overnight, would you value your house? Yeah, I mean, it'd be cool.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah I mean I think yes, yeah, yeah, but eventually, but if you had to grasp for two, three, four years you're keeping that. No one.

Speaker 1:

The overtime you had to do. No one can sacrifice. Every room deserves decision making, but but you would appreciate it so much more and I think that's what comes with the patience and the journey that every milestone that we hit with pennies to pounds. My friends know I celebrate pennies, pounds birthday like it's my own. I think I even do more for the four days my birthday that's good, though, because I know.

Speaker 2:

I know what it took.

Speaker 1:

I know every year to be another year in business is such a milestone because many business drop like was it 90? Stop after the first year. Don't go when I start with something around that right no and so it's so hard. So to be in year five of a business like this is insane. You should do something big.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's why I celebrate it. God willing, we get to 10 years. I will do something massive for 10 years, but five years we had the book launch. That's when our book came out. Yes, and we did all that. So it's there's a lot to be taken. There's a lot of things that we can take from here in your journey and what we can do in our personal lives and our business lives. So I just want to say thank you so much. You're most welcome for coming onto the podcast. Where can people find more about you? Oh, yeah, the Anaya series.

Speaker 2:

Talk to us where we can find it so you can find us on the Anaya series dot com. Our Instagram is at the NICE series. We are on LinkedIn, tiktok and Instagram. Our personal one is at Priscilla Hinney underscore and stay tuned. Sign up to our mailing list. We also have a newsletter and, yeah, I'll give you a sneak little exclusive. We have an animation series coming out this year. Theme song shall be out very, very soon. So sign up to our mailing list and you'll be able to get an exclusive one that I'll send it to so you can let me know your view. But, yeah, look out for us for that, and then there's much more there. So sign up and then maybe we can go from there. You can even drop me a DM and ask me. I'm happy to answer questions when it comes to writing and books.

Speaker 2:

I don't get keep.