“Kelvin Abrams: Get Uncomfortable—Drive Success Through Grit & Change”

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How you doing, Kelvin?

I'm doing great.

Hey man. So man, like I say, man, thank you for coming on the show today, man. If y'all don't know, me and Kelvin, we got a lot in common. We love sports, we love the Yankees. My man is from New York, he's standing in Maryland right now. I told him I can't drive on those highways because it ain't no sidebars on the side, so I can't do that. And he told me he gonna take me to the Baltimore Ravens game. Either he told me that or I sat there and that's something that I brought up. So nah, man, but one thing we don't have in common, I'm not a Giants fan like he is. And so we gonna keep it moving. I ain't gonna hold that against her. So let me ask you, K, man, from struggles to structure, what inspired you to write Get Uncomfortable or Change Course?

Well, CJ, that's something that I had decided when I was 18 years of age that I was going to write a book. I just didn't know what it was going to be about. You know, things were a little tough the last couple of years of my teenage years growing up. You know, we all face a little bit of struggles here and there. We had a little struggles here and there growing up. And it was just something that I wanted to do. And I felt that I had a story to tell. And it wasn't until around COVID-19 where I actually knew what that story was going to be. But I knew at the age of 18 that I was going to write a book.

Hmm, 18. I ain't gonna ask you how old you are now, man, but you look a little older than 18.

Just a few years.

So this book been in the making for a very long time.

Very long time.

Hey, that's how it is. You put us in the holding pattern, you get an idea, strategize, and he give you more stuff as you move on. And then boom, now you're a published author, and that's something they can't take away from you. Oh man, you tell me something like this all the time, K. You say, man, you say, look here, he said they can take everything away from— he said they could take everything away from you, he said, but one thing they can't take away from you is this right here.

Yep.

So they can't take that away from you. Can't take it out if you don't let them, you know what I'm saying? And that's another thing. I was talking to a guy before, he say CJ, he said, man, you're a published author. I'm a published author. He said these books gonna be in existence way longer than we are, you know what I'm saying, circulating. So hey, kudos to being on that list, man. And thank you. Hey man, hey, hey, it is what it is. Hey man, we plant seeds for future generations, you know. Hey, somebody gonna be reading your book in 2099, you know what I'm saying? Like, hey man, I'm okay with that. I'm okay. Don't forget to send the check, Kevin, man. Cal, okay, you say you started this book at 18, and I know you ain't 18 right now. You say send the check in 2099. Where they gonna send it to, man? You let me know that one. Hey, when you find the answer for that, let me know, man.

Hey, look, I want to get paid beyond my years, man.

Hey, we are, man. He say, hey, we are, man. He say he who turns one away from the errors of their ways, man, a multitude of sins will be covered from them. So even, man, even in non-existence but in existence, man, sins will be covered, man, because seeds are being planted right now in 2000— what you say, '21, '22? Today is '25. Hey, so keep on writing, man. Keep on planting seeds. So let me ask you, okay, man, How did your early business experience shape your approach to who you are now?

Well, I guess my early business experience takes me back to childhood, you know, where, you know, as a kid, I was always a hustler. We would rake leaves, shovel snow. I would sell little toys and trinkets out of my window to my friends. We would sell candy and soda in school store, you know. So I guess I started off as a business owner early on in junior high school. So from there, it just kind of evolved, you know. After college, I kind of had a little stint doing government work. And then after that, I kind of just found my passion and opened up Tiki's Playhouse, a doggy daycare business. I've had it now for 17 years. And so it's just kind of evolved since I was a child.

Man, what is that all about, man? Tell us a little bit about Tiki's Playhouse.

So Tiki's Playhouse, of course, is named after New York Giants player Tiki Barber because I'm a Giants fan.

Ah!

Say it again.

Say it again. Abort, abort, abort, abort.

I guess I should be playing kudos to Tiki right here. Anyway, so when I was in college, I wanted to open up a doggy daycare business and, you know, life got in the way, you know, college got in the way, professional job got in the way. And it was the loss of my dog, Tiki. And then so I just decided, you know, that I wasn't having a good time at that time in my career. There's a lot of struggles going on. And I just decided that, you know, this wasn't for me, and I really was meant to be an entrepreneur. And so I basically dropped everything in January 2017 after the loss of my dog, Tiki. And I just started Tiki's Playhouse in his honor. And from there, it just kind of rolled on and evolved. And now currently, I have for different businesses, small businesses. And so it's just kind of evolved from there. What I like to tell people, CJ, is that opportunity comes knocking, you have to be ready. And not every business idea that I had worked. And not every business opportunity that I took succeeded. But the thing is, is when opportunity came, I've always been available and always open that door.

I like that. I got another podcast called Planting Seeds with CJ. And that's one thing that I spoke about what you're saying, you have to prepare yourself, you know, even like you say, you know, 18 years old, you knew, you know, you was gonna write this book, or 14, you was gonna write this book. And although however long it took for it to come, you was preparing for it. You had been preparing. Because in life, I think that it's better to prepare or be prepared for when that door opens, then I'm ready to go through that door, opposed to if the door open and I'm not prepared to go through the door when it opens, now I'm still stuck. Where I was at, you know what I'm saying? So regardless, man, prepare yourself. Get ready for that next level, man. Whoever need to hear this today, get ready for that next level, man. What you doing today is preparing you for your future. And a lot of times it don't seem like that is coming fast. Hey, man, but be always ready, man. Like my man K, man, he said he started when he knew he's gonna write a book at 18 years old. It might took him till he was 48, but you know what I'm saying, he got it done. I'm just messing with you, man.

