In this episode of QueerHustle, Michelle sits down with entrepreneur and film consultant, Daniel Northway Frank. Daniel is the Founder of the Queer Shopping Network, a social enterprise, brand, shop and promotional source for online discoverability of queer and queer-positive products and services for anyone wanting to shop, support and celebrate LGBTQ2SIA+ inclusivity. Daniel has built a career on reciprocal passion for positive change in the industry and for audiences, championing partners and people with similar goals and passions. Today, Michelle and Daniel talk about the inspiration behind the Queer Shopping Network, the importance of having places to shop that are inclusive, diverse and offer representation and the concept of ‘queer perfectionism.'

What We Covered:

00:55 – Introducing today’s guest, Daniel Northway Frank, who talks about his background as a film consultant

05:36 – Daniel speaks to the inspiration to launch the Queer Shopping Network

14:31 – The importance of having places to shop that are inclusive, diverse and offer representation

18:30 – Michelle takes a moment to thank today’s sponsor, BGSD Strategies

20:18 – Daniel takes the audience through his entrepreneurial journey

22:58 – Daniel talks about his three-pronged business approach

25:20 – The power of galvanizing the queer community and lifting each other up higher

27:23 – Daniel talks about the concept of ‘queer perfectionism’

32:46 – Daniel encourages anyone with a queer product or business to reach out to him

Tweetable Quotes:

“You want to keep telling the story in every different way possible and introducing new aspects of that film. So you need to come with as much creative ammo. And so, I like to try and help people develop that ammunition for the success of their film.” (04:53) (Daniel)

“The idea of the Queer Shopping Network is to harness the buying power and the influence we have as a demographic to support our own creators, our own products, and also to support queer-positive corporations that are doing that work with their products and showcasing their products with marketing and communications that’s showing the diversity of their clientele.” (10:52) (Daniel)

“You want to go to places where you know that there is a built-in respect, care, mindfulness in the audience of their own customers.” (15:24) (Daniel)

“You have to know all of those components. Just through my life experience, I think that’s been a huge benefit where I’ve been able to take away those learning practices, see how they’ve worked and see how we’ve failed and make sure when I bring it to my own business that I have my best practices.” (22:17) (Daniel)

“In the world of ‘business is competition,’ I think business is about collaboration. And especially when you’re marginalized, you need to band together to realize dreams because we’re all historically underfunded, under-resourced, underappreciated, ostracized, facing bigotry. We have a tougher go of it and we have a society that is naturally not going to be inclined to choose us first.” (24:03) (Daniel)

“We are all one piece. We are all one percent of that hundred percent to make it happen. And we can’t do it if there isn’t that caring, giving camaraderie to let’s do this together and let’s figure out how this all works for us. It’s a really exciting and powerful collective movement that I’m really excited to pivoting towards.” (26:51) (Daniel)

“Anyone who’s marginalizing knows that when you don’t fit the norm, you have to overcompensate and learn to navigate that professionally so you don’t burn yourself out.” (30:18) (Daniel)

Links Mentioned:

Daniel’s Website

Queer Shopping Network Website

Daniel’s Emails - [email protected] & [email protected]

Rainbow Connect Website

Michelle’s Website 

Queer Hustle Facebook Group 

BGSD Strategies Website