Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily.  I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur.  Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Tonya Edmonds. 

Podcast: Money Making Conversations Masterclass
Host: Rushion McDonald
Guest: Tonya Edmonds (Founder, Smart Growth AI)

1. Purpose of the Interview

The purpose of the interview is to educate, motivate, and equip listeners—especially professionals, entrepreneurs, and women—with:

• A practical understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) without technical intimidation
• Strategies to reclaim time, increase productivity, and future‑proof careers
• Lessons on wealth building, including multiple streams of income and investing
• The importance of mentorship, partnerships, and adaptability
• Real-world insights from Tonya’s entrepreneurial and corporate journey

At its core, the conversation connects AI adoption with financial empowerment, career resilience, and modern entrepreneurship.

2. Interview Overview

Tonya Edmonds shares her transition from corporate roles (including work at Johnson & Johnson) to founding Smart Growth AI, a consulting and training firm that helps busy professionals and entrepreneurs reclaim 10+ hours per week by implementing practical AI systems.

Rushion McDonald frames the discussion around:

• Technology adoption
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship
• Personal resilience
• Long-term thinking in a rapidly changing economy

3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is a People Challenge, Not a Technology Problem

Tonya explains that resistance to AI is driven by fear, not complexity. Employees worry AI will replace them, so leaders must reframe it as a co-creator and productivity partner, not a job threat.

AI succeeds when people understand how it elevates their role instead of eliminating it.

B. AI Is About Time Leverage, Not Working More

Smart Growth AI focuses on helping clients:

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Improve workflows
• Regain lost hours
• Redirect time toward strategy, creativity, and rest

Tonya warns against burnout, emphasizing that reclaimed time should be used intentionally—not just to take on more work.

C. Multiple Streams of Income Build Stability

A casual cookout conversation introduced Tonya to the idea of wealth-building beyond employment. Playing Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant helped her understand:

• Being an employee alone limits wealth creation
• Leveraging money and assets creates freedom
• Community and shared learning accelerate growth

This mindset later helped her navigate layoffs, entrepreneurship, and motherhood.

D. Mentorship Is a Critical Success Factor

Tonya repeatedly highlights mentorship as a defining difference between struggle and progress:

• The lack of mentorship contributed to challenges with her day spa business
• Strong mentorship later helped her pivot, recover, and scale
• Her relationship with Alicia Lyttle (“The Queen of AI”) accelerated her expertise and credibility

Mastermind groups and strategic partnerships played a key role in expansion.

E. Women Must Shift from Spending to Investing

Tonya offers direct advice to women:

• Start small and stay consistent
• Invest only in things you under

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily.  I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur.  Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ri‑Karlo Handy.

Interview Overview

Guest: Ri‑Karlo Handy
Host: Rushion McDonald
Podcast: Money Making Conversations Masterclass
Primary Focus:

• Handy’s role as showrunner/executive producer of Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City
• His media career spanning 25+ years
• Representation, legacy, trust, and mentorship in the entertainment industry
• The mission and impact of the Handy Foundation

Purpose of the Interview

The interview serves multiple purposes:

1. Promote Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City on aspireTV+ by explaining what makes the series unique within the travel and lifestyle genre.
2. Reposition the Harlem Globetrotters as a cultural, historical, and global brand beyond basketball—especially significant during their 100‑year legacy.
3. Highlight pathways into the entertainment industry, particularly for Black creatives, through mentorship, trust-building, and skills-based training.
4. Showcase Handy’s philosophy on leadership and opportunity, emphasizing responsibility, legacy, and access.

Key Themes & Takeaways 1. Redefining the Travel Show Format

• Secrets of the City goes beyond sightseeing.
• The show explores how Black people live, connect, and thrive globally, especially through expat communities and diaspora culture.
• Episodes emphasize how to move through a city, not just visit it—using insider access, cultural context, and lived experience.

Takeaway: Travel content is more powerful when rooted in identity, history, and authenticity.

2. Harlem Globetrotters as Cultural Ambassadors

• Handy frames the Globetrotters as “ambassadors of goodwill”, not just entertainers.
• They represent joy, diplomacy, and cultural exchange—appearing everywhere from the Vatican to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
• The show captures their off‑court personalities, maturity, and global influence.

