Let me be honest with y’all for a minute. For a little over nine months now, I have been working to build something that means a whole lot to me — my podcast, my blog, my social media platforms, and ultimately, my own business. And I want to make something very clear from the beginning.

This is more than a hobby for me.

This isn’t something I’m doing just to pass the time. This isn’t something I’m doing because I got bored one day and decided to start a blog. And this isn’t something I plan on doing for a little while and then walking away from.

I’m building a business.

I’m working toward creating something that can become successful, generate revenue, create opportunities, and eventually become something that can support me. That’s the vision. That’s the goal. And I’m not afraid to say it out loud. In fact, I’m going to keep saying it until I see it. For the past nine months, I’ve been learning, writing, recording, creating, posting, figuring things out, making mistakes, trying again, and trying to understand what works and what doesn’t.

I’ve been building my blog.

I’ve been building my podcast.

I’ve been building my social media presence.

And all of those things are pieces of a much bigger picture.

I’m building my brand.

And I’m building it with the intention of turning it into a real business. I’ve been speaking that into the universe. I’m speaking success over my blog. I’m speaking success over my podcast. I’m speaking success over my social media accounts. I’m speaking growth over my audience. I’m speaking opportunities over my business. I’m speaking sponsors into existence. I’m speaking revenue into existence. I’m speaking financial success into existence. And I’m speaking longevity into existence.

I’m saying it because I believe it.

Now, I know some people might hear that and say, “Well, Velvet, you can’t just talk something into existence.”

And you’re right. Talking isn’t enough. I know that. If all I did was sit on my front porch and say, “I’m going to be successful,” while doing absolutely nothing, I’d still be sitting on that porch waiting for success to knock on the door. That’s not what I’m doing. I’m speaking it and I’m working for it.

I’m writing.

I’m recording.

I’m creating.

I’m learning.

I’m posting.

I’m researching.

I’m trying new things.

I’m building an audience.

I’m figuring out how to monetize what I’m creating. I’m learning about sponsorships. I’m learning about advertising. I’m learning about social media. I’m learning about blogging. I’m learning about podcasting.

I’m learning what it takes to turn an idea into something that can actually become a business. Because I don’t just want people to read my blog. I want people to value what I’m creating. I don’t just want people to listen to my podcast. I want them to become part of the audience that keeps coming back. I don’t just want followers on social media. I want to build a community. And eventually, I want this community to help the business sustainable. That’s the part I want people to understand.

I’m building something with a purpose.

I want to create content that people enjoy, but I also want to create something that has the potential to bring in revenue. And there’s nothing wrong with saying that. We live in a world where people make money from their creativity every single day.

People make money from podcast.

People make money from blogs.

People make money from YouTube.

People make money from TikTok.

People make money from newsletters, sponsorships, advertising, memberships, merchandise, books, digital product, and countless other things.

So why shouldn’t I try?

Why shouldn’t I see how far I can take this?

Why shouldn’t I believe that my voice can become part of my livelihood?

I’m willing to try.

And I’m willing to work for it. But I’m also going to enjoy the journey along the way. Because if you’ve been following me, you already know that I don’t stay in one lane. One minute I’m talking about the Commanders. The next minute I’m talking about hockey. Then I’m talking about entertainment. Then relationship. Then something happening in the DMV. Then something happening in DC.

Then something I saw on social media that made me stop scrolling and say, “ Oh, we need to talk about this!”

Because let me tell y’all something:

TikTok will drop you off in a mess you never asked to be dropped off in.

And sometimes that mess becomes a blog post. But then there are other times when my topics don’t come from social media at all. Sometimes I’m sitting on my front porch. I’m in my chair, thinking about life, looking around, listening to what’s happening around me, and suddenly a thought pops into my head.

And that’s another topic.

That’s another conversation.

That’s another story.

That’s another episode.

That’s what I love about what I’m creating. It can come from anywhere. And I don’t want to lose that authenticity just because I’m trying to turn this into a business. If anything, I want to become more myself. Because that’s what makes this different. I’m not trying to pretend I’m somebody I’m not. I’m not trying to sound like a news anchor. I’m not trying to act like I know everything. I’m not a journalist. I’m Velvet.

And I’m going to tell you what I think. Sometimes you’re going to agree with me. Sometimes you’re going to disagree. Sometimes you might say, “Now Velvet, I don’t know about that one.” And that’s okay.