And the thing, you know, the thing is, is that, you know, you have to be ready for any opportunity that comes. And it may not may not be your dream opportunity, may not be your dream job. But you know, you have to go into it, understanding that you're going to learn something from that opportunity. Again, whether it's your dream job, dream business, you're going to learn something. And case in point is I have a bar.

I never thought I was going to have a bourbon bar, but I have a bourbon bar.

I have a coffee shop. I don't even drink coffee. But I have a coffee shop and I sell coffee. And we also do bourbon in the evenings. I've always drank bourbon, but I didn't do coffee. But now I'm a barista. Never in my life did I ever think I was gonna be a bartender. Now I'm a bartender. So it's like I go where the opportunities present itself, you know, and it's not about what you like to do, it's what's gonna pay you money and what's gonna give you money to be able to retire and do the things that you want to do in life. So you don't necessarily have to like your job, you just have to be good at whatever it is you do.

Mm, I like that. Okay, man, we gonna switch gears on that, Kev. No longer do I want to go to a Ravens game. I want to sit at this bourbon bar because I'm seeing these bottles behind you, brother, and it's looking— and you know what I'm saying—

intriguing.

So we'll sit there, drink bourbon, and watch the game right there on the big screen because I know you got a big screen somewhere around. I do.

If you're a bourbon guy, then we need to talk about Uncle Nearest Whiskey. Have you heard about Uncle Nearest Whiskey?

I'm not a bourbon guy, to be honest with you. You know what I'm saying? I'm not. That's, that's a little bit above my pay grade or my scope. But if I'm kicking it with you though, yeah, I'm kicking it with me.

We're talking on Caneers. Yeah, Caneers is the one who taught Jack Daniel's how to do whiskey. And Fawn Weaver, African-American woman, she's killing it. In 7 years, it's a billion-dollar company. Um, and I had the pleasure of meeting her husband Keith Weaver, and also I had the pleasure of meeting Victoria E.D. Butler, who's the direct descendant of Uncle Nearest, or Nathan Nearest Green. So you got to look that story up, man. Uncle Nears, do yourself a favor and check it out and go get yourself a bottle.

Oh man, I'm gonna have to check that out, man. I'm gonna have to check that out. Now, they ain't breaking the house for this, you know what I'm saying?

No, no, it ain't breaking the house for it, but it's good whiskey, man. It really is. It's so much so I bought a barrel. I bought a barrel for my company here, K9 Coffee, and it's really good, man. People call it liquid gold.

Oh yeah, I'm gonna have to check that out, man. Make sure you send me that, man, so I don't forget. Send me the link so I can check out that story, man, so I don't forget. Get it because I will. Yeah, absolutely.

Uncle Nearest, man. And tell all your viewers and the viewers are watching, Uncle Nearest, support this woman, Fawn Weaver and her husband Keith Weaver. Uncle Nearest, beautiful story. Again, he's the one who taught Jack Daniel's how to make whiskey. The family years ago was trying to get Jack Daniel's Distillery to acknowledge it. But of course they didn't until Fawn Weaver came and blew it up. Fawn came and dropped the mic on them. And next thing you know, everybody knows the story. So thank you, Fawn Weaver, for dropping that mic.

Boy, we even did the Kobe, huh?

I'm out.

Yeah, I'm out. Hey, shout out to Uncle Nears around here. Go get that whiskey. We ain't talking Tennessee whiskey, we talking Uncle Nears whiskey. Hey, maybe one day I'll become a grown man and get me a barrel like my man K. But until then, I think I'll stick to the half pint. Hey, let's keep it 100. Hey, so, uh, let me ask you, K-Man, The entrepreneur mindset, man. What are the biggest misconceptions people have about entrepreneurship?

Oh, I love this question.

Love it.

That you can do whatever you want. You have all the time in the world, you can take vacations, you're making all this money, and life is awesome. That's the concept that people think about having a business or when you're a business owner, you know, and they love handing out those business cards. Hey man, give me a call. Here's my business card. Give me a call. And it's a lot more than that.

A lot more. Give me an example. What do you mean? You got me in tune now because I'm listening.

Yeah, the struggles, man. I mean, it's like, you know, you're an entrepreneur. So it's the struggles. It's the nights that people don't see that you're working late. It's the sleepless nights. It's the sleepless days in a row. It's the missing out on weddings. It's the missing out on birthdays. It's missing out on vacations. You know, it's not going to funerals. I've missed several family funerals. Because of work. It's pulling a rabbit out of your butt, to be honest. When days happen that people call out of work or something happens, you're always on your toes. So you know, you're a magician as an entrepreneur, you're a magician, because you got to make it work because there's no one else but you. You can't look in the mirror, you can't call someone up and say, help me out. When you're the boss, you got to look in the mirror and handle that situation. So whatever it takes, man, you got to see it through.