Takeaway: The Harlem Globetrotters are a living Black institution with worldwide reach, relevance, and responsibility.

3. Sustaining a 100‑Year Black Brand

• The Globetrotters predate the NBA and helped globalize basketball.
• After fading from TV prominence in the 1990s–2000s, a post‑pandemic strategy brought them back into media.
• Handy sees longevity itself as a lesson—few businesses, especially Black‑owned legacies, endure a century.

Takeaway: Longevity comes from reinvention, relevance, and honoring history while adapting to the present.

4. Mastery, Discipline, and Authentic Skill

• Globetrotter performances are not “fake” or staged.
• Players must actually make the shots and execute at elite athletic levels.
• Handy compares their mindset to elite athletes like Steph Curry—hours of practice for moments of excellence.

Takeaway: Entertainment still demands real mastery; excellence behind the scenes creates effortless magic on screen.

5. Trust as the Real Currency of Business

• Handy repeatedly emphasizes trust over talent as the foundation of his career.
• His progression—from editor to producer to network executive—came from delivering consistently on promises.
• Relationsh

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily.  I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur.  Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Tonya Edmonds. 

Podcast: Money Making Conversations Masterclass
Host: Rushion McDonald
Guest: Tonya Edmonds (Founder, Smart Growth AI)

1. Purpose of the Interview

The purpose of the interview is to educate, motivate, and equip listeners—especially professionals, entrepreneurs, and women—with:

• A practical understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) without technical intimidation
• Strategies to reclaim time, increase productivity, and future‑proof careers
• Lessons on wealth building, including multiple streams of income and investing
• The importance of mentorship, partnerships, and adaptability
• Real-world insights from Tonya’s entrepreneurial and corporate journey

At its core, the conversation connects AI adoption with financial empowerment, career resilience, and modern entrepreneurship.

2. Interview Overview

Tonya Edmonds shares her transition from corporate roles (including work at Johnson & Johnson) to founding Smart Growth AI, a consulting and training firm that helps busy professionals and entrepreneurs reclaim 10+ hours per week by implementing practical AI systems.

Rushion McDonald frames the discussion around:

• Technology adoption
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship
• Personal resilience
• Long-term thinking in a rapidly changing economy

3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is a People Challenge, Not a Technology Problem

Tonya explains that resistance to AI is driven by fear, not complexity. Employees worry AI will replace them, so leaders must reframe it as a co-creator and productivity partner, not a job threat.

AI succeeds when people understand how it elevates their role instead of eliminating it.

B. AI Is About Time Leverage, Not Working More

Smart Growth AI focuses on helping clients:

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Improve workflows
• Regain lost hours
• Redirect time toward strategy, creativity, and rest

Tonya warns against burnout, emphasizing that reclaimed time should be used intentionally—not just to take on more work.

C. Multiple Streams of Income Build Stability

A casual cookout conversation introduced Tonya to the idea of wealth-building beyond employment. Playing Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant helped her understand:

• Being an employee alone limits wealth creation
• Leveraging money and assets creates freedom
• Community and shared learning accelerate growth

This mindset later helped her navigate layoffs, entrepreneurship, and motherhood.

D. Mentorship Is a Critical Success Factor

Tonya repeatedly highlights mentorship as a defining difference between struggle and progress:

• The lack of mentorship contributed to challenges with her day spa business
• Strong mentorship later helped her pivot, recover, and scale
• Her relationship with Alicia Lyttle (“The Queen of AI”) accelerated her expertise and credibility

Mastermind groups and strategic partnerships played a key role in expansion.

E. Women Must Shift from Spending to Investing

Tonya offers direct advice to women:

• Start small and stay consistent
• Invest only in things you under

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily.  I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur.  Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ri‑Karlo Handy.

Interview Overview

Guest: Ri‑Karlo Handy
Host: Rushion McDonald
Podcast: Money Making Conversations Masterclass
Primary Focus:

• Handy’s role as showrunner/executive producer of Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City
• His media career spanning 25+ years
• Representation, legacy, trust, and mentorship in the entertainment industry
• The mission and impact of the Handy Foundation

Purpose of the Interview

The interview serves multiple purposes:

1. Promote Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City on aspireTV+ by explaining what makes the series unique within the travel and lifestyle genre.
2. Reposition the Harlem Globetrotters as a cultural, historical, and global brand beyond basketball—especially significant during their 100‑year legacy.
3. Highlight pathways into the entertainment industry, particularly for Black creatives, through mentorship, trust-building, and skills-based training.
4. Showcase Handy’s philosophy on leadership and opportunity, emphasizing responsibility, legacy, and access.

