>>>
>>> NOW
>>> NOW TO CONSUMER NEWS, FROM BLACKOUT TUESDAY TO LOCAL
GROUPS DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY
TO SHOWCASING BLACK
ENTREPRENEURS, THERE IS BEEN A
NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN SUPPORT
FOR BLACK BUSINESSES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THIS VIRAL POST OF AL+@LISON RA
LAWSON, A BLACK WOMAN WHO OWNS
TWO 7-ELEVEN FRANCHISES IN
ARLINGTON IS PROOF OF T+@HAT AN
IT IS ALSO PROOF THAT WORD-OF-
MOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA DOES
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. THE
WORK. THE POST HAS LED TO RECORD
SALES AND SHE IS HERE WITH US
TO TALK ABOUT.
GOOD MORNING, ALLISON. +@
>> GOOD MORNING, HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M DOING JUST FINE, THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE VIRAL
POST, HOW IT CAME ABOUT AND
WHAT IT HAS MEANT FOR YOUR
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >>+@ IN THE BEGINNING, IT START
OFF ON MY FACEBOOK+@ PAGE.
I WAS SELLING A COUPLE OF CASE+
AND I FOUND THIS GROUP, DALLAS
DFW BLACK AND R+@ESTAURANT GROU
AND I THOUGHT LET ME JUST LOOK
INTO IT AND SEE WHAT'S GOI+@NG
ON.
ON.
ON. I
ON. I WANTED TO SEE HOW MANY BLACK-
OWNED RESTAU+@RANTS THERE WERE.
I SAW THAT SOMEONE HAD POSTED
ABOUT THE LINE AND I THOUGHT
LET ME JUST PUT MYSELF OUT
THERE AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT
I'M SELLIN+@G IT.
AND MAYBE I CAN GET ANOTHER
SWARM OF PEOPLE IN.
ALL OF +@A SUDDEN, IT TOOK OFF.
SO I POSTED IT IN A BUNCH OF
OTHER GROUPS AND NOW EVERYBODY
IS JUST COMING IN AND LOVING IT
AND SUPPORTING IT.
>> DON'T FORGET, I STOP BY
BEFORE IT BLEW UP, I WANT TO
THROW THAT OUT REAL QUICK.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SUPPORT
HAS BEEN LIKE SINCE THE VIRAL
POST?
POST?
POST? >>
POST? >> THE SPORT HAS JUST BEEN
OVERWHELMING.
OVERWHELMING. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I ALREADY
HAD A WONDERFUL CLIENTELE OF
PEOPLE THAT COME EVERY SINGLE
DAY AND I LOVE THEM.
BUT NOW IT IS LIKE SO MANY MORE
PEOPLE AR+@E GETTING TO KNOW WH
I AM AN+@D WHAT I'M ABOUT.
AND PEOPLE COME IN EVERY SINGLE
DAY, AND THE LIKE, WE CAME JUST
TO SUPPORT YOU.
AND THAT JUST MEANS EVERYTHING
TO ME.
TO ME.
TO ME. SO
TO ME. SO WHEN PEOPLE COME IN, I WANT
EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU
COME IN AND YOU SAY THINGS LIKE
THAT, THAT MEANS EVERYTHING AND
IT KEEPS ME GOING.
>> HOW CAN OTHER ENTREP+@RENEUR
TAP INTO SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
HELP OTHER FOLKS OUT WHEN
DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC
SITUATION.
SITUATION. EVERYBODY TRYING TO GET THE +@
WORD OUT ABOUT HIS THIS IS, HOW
CAN THEY TAP INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
TO HELP THEIR BUSINESS AND WHAT
ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THEM?
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. I +@THINK NOW IT IS MORE
+@IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO BE
CONNECTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
SOMETIMES LIKE I DON'T LIKE MY
INFORMATION OUT THERE.
YOU PUT OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO
+@
+@ PUT
+@ PUT OUT.
PUT OUT.
PUT OUT. AND SO I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR
ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL
BUSINESS PEOPLE, THAT'S THE
BEST WAY TO NOT ONLY MAKE IT IN
YOUR CITY BUT MAKE IT AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. AND SO WHY NOT USE THE PLATFORM
IN ORDER TO MAKE MORE MONEY FOR
YOURSELF?
YOURSELF?
YOURSELF? >> I LOVE THAT.
AND YOU ALSO WANTED TO SELL
MORE BLACK-OWNED PRODUCTS AT
YOUR STORE, THAT IS VERY
IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY DURING +@
THIS TIME, ONE OF THEM BEING
WIND.
WIND.
WIND. I
WIND. I THE McBRIDE SISTERS, THAT+@
SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT WE
+@ KEEP SEEING.
KEEP SEEING. SO YOU PLACE A BULK ORDER, YOU
+@
+@ CAN
+@ CAN TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF SUPPORTING OTHER BLACK-OWNED
BUSINESSES DURING THIS TIME?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I THINK IT IS CRUCIAL.
I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT GROWING UP
BY MY PARENTS THAT YOU MUST
SUPPORT BLAC+@K-OWNED BUSINESSE
AND HE MUST SUPPORT SMALL
BUSINESSES.
BUSINESSES. SO TO SEE +@THAT ON A MUCH LARG
SCALE NOW, IT'S ABSOLUTELY
AMAZING.
AMAZING.
AMAZING. SO YES, I DID PURCHASE A BULK
OF THAT.
OF THAT.
OF THAT. I'VE A COUPLE OTHER BLACK-OWNED
PRODUCTS COMING IN THAT I'M
KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT.
KEEP IT ON THE HUSH FOR NOW.
BUT I THINK THAT S+@UPPORTING U
IS AMAZING, AND I THINK THAT
SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD'VE
ALREADY BEEN DOING AND IF YOU
HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT, WELCOME
TO THE CLUB AND KEEP DOING IT.
THAT IS HOW WE KEEP GOING.
>> TELL US, HOW CAN FOLKS FIND
+@
+@ YOU
+@ YOU AND SUPPORT YOU?
REACH OUT TO YOU FOR ADVICE?
TELL US THAT INFORMATION.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
I'M HUGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I
+@
I'M HUGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON IN+@STAGRA
AT AT, THE NUMBER SEVEN, SPELL
OUT 11, , RAY, RAE LAWSON.
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK,
RAY LAWSON 711 OR YOU CAN
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER, RAY
LAWSON THE NUMBERS 711 AND YOU
CAN ALWAYS FIND ME ON LINKEDIN
BY ALLISON RAY LAWSON.
I READ+@ EVERY COMMENT AND I
TRIED TO READ EVERYTHING.
JUST KNOW THAT EVEN IF I DON'T
RESPON+@D, THAT KEEPS ME GOING.
RESPON+@D, THAT KEEPS ME GOING.@ >> I LOVE IT.
AND ONE THING I WILL DO IS MAKE
SURE I SHARE THIS VIDEO AND TAG
YOU AND ALL OF