Mm, yeah. Oh boy, do I know that sometimes I have to get that through my wife's head, you know what I'm saying? Like, hey, When you build this on from scratch, you know, try to build a brand and do this and that, it does certain things, you know.

It does. It takes a toll on your body, your mind. I mean, I can't tell you, I've been beat up by body. I've had so many different surgeries and stomach issues and problems from the stress. You know, I've been on several different kinds of medications because of the stress, my blood pressure because of the stress. So I mean, yeah, it takes a toll on when you're talking about building something brick by brick, as you like to say, brick by brick. If you're talking about building something from the ground up, you know, you're talking about a struggle. And then, excuse me, and then the other thing is, is everybody says, hey, man, why don't you give it up? Why don't you give it up? I'm too far into it to give it up, right?

Yeah.

And it's like, I've had a lot of success over the years, you know, but my journey is still going. I have a long journey ahead. I know exactly where I'm going. And again, there are times when I have to zigzag to get there, just because of COVID-19, because of the economy, because of Orange Man. So there are things that I have to do to zigzag. Yeah, you know what, I keep going.

That's the main point. Just keep going, stay focused, man. Like you say, we're gonna go through some bumps in the road. And you know, you said something earlier that was intriguing and reminds me of one of my favorite subjects. Well, my man, he was in the dungeon, you know what I'm saying? He was in the dungeon. But in the dungeon, he realized that he had a gift and a talent that he didn't have that was discovered. And so one of my key takeaways from that, K, is that Even in places that you don't want to be, even in places that you feel like you don't deserve to be, you don't want to be— talking about jobs or whatever— it's always something that you're learning at that place that you don't want to be that's going to help you go to the next level, you know what I'm saying? So wherever you at, be content, be satisfied, man, because that's going to take you to the next level. And as K said earlier, when that door open or when that opportunity presents itself, you'll be ready. Even though you didn't know, you know, at the time you didn't know it because I didn't want to be here Don't get stuck in that, man. Just keep moving forward because he already know the plans that he has for you. So let me ask you, K, man, how did you overcome personal health, as you were just talking about, and financial challenges and keep going, man?

Well, again, it's something that I like to say, you're born an entrepreneur. I watched my father struggle with his businesses throughout growing up, so I saw my future by looking at my father when I was a young kid. And so I learned through him to sacrifice. And not only that, you know, I have other friends that are entrepreneurs and very successful. And you learn through them as well too, that you have to sacrifice. And I tell people, that's why I wrote the book, Get Uncomfortable or Change Courses. If you're not willing to get uncomfortable, then this course is not for you, you need to change direction. Because being an entrepreneur is all about being uncomfortable. You have to be willing. And not only that, you have to embrace being uncomfortable. I actually look forward to challenges, just because it makes me better as an entrepreneur. So challenges with my health, whether it be back surgery, I had hip surgery, I had rotator cuff surgery, all of this during the pandemic, it just made me stronger because I knew I wasn't going to give up. And then also you have to have faith in whatever it is you believe in, you know, I believe in God. And so, you know, I have faith in God, and I pray to God every day, and I wear a cross. And it's like, I pray every day, and I talk to him every single day. So whether it be a God or whoever you may believe in, you just want to have faith and have someone to go to. And I also have a very good mentor. I've had a mentor for several years now. And I go to my mentor, and my mentor has been there. And I encourage young entrepreneurs when I go out to the library and speak, On my book, I encourage young entrepreneurs or future entrepreneurs to get a mentor. Don't get a friend or a family member or a girlfriend or a cousin or something like that. You got to get someone who's there, who's been there in your shoes, and who has made it, and someone who's going to guide you to where you need to be. And my mentor always tells me, even on the toughest days, he always says, Kelvin, you're exactly where you're supposed to be, because he's been there. So that's how I've made it.

And somebody that's gonna hold you accountable, you know what I'm saying, for what you're doing. Like you say, you know, a lot of times with friends and with family members, people tell you what you want to hear, you know. And I don't— and I don't think that that's real friendship, you know what I'm saying. Even not, you know, just in a personal level, that's not real friendship when somebody is not doing, you know, saying or going into the direction that they should be going in and you condoning it, talking about, oh yeah, man, you know, it's good. And you know, you know that that's not right, you know what I'm saying? You know that that's not the right— but because you don't— you want to sustain your friendship, you're telling what they want to hear instead of telling them what they need to hear. And so I agree with you on that, man. Get you somebody that's going to tell you the truth and put a foot up in your butt when you need one, man, you know what I'm saying? It don't— it don't be so emotional and, and so, uh, that's it. You know, like, you know, you gotta be open, man. You know, like you say, when you're an entrepreneur, you don't know everything. You learn it, you learn a lot of stuff as you go. You bump your head, you're gonna make mistakes, you're gonna lose money. You know, you best believe that. You're gonna lose money. So, you know, it is what it is, man. It is.

