Melissa Conyears-Ervin’s Building For Wealth Today for Tomorrow introduced the youth summit—curated for Gen-Z to expand their opportunities within nontraditional, professional spaces. Essence GU partnered with this initiative as a pipeline to guide the next era of young leaders within the digital and social media landscape. The panel was moderated by educator, Dr. Jatali Bellanton, and WGCI’s radio personality, Bree Specific. Both women encouraged young attendees to become multidisciplinary professionals, invest in networking skills, start early in their business endeavors, and stay consistent.
Maximizing Cash and Asset Flow
“I am one idea away from being a multimillionaire,” neuropsychologist and financial expert, Bellanton, affirmed to the group. Before making the attendees repeat this chant, she confessed that she was a first-generation, asset and cash-flow multi-millionaire. The UK native believed every young person in the room could achieve “liquidable and readily available” and asset flow. She studied the room, then instructed those who wanted a nine-to-five to raise their hands. She notes entrepreneurship is equally essential to having standard employment and is possible to earn a reputable living. “You have to work hard enough to be able to earn that money. That TikTok girl she’s putting in overtime to create content that hopefully will remain trendy. To me, that sounds like one of the hardest things to possibly do,” she said.
The Cultural Shift To Turn Creativity Into Currency
Media personality Bree Specific got personal about turning her personality into a source of income. Born Breena Anderson in Chicago’s West Side, she pivoted throughout her career as content creation progressed—gaining access to explore the world, collaborate with brands, and receive free “drip” while generating multiple streams of income. “I think it’s really important to stress that you can create a lot of revenue with the personalities that you have. You can create a lot of revenue with the lifestyles that you have,” she said. Anderson confessed she had multiple jobs when she started in the industry—a waitress, candle maker, and radio host. The media maven wanted to capitalize on her small business rather than focusing on collecting a check. However, maintaining consistency throughout her process helped her business.
Leveraging Friendships and a Supportive Community Into a Fruitful Enterprise
Anderson revealed that collaborating with her friends and creating great content attracted brands. Although many of her peers had similar backgrounds, Bellanton said she wished she had diversified her circle of friends to create a network within it. She recommends that the group diversify its community to maximize opportunities for adulthood. “All your friends should have at least one category that is not something that you do, that way you can spread out. When you all become adults, one of them might be the next Chicago treasurer. The next person might be the president. This person might be the best veterinarian or the best doctor, and now you have that all within your own ecosystem,” she said.
Seeking Mentorship In an Underserved Industry
Bellanton acknowledges that the “room and worlds” are created by gatekeepers who withhold access to real capital. As a Black woman in finance, she was ostracized in a male-dominated industry. However, she sought mentorship from the same men who were presumed to be entitled. Her battle ended with betting on herself. She said money is one’s birthright and advised that becoming a millionaire starts with research, working hard, and perfecting one’s craft. “I would like to make sure that the biggest point is, do not allow the fact that a room is not made for you to stop you from dominating the room, or creating a table in the room,” she said.
