Welcome back to another great episode of the Dear BLK CEO Podcast.

Entrepreneur, business leader, creative: all words that describe Elzie D. Flenard III, but one thing he is not - someone who you could ever fit in a box! Elzie Flenard is also a storyteller who hosts several podcasts where he unpacks topics from unexpected directions, weaving a myriad of influences into his music, speaking, and coaching. He’s even been deemed the ‘Mayor’ of Podcast Town by his own community. Everyone has something to offer and Elzie has made it his mission to help cultivate people’s message through podcasting, the best way to get ROR: Return on Relationships! In this episode, I get to dig deeper into Elzie’s story and pull out some incredible wisdom I think we will all benefit from if we put it into action.

So dive in and let’s get a firsthand account of what happens when enough is enough and you finally say, “I have decided!”

I Have Decided: From Corporate Drop Out to the 'Mayor' of Podcast Town :

[00:01 – 06:59] Opening Segment 

• I welcome Elzie Flenard the show
• • Bio 
• Elzie gives us a bit of his background 
• • Getting sold the “American Dream” 
  • Always a deep desire to start his own business
  • “I never had a job that I liked” 
  • Deciding to build an internet radio station 
  • Refocusing on podcasting and creating great content

[07:00 – 15:52] I Have Decided

• Elzie talks about his journey through the corporate world
• • Venturing into electronics and electrical engineering
  • How he became an operations manager 
  • Quickly seeing the limitations put on corporate workers 
• The jump from corporate into ownership 
• • The issue with building a side hustle while working
  • Getting to the ‘cross-road’ 
  • Have the mindset and make the decision  
• Adopting the “Mamba Mentality”
• • Strategically unpredictable 
  • No matter what happens I WILL succeed

[15:53 – 25:32] Understanding Your Runway

• Elzie talks about the evolution of his business
  • Switching to the “I’m the owner” mentality 
  • Thinking through how to move forward 
• • The impact of mentorship and building relationships
  • Step 1: “What is the number you need to hit?” 
  • Step 2: What does your runway look like? 
  • You don’t need the perfect plan, you need staying power
• The initial strategy to drive revenue 
• • Knowing how to allocate your dollar 
  • Over-deliver and get referrals 
  • Networking by adding value 
  • Resources to figure out your runway
  • Stay hungry and stay in a “learning mentality”
• Book your free consultation at The Kas Company

[25:33 – 34:34]  Becoming the 'Mayor' of Podcast Town

• Elzie shares why he honed in on podcasting specifically 
• • ROR - return on relationships
  • Building on relationship/social capital 
• Setting youth up for success by teaching skills for life 
• • Helping other people cultivate their voice 
• The power of podcasting and opportunities 
• Elzie shares his experience being a podcaster himself
• • Learning how to iterate 
  • Learning from others
  • Leveling the playing field with conversations

[34:35 – 38:04] Closing Segment 

• How to connect with Elzie 
• • Links below 
• Elzie’s nomination for the show
• Best tips for storytelling
• • Listen and be open to where the conversation goes
• Negative stereotype of black culture that needs to be done away with
• • That we’re “not excellent” 
• Wealth creation strategy for listeners
• • Revenue above income
  • Create revenue as opposed to earning it
• Final words 

Tweetable Quotes:

“I had to mentally make that shift. I think a lot of times people straddle the fence and they don’t commit.” - Elzie Flenard

“I have decided… and no matter what happens, I WILL succeed.” - Elzie Flenard

“I think when you have the learning mentality people will be drawn to you to teach you.” - Elzie Flenard

Resources Mentioned: 

• Podcast Town w/ Elzie Flenard
• SCORE

Want to connect with Elzie? You can connect on LinkedIn or email [email protected].  If you got a story to tell be sure to go on over https://www.elzieflenard.com and begin cultivating your message!

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Let’s connect! Find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, or check out my website http://karlsona.com/. And The Kas Company to find out more about my coaching program.

You don’t have to be anyone other than who you are to be a world-class CEO!