You can't wear your heart on your sleeve. You know, you can't be very emotional. You know, the hardest thing for me, CJ, still to this day, 17 years of being in business with multiple businesses, the hard thing for me is when people tell me not to take it so personal. It's hard for me not to take it personal because when you give everything you have, blood, sweat, and tears into the business, it's hard not to take it personal. And I still struggle with that today. And I'm trying to learn not to take it so personal. But you know, you have to be able to separate personal and business and you have to have balance. And that's honestly where I struggle right now is I struggle with the balance. Just because this is everything I have, everything I worked for is right here at my hands. And it's tough to trust someone to try to take your business over or to work with you in your business when you know that this is all you have and you know the journey that you've come from. And it's like, you know where you started from, and you don't want people to mess that up. So it's hard for me to separate business and personal, and it's hard for me to let go. Honestly, it's hard for me to let go.

I hear you, man. Like you say, we building things brick by brick. You know, funny that you said that, you know, I'm working on an animated series, right? And so I was talking to one of my cousins that, you know, supposed to be promoting— actually, we having a June— I'm actually being one of the sponsors at a Juneteenth event in Iowa for that. So that's gonna be my first rollout for it. But, uh, as we was talking, he said something to me, you know, I'm sitting there thinking, as you say, oh, he said, you know, we can get this person to do this and this and that. I'm sitting up there like, I'm not giving up what I've worked on, you know what I'm saying, to somebody else that— no, no, we gonna do this together, you know what I'm saying? Like This is my thing. This is what I've been sweating tears and sleepless nights and my wife getting mad at me because I'm preoccupied with the podcast. I'm preoccupied in trying to do this animated series and, and work full-time. So, you know, I'm not just giving it up for, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna work on it together, you know. And that's the thing, as you say, a lot of time when people don't have skin in the game when they don't have skin in the game. It's easy to tell somebody this and this and that, but you ain't got nothing in play here. You ain't got nothing to lose.

Right, exactly. You know, and that's the other thing. That's the other important thing about my book, Get Uncomfortable. I mean, that word itself is a very powerful word for someone who wants to be an entrepreneur or so-called business owner is because number one, just because you're a business owner doesn't mean You're the boss. I have many bosses around me. I have the bank, bank loan, that's my boss. I have my landlord, my landlord's my boss. My employees are my boss. So just because you're an entrepreneur, you're a business owner, doesn't mean you're the one at the top. I always tell people I'm at the bottom, if you will, because if I don't pay the bank, if I don't pay the landlord, there is no business. And if I don't pay my employees, there is no business. So as a business owner, everybody thinks you're at the top. In my opinion, you're not at the top, you're down at the bottom. They may work for you, yes, but you can't do your work without them.

So I mean, you know, that's just life. Like, like what we was talking about earlier, it's life. And you have to humble yourself, you know, because you can't get people— I'm the boss— and so they just want to dictate everything. But man, it's different when you in the trenches because see, we know where we came from. Like we, you know, say like the Macho, brick by brick. I know where I started. I know I started from nothing. Like, that's why I like, you know, saying this podcast, because my tagline, it was stories behind the success. Because people can see Kev in his bourbon shop and coffee shop and, you know, uh, hear that he got 4 businesses and running smoothly and, you know, buying barrels of Uncle Nearest. Uncle Nearest. I had it written down, Uncle Nearest. But they don't know this. They don't know what you went through, the trials and tribulations, as you, you know, giving the health issues, you know what I'm saying, the medication that they— they don't know what you went through to get to where you are today, you know what I'm saying. That's what I like to try to highlight here. We can look at the glitz and the glamour, but man, it's a struggle out here, you know what I'm saying. You gonna go through some hard times, don't think that you not, you know what I'm saying. But you said something earlier that ties it all together. He say, seek ye first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. God is the strength and the source for everything that we need. Know where to turn to and when to turn to him, and keep him in your praises at all times. Hey, so, Kevin, let me ask you, man: learn, earn, and return.

I'll explain that to you. So I remember seeing it somewhere. So I always like to start off by saying I'm not the one who created that saying, that's just a mantra that I like to use. Um, and so learn to me is Learn your craft, learn your trade, learn, learn your business, learn whatever it is that you're doing. Earn, take the time to earn your money, earn the success that you deserve. And then return is give back to those who are less fortunate than you are. Give back. That is why I talk at the local library, I try to give back to the community. I try to help other people who want to be future entrepreneurs and try to inspire them. Because I would not be here today as an entrepreneur if I didn't have if I didn't have any friends helping me out, if I didn't have a business mentor helping me out, if I didn't have my banker helping me out. And along the way, I've had a lot of clients giving me advice that I've listened to. And one biggest advice I've heard from several clients, and I tell this on every podcast that I'm interviewed on, is, is that you have to reinvent yourself every 3 years. That doesn't mean start a new business every 3 years. No, it just means take that business that you have, whether it be selling flowers, take that business and reinvent yourself and do something different like sell pottery, sell whatever it may be. I don't know much about the flower industry, but sell your bags of dirt, sell hay, sell straw. It's just you want to reinvent yourself every 3 years. And that's what I've had the opportunity to do over the years, CJ, is reinvent myself. So I started with the coffee shop. The coffee shop went from just doing coffee. Now we started offering coffee and food. And then from there I got a liquor license and pivoted and started doing liquor. And then from there I noticed that I love bourbon, people in the area love bourbon. So from there I started with 10 bottles of bourbon. Now I have 120 bottles of bourbon and now we offer pizza. So we've kind of just gradually reinvented ourselves every 3 years. And I think that's how you stay relevant is to reinvent yourself. And I also like to say, CJ, I know I'm asking you a question a very long term— No, no, no, hey. But I also like to tell people this story. Everybody knows Iron Mike Tyson, the youngest champion of the world, the greatest ever. Everybody knows Mike Tyson, right? But Mike Tyson got comfortable. And along came a guy named Buster Douglas Jr. Buster Douglas had nothing to lose. He had everything to gain. Mike Tyson had everything to lose. And what happened with Mike Tyson was he got comfortable. And I say that respectfully, just in case Mike Tyson hears this, he doesn't come looking for me. I say that respectfully, that he got comfortable with the fame, the money, the women, hanging out, buying the cars. So he got comfortable and walked into that ring and met somebody.