Because I’m not here to tell you what you have to think. I’m here to give you my honest opinion and start a conversation. There are enough places out here that sugarcoat everything. I’m not one of them. I’m going to give it to you raw. I’m going to give it to you honestly. And I’m going to tell you how I see it. That’s what I want my readers and listeners to know. When you come to my blog, when you listen to my podcast, or when you follow me on social media, you’re getting me.

And now I’m asking you to become part of what I’m building. If you enjoy my blog, subscribe. If you listen to my podcast, follow it. If you enjoy my social media content, follow me there too.

Share my post.

Share my episodes.

Tell somebody about Ask Velvet.

Because every subscription, every follower, every listen, every view, every share, and every comment helps me build this business. You may think clicking that subscribe button is a small thing. But to somebody trying to build something from the ground up, it isn’t small at all. It tells me that somebody is paying attention.

It tells me somebody wants to come back. It tells me that what I’m creating has value. And if you want to support me financially, I’m grateful for that too. If you want to sponsor my podcast or blog, I would love to have that conversation. If you want to contribute financially to help me continue building, I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart. Because there are real expenses involved in building a business. There are platforms. There is equipment. There is content creation. There is marketing. There is time. There is energy.

And there is whole lot of work happening behind the scenes that people don’t always see. So when you support me, you’re not just giving money to a podcast or a blog. You’re investing in what I’m trying to build. You’re helping me keep creating. You’re helping me grow. You’re helping me turn this idea into a business. And I don’t take that lightly.

But let me tell you something else. I’m not waiting until everything is perfect to call this a business. I’m building it now.

Every blog post is part of it.

Every podcast episode is part of it.

Every social media post is part of it.

Every follower is part of it.

Every reader is part of it.

Every listener is part of it.

Every sponsor is part of it.

Every opportunity is part of it.

I’m laying the foundation right now. And while I’m laying that foundation, I’m speaking over it.

I’m saying:

My business will be successful.

My blog will grow.

My podcast will grow.

My social media platforms will grow.

My audience will grow.

My opportunities will grow.

My revenue will grow.

My brand will grow.

And I will grow right along with it. I’m speaking that into the universe because I believe that sometimes you have to see the vision in your mind before other people can see it with you.

I have a vision for where I want this to go. I don’t know exactly what every step is going to look like. But I know where I’m headed. And I’m not embarrassed to say that I want this to make money. I want this business to succeed. I want it to generate revenue. I want sponsors to see the value in what I’m creating. I want my creativity to have financial value. I want to be able to look back one day and say:

“ I started this from my front porch, with an idea, a microphone, a computer, a whole lot of determination and I turned it into a business.”

That’s what I’m working toward. And that’s what I’m speaking into existence. Because this is about more than a blog. It’s about more than a podcast. It’s about more than social media. It’s about building something of my own. Something that I can be proud of. Something that can grow. Something that can create income. Something that can create opportunities. Something that can become bigger than what I imagined when I first started.

And I’m willing to put in the work to see if I can make it happen. So if your reading this, I want you to understand what you’re looking at. You’re not just looking at Velvet writing another blog post. You’re watching somebody build a business.

You’re watching me put the pieces together. You’re watching me learn. You’re watching me grow. You’re watching me take an idea and try to turn it into something real. And I would love for you to be here for the journey.

Subscribe.

Follow.

Listen.

Read.

Share.

Comment.

Tell somebody about Ask Velvet.

And if you have the means and want to support the business financially, sponsor me or contribute. Every little bit helps. But even if all you can do is subscribe and tell somebody else about what I’m doing, that matters too.

Because I’m not trying to build this alone. I’m trying to build something that people can become a part of. A place where you can pull up a chair. A place where you can read. A place where you can listen. A place where you can laugh. A place where you can disagree with me. A place where you can think.

A place where we can talk about real life without pretending everything is perfect. And hopefully, one day, a business that I can look at and say:

“ I did that.”

So yes, I’m speaking it into the universe.

I’m speaking success.

I’m speaking growth.

I’m speaking opportunity.

I’m speaking revenue.

I’m speaking sponsorships.

I’m speaking partnership.

I’m speaking a successful business. But I’m not just speaking it. I’m working for it.

I’m showing up for it.

I’m creating for it.

I’m learning for it.

I’m believing in it.

And I’m going to keep going.

So pull up a chair.

Get comfortable.

The porch light is on. And if you decide to stay awhile, thank you. Because you’re not just watching me talk. You’re watching me build.

Welcome to Ask Velvet.

Real talk. Bold energy. No sugar coating. And a business being built right here from the front porch.