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Who was not afraid of them, met somebody who was not afraid to get uncomfortable. And that's what happened to Mike Tyson.

I like that, man. You said a lot, but I want to expound on that because Mike Tyson, what he did was— Mike, I don't care if you heard this, man, whatever. He does.

I do.

Bruno and put that gash over that boy. Ah, hey, but, uh, but Mike, are we sure? You know, because we see the videos of Mike after the fight or whatever, you know, he's talked about his training he didn't take— like you say, he didn't take him seriously. So are we sure that Mike Tyson wouldn't add another bourbon place, you know what I'm saying, the night before the fight? Because he act like he was, you know, although he said— he said he was doing cocaine and all this type of stuff, as you know, said why he was trying— he didn't take the training seriously, as you were saying, you know what I'm saying? And sometimes, like you say, even in business or whatever you're doing, you can get complacent, you know, even at a job, you know, you can get complacent and content as if there's nothing else and this is all that you have. But You know, I'm like you, man. I'm thinking 10 steps ahead. I'm seeing beyond one, man, because I'm trying to— I see this, but I'm trying to see farther than that. And a lot of time that throw people off because they can only see what's in front of them while you're seeing something different, you know what I'm saying? And they try to bring you back to the vision where you at, like, nah, I see something different. And so sometimes it's hard to talk to people because they can't understand the vision.

It is, you know. And you made a good point there, CJ, is I tell people all the time us business owners, and you just proved my point, as business owners, we're not here in today, we're not here present today, we're always ahead in the future. And I was just telling somebody that this morning, I'm used to 6 months to a year. In my head, I'm thinking 6 months to a year. Because my personal opinion is if an entrepreneur is here, present in today and working here today, they've already failed. You have to be in the future up here. Thinking, always thinking, because things change. Things don't stay the same, they change. So the economy changes, people change, the buyer, the seller changes, the buyer changes, everything changes, you know. So you have to always be 2, 3, 5 steps ahead of the next person. That's just being a smart entrepreneur.

Yeah, strategy, strategize, you know, you don't know what's gonna come up, you know, you might have to change direction, I might have to put this over here, you know, like the concept that you did, you know, when you had the coffee shop, as it's progressing. And this, they like, man, you know what I'm saying? Oh, we can get some breakfast sandwiches. Or, you know, my man, he from New York, so I know he know all about pizza, man. You know all about pizza. He might be in Maryland right now. Yeah, you know the New York pizza.

We actually have Detroit-style pizza, which is actually really good, man. I mean, I love my New York-style pizza, don't get me wrong, but the Detroit deep dish, oh man, that's good.

I stayed in Detroit for a minute. I stayed in Detroit for 5 years, so I know exactly It's good. You know what, if you, if you like Detroit, then you might as well go ahead and get your Coney Island, man, because they famous for that too. Yeah, they got one on almost every corner in Detroit, especially in Detroit, Detroit, you know, downtown Detroit. They got one at every corner. So let me ask you, okay, man, how are you using your story to mentor the next generation? As you say, you go to libraries and do community work, and I commend you for that too, man. Give it back, paying forward. How do you mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs?

I try to be as honest with them as possible by letting them know the pitfalls that they will encounter. I try to be honest with them by giving them sound advice. So one of the things, CJ, I get from people all the time is, oh, I don't have the money, I don't have the money. And, you know, I didn't have the money to go to college, but I went to college, went to school at Rutgers University. I didn't have the money. I got a student loan. I got financial aid and I worked 3 and 4 part-time jobs to put myself through college. I started a business, you know, I didn't have all the money that some people have when you start businesses. But you know what, I managed to scrounge up some money. I sold a few items. I sold my car at the time, I had a luxury Touareg Volkswagen W, just came out SUV, sold that. I sold my 401 and I came to the table at the bank with 20%. You have to come to the bank with 20%. So I came to the bank with 20%. So from the very beginning, I knew I wasn't gonna fail.

Why?

Because I had invested too much in it from the very beginning. So what I try to tell people is, hey, these are the steps you're gonna need to get to what you need to get to. So in order to get past the gatekeeper, which is the banker, you're gonna need to make sure your credit is this, you got to make sure your credit score is this, you got to make sure you have XYZ money in the bank, you got to make sure you have a good resume, they're going to track your resume, make sure that you highlight your skills, Highlight what you've done. Make sure you get references from your peers, from your teachers, your professors, you know, make sure you go to a meeting with the banker, with an attorney, with the CPA. So these are some of the things that I had to learn the hard way when I went to the bank. And, you know, I've learned it the hard way. And what I want to share in my book, and also I have an online course, it's at kelvinabrams.com, but I have an online course, Get Uncomfortable or Change Course. And it also goes into depth about what you need to do and how you need to prepare yourself to go and talk to a bank. And then also what you can expect your first couple couple of years in business. So that's kind of how I think I'm helping out the future entrepreneurs and trying to give them a leg up.

I like that, man. You're giving me a leg up. You say do not go in there by yourself thinking you just gonna fill out an application and think these people gonna give you some money. You gotta go in there with your CPA, you gotta go in there with a business plan, you gotta go in there, your credit got to be right and everything got to be on point. If not, you're gonna be walking out with your head down, and you're gonna be walking out bowlegged. Hey, okay, I take that one. I was gonna say something though, but you know what I'm saying, we, we like that though. We can feel each other's words in. Exactly, bowlegged. However you want it, however you want to take that, you know what I'm saying. So let me ask you, Cam, man, tools for the climb. What's included in your setup, your setup your business or success seminar and online courses as you were just talking about?

So just reiterating what I just mentioned is what's in there is it talks to you about why a business plan is important, why your 3-year performer is important. It talks about building 10 to 15% into that financial performer for just in case. It talks about the struggles, it talks about what you will need to be successful, it talks about hiring employees. And more importantly, I think it also talks about being willing or humble enough to know that you don't know everything and be humble enough to listen to people's advice and to seek out guidance from SBA, Small Business Administration, to seek out guidance from a free source from the SBA called SCORE, S-C-O-R-E, SCORE. And that's a great organization, it's made up of people that are retired business owners, people like myself and like yourself that are business owners that want to give back. And it's professionals that help you. You go there, it's totally free. You go there and you meet with them, they help you with your business plan and do everything that you and I are trying to do through podcasts or through our books and through mentoring people. There's a place called SCORE that's totally free. So I took advantage of it. I tell people to take advantage of it. And then also it talks about how to get free money. You know, everyone says I don't have this, I don't have that, you know, but there are grants out there.. You just have to find someone to help you look for a grant and/or start looking in your state, your county, and look for grants. That's basically— it's a road to success. And I like to call it a road to success because there's a lot of bumps in that road. But also there's going to be a lot of passengers that you're going to need to go down that road with you. And if you don't have the right passengers, you know, you're going to derail pretty quickly.

I like that, man. Like you said earlier, I gave you something. He's like, man, you just confirmed this. You just confirmed something to me because I'm just getting into, you know, learning certain things, you know what I'm saying? Like how about funnels, integration, stuff like that, you know, whatever, whatever. I just filled out a grant application for Amazon, one of those $25,000, you know, like, hey, just go ahead and try it, you know what I'm saying? Whatever. So, uh, I would like to talk to you a little later on somewhere down the line about certain things, you know what I'm saying? Like you said earlier, you made a good point. Talk to somebody who has done it and has succeeded in what they're doing, you know. And it's cool that— I'm not saying that you'll help me, but I wish you would. But that, you know, saying that you're willing to give back and help people make good decisions so they don't have to go through some of the pitfalls and some of the red tape that you had to go through. And, you know, saying so, I like the way that you're presenting the book and the course that can help people move along further where they don't have to go through some of the stumbling blocks, you know, saying that we face sometimes.

So there's a lot of them, man. There's a lot of stumbling blocks. And I tell you, in hindsight, I would have done a lot of things differently, you know, but at the same time, I think I've learned from it. And it's cost me, I'd venture to say, hundreds of thousands of dollars, at least $200,000-$300,000 has cost me, you know, but it's a very expensive learning experience that I've learned. And I'm still learning to this day. I mean, I make mistakes every single day. I don't think I'm perfect by no means. I don't think I'm the perfect bartender, barista, I own a gym, so I don't think I'm the perfect business owner to own a gym. I'm not the perfect author. You know, I learn every single day, and I'm humble enough to take people's advice, and I listen to people. Now, I may not always take their advice and do what they suggest, but at least I listen to that. And I kind of formulate my own ideas from talking to other people. So I always have a bunch of people around me, whether you call them business advisors, mentors, friends, but I always have a group of people, a core group of people that I go to and I ask advice before I make decisions. Decisions. And I know I've made the right decision when my stomach hurts and my stomach is upset and it sends me to the bathroom. I know it makes me uncomfortable, quite frankly. So I know I've made the right decision when I feel that way.

Yeah, he said he gonna come out walking bowlegged on y'all, right? You know what I'm saying? And so, hey, hey, you know what, uh, you said something, man, uh, because I only got one more question for you, then I got this game, man. It's quickfire round, gang. I'm gonna ask you 5 questions, okay? Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. I only tell the guests, uh, at the end of the episode, man, because y'all be trying to prepare, trying to think what I'm gonna say, and you know, people get stumbled up a little bit. But my last few guests, man, they've been passing it with flying colors, you know what I'm saying? So, uh, we're gonna do it that way. But one thing that I would like to say is that, you know, you brought How you— I think you forgot something, man. I just wanted to bring this to y'all attention, man. K forgot something. He said now he got 120. He went from 10 bottles of bourbon to 120 bottles of bourbon, but he didn't mention, because that's just a humble guy that he is within himself, he didn't mention about that barrel. He didn't mention the barrel, man. Come on now, you know, we went to college, we know what the keg was. You know when you got a keg You out there, you know, funneling, you know what I'm saying? Come on, man, you got a barrel, a barrel, man, you know what I'm saying? That's big time right there. So don't leave that out next time, Cam, man. But you know, then on these podcasts too, as you were saying earlier, man, on these podcasts and things of that nature, although I'm hosting, I learn a lot, you know what I'm saying, from people. You meet people, you know what I'm saying, and you know, you get introduced to people, new ideas. Like you said, I may not take everything somebody say, but there's certain things that I'm listening to because, oh, I didn't know that, you know what I'm saying?

I didn't know this.

And then you just said said something that made me think about it. You said you surround yourself with these people and this person and whatnot. And my mother told me a long time ago, she always told me, she said, always surround yourself with people that's smarter than you, that know more than you do. You know what I'm saying? Don't always try to be like, as you say, uh, the orange man, you know, or whatnot. Did I say that? My bad. Um, I want the people come looking for me, man. Try to be the smartest person in the room, you know what I'm saying? Don't act like, you know, want to be the smartest person in the room because there's people that know more than you. Because some people, you know, like I know my lane, I know my lane. It's certain things I just can't do. That's not my thing. So I delegate certain things, you know what I'm saying? And you gotta know when to delegate and when to let things go. Now I might know the gist of certain things, but that's not my lane though, you know what I'm saying?

I know what you're saying, CJ, because I tell you what, social media is not my game because I'm just not the type of guy to be on my phone doing social media. And all that stuff. So I hired a young lady named Charlotte Zhang, and she's been with me now for about 2 years. She's phenomenal. I mean, she does all my social media postings. She does all my content writing for me. So she's amazing, you know, and it's like I always tell people, you know, you got to pay for success, and you got to pay to have the right people in your corner. And Charlotte does a fabulous job. You know, that's how you and I have hooked up. That's how all my podcasting has hooked up because of Charlotte. Charlotte. So it's like, you know, you got to have somebody that you trust in your corner, you got to have somebody to know what they're doing in your corner. And Charlotte is one of them. And then my other one is Uncle Willie. He's a business mentor of mine. So he's a great friend. I've known him probably for 7 or 8 years. He's in my corner. And believe it or not, you know, most people may be shocked to hear this, but my landlord, my landlord's a great guy. I mean, I lucked out. Thank you, Lord. I lucked out for having such a great guy. He's very helpful. He's very supportive. When I wanted to open up this coffee shop, he's very supportive. So, you know, I've got some great people in my corner. And then my banker from 16, 17 years ago, I'm still in contact with my banker today, and we have a very good relationship. So that's what I talk about when you say you have to build a network of people. And you got to pay for success, you know, it's not going to be cheap. You got to pay for success.

Oh, trust me. I know. That's why, you know, I have to keep some things to myself because my wife really don't know how much I'm paying for my success. I know in my tax return, I know what I found out about that.

Yeah, and I got a great CPA too. Oh boy, let me say, that's one thing you really need is a great CPA, and I got one.

So, oh man, see how you built your team together, man? The banker landlord, social media lady, all your other friends, man. He'll just put people in your place, you know what I'm saying, in your space to get you to where you need to be, man. What a mighty, mighty God we serve, man. Thank you. Like you said, thank you, Jesus, you know what I'm saying? Because it would— because if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be able to do what we do here, man.

So say my prayers every night and every morning and throughout the day. So I'm very thankful. I know I'm I've been through some tough times, you know, and my mom has been there to help me out through a lot of these tough times. And so it's been tough, you know, going through a lot of medical issues and problems that I've had from the stress. The stress takes a toll on your body, you know, and I didn't really realize that until, you know, I'm knee-deep in it now. And it's like stress really takes a toll on your body. So you have to be healthy, you have to treat yourself nice, you have to exercise, you have to walk, you have to take mental breaks. You know, I take supplements, I take vitamins, I take things like that to try to help me out. You know, cortisol to help with my stress and things like that. So you really have to pay attention to your health and monitor your health.

And I agree with you. I went through an episode last year around this time myself. I lost like, I was peeing a lot. I used the bathroom a lot. Didn't know what was really going on. We went on a trip to Iowa to Juneteenth event. We went on a trip and man, that was the longest trip ever because I had to keep pulling over every 5 minutes to use the bathroom. So finally came back, man. Then we went to Wisconsin Dells right after that. Same thing, you know, my wife's like, look, I'm making you a doctor's appointment tomorrow, you know what I'm saying? And I went, man, they wanted to keep me in there because I overlooked my health, you know what I'm saying? I'm glad you brought it up because I think I talked about it before, but there's nothing like being transparent, you know what I'm saying? Because somebody else can be going through something as well and then catch something that K said and like, oh man, you know, because because you do take certain things for granted, you know what I'm saying, in life or whatever. But if I don't have my health, if I'm not in good condition, then everything else that I'm doing is void— is not void— because I won't be able to do it. What can I do if I'm not here?

Exactly.

You know what I'm saying? Like, we got to keep it 100. Okay, man, let me ask you, man, this is my last question on this, man. Where can listeners go to learn more about your programs?

Awesome. Thank you. KelvinAbrams.com. So that's K-E-L-V-I-N Abrams, A-B-R-A-M-S dot com. And you can also find me on Amazon. I'm on LinkedIn, social media, Facebook. I think we have a Twitter account, Instagram, but mainly KelvinAbrams.com. That's where you can buy the book. I also have a workbook and we have an online course. And this would be the book right here. Get Uncomfortable or Change Course.

Hmm.

Understanding what it takes to be an entrepreneur. It's on Amazon, Barnes Noble. It's all over the place.

Yeah, I like that. Different direction. So, Kev, man, man, we had a great conversation, man. Probably went over a little bit, taking your time up, but let's get to this quickfire round, man, real quick. And I know you're gonna pass it with flying colors, man. I'm ready. All right. Best business book you've ever read.

It's not a business book, but it's a motivational book. David Goggins, You Can't Hurt Me.

Like that. One word that defines entrepreneurship?

Resilience.

Okay, first business besides the Tiki Barber doggy business, what's the next business that you started after that?

Doggy ice cream truck. I was the first doggy ice cream truck in the state of Maryland.

Mm, come on, man, tell me that wasn't called Tiki too.

So I had the doggy ice cream truck that ride around, and I had a horn that would bark. And so I'd ride down the street, and you know how bikers sometimes get in the way? I'd bark.

Oh, so wait a minute, man, so dogs eat ice cream?

Yeah, dogs eat ice cream. So it was, um, dog-made ice cream, not humans, but it was dog-made ice cream. And then, yeah, we used to go to— I used to go to a lot of events, you know, Here in Maryland, they have a lot of different dog events. So we used to go to different dog events. And I stopped doing that when I opened up K9 and Coffee because I'm only one person and I couldn't run the ice cream truck. And there are times when I miss it because I really enjoyed it. I mean, I'm joking about scaring the bikers, but I really enjoyed just riding there. And I'd ride up to the facility or place, and I'd play my music, and I'd play it. So I really enjoyed it. And it was fun. The dogs would come up, and they put their paws on the truck, and you'd give them treats. And so it was really cool. I really miss that, the doggy ice cream shop.

So, oh man, you know what you made me think about? Uh, it's a commercial that's out right now, and the guy, he had a date, and she over the house and the dog sitting up there, you know, sitting on the couch or whatever. And the lady go in the refrigerator and he has some dog food in the refrigerator, and she was like, you got dog food in the refrigerator? He said, it's not dog food. And then, uh, so they go back and forth, and then it cuts to the commercial where you see her She gone and he talked to the dog, say, yeah, it's the guy that was in Sopranos. He said, you right about her. Yeah, yeah, don't play with people, Tiki dogs, man. So, uh, let me ask you, man, coffee, hustle, or faith, which fuels you most?

Faith.

Because everything else, you know what I'm saying, it won't line up if you don't have that faith. Hey, so last one, man. What's your go-to advice for someone starting today?

Don't.

Don't.

Yeah, unless they do the work. I usually always tell people, someone says, hey, I want to start my own business, I say don't do it. I sincerely mean don't do it. But if you want to not listen to my advice and do it, then best advice I can give you is seek out a mentor. Go to sba.gov and then look for SCORE, S-C-O-R-E, SCORE. There's a SCORE just about everywhere you go. Go talk to someone, go get a mentor from SCORE. It's free, people. It's free. Start there and then build from there. Get a mentor. Lawyer, get a great CPA, get someone who's going to guide you, not someone who's just going to take your money. Get a business lawyer and stay away from family and friends or someone who's got a cousin that's got a hookup. Stay away from those people. In order to be successful, you have to spend the money.

Mm, I like that, man. I like that. Hey man, Kev, man, he been sitting up here dropping some nuggets on us today, and I thank you for dropping wisdom. And walking in truth today, man, about just being transparent, man, about everything. You know, there's only one thing, God, you know, the Tiki Doggy thing, you know, that tiki tiki tiki. Come on, man, come on, man. But hey, if you love it, if it's for you, man, I love it, man. That was a cool thing to do. And don't forget the Doggy Ice Cream Truck. Hey, my man Kev got a whole variety ideas and dreams, man. And like he said, he's only getting started. If you're ready to step up and stop making excuses, head to www.kelvinabrams.com to check out his book, course, and mentorship program. This is more than just business, this is legacy. Until next time, keep building brick by brick like my man Cam, and go get you 120 bottles of bourbon. This your boy CJ Moneyway. We out of here.

Don't forget Uncle Nearest, CJ. Go get yourself a bottle of Uncle Nearest, man.

I'm getting me a barrel, man. What are you talking about? I'm gonna be a big boy one day, man. I'm getting me a barrel. Go get yours. See you at the Uncle Nearest Distillery. Hey, we out of here. Peace.

Thank you for Thanks for listening to the CJ Moneyway Show.

Don't forget to share this episode with your friends, leave a comment, and drop a review. Be sure to tune in every Tuesday and Friday for more inspiring journeys. Who knows, your story might be next.

Mm-hmm.

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