Key Themes & Takeaways 1. Redefining the Travel Show Format

• Secrets of the City goes beyond sightseeing.
• The show explores how Black people live, connect, and thrive globally, especially through expat communities and diaspora culture.
• Episodes emphasize how to move through a city, not just visit it—using insider access, cultural context, and lived experience.

Takeaway: Travel content is more powerful when rooted in identity, history, and authenticity.

2. Harlem Globetrotters as Cultural Ambassadors

• Handy frames the Globetrotters as “ambassadors of goodwill”, not just entertainers.
• They represent joy, diplomacy, and cultural exchange—appearing everywhere from the Vatican to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
• The show captures their off‑court personalities, maturity, and global influence.

Takeaway: The Harlem Globetrotters are a living Black institution with worldwide reach, relevance, and responsibility.

3. Sustaining a 100‑Year Black Brand

• The Globetrotters predate the NBA and helped globalize basketball.
• After fading from TV prominence in the 1990s–2000s, a post‑pandemic strategy brought them back into media.
• Handy sees longevity itself as a lesson—few businesses, especially Black‑owned legacies, endure a century.

Takeaway: Longevity comes from reinvention, relevance, and honoring history while adapting to the present.

4. Mastery, Discipline, and Authentic Skill

• Globetrotter performances are not “fake” or staged.
• Players must actually make the shots and execute at elite athletic levels.
• Handy compares their mindset to elite athletes like Steph Curry—hours of practice for moments of excellence.

Takeaway: Entertainment still demands real mastery; excellence behind the scenes creates effortless magic on screen.

5. Trust as the Real Currency of Business

• Handy repeatedly emphasizes trust over talent as the foundation of his career.
• His progression—from editor to producer to network executive—came from delivering consistently on promises.
• Relationsh

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily.  I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur.  Keep winning!

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Tonya Edmonds. 

Podcast: Money Making Conversations Masterclass
Host: Rushion McDonald
Guest: Tonya Edmonds (Founder, Smart Growth AI)

1. Purpose of the Interview

The purpose of the interview is to educate, motivate, and equip listeners—especially professionals, entrepreneurs, and women—with:

• A practical understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) without technical intimidation
• Strategies to reclaim time, increase productivity, and future‑proof careers
• Lessons on wealth building, including multiple streams of income and investing
• The importance of mentorship, partnerships, and adaptability
• Real-world insights from Tonya’s entrepreneurial and corporate journey

At its core, the conversation connects AI adoption with financial empowerment, career resilience, and modern entrepreneurship.

2. Interview Overview

Tonya Edmonds shares her transition from corporate roles (including work at Johnson & Johnson) to founding Smart Growth AI, a consulting and training firm that helps busy professionals and entrepreneurs reclaim 10+ hours per week by implementing practical AI systems.

Rushion McDonald frames the discussion around:

• Technology adoption
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship
• Personal resilience
• Long-term thinking in a rapidly changing economy

3. Key Takeaways A. AI Is a People Challenge, Not a Technology Problem

Tonya explains that resistance to AI is driven by fear, not complexity. Employees worry AI will replace them, so leaders must reframe it as a co-creator and productivity partner, not a job threat.

AI succeeds when people understand how it elevates their role instead of eliminating it.

B. AI Is About Time Leverage, Not Working More

Smart Growth AI focuses on helping clients:

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Improve workflows
• Regain lost hours
• Redirect time toward strategy, creativity, and rest

Tonya warns against burnout, emphasizing that reclaimed time should be used intentionally—not just to take on more work.

C. Multiple Streams of Income Build Stability

A casual cookout conversation introduced Tonya to the idea of wealth-building beyond employment. Playing Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant helped her understand:

• Being an employee alone limits wealth creation
• Leveraging money and assets creates freedom
• Community and shared learning accelerate growth

This mindset later helped her navigate layoffs, entrepreneurship, and motherhood.

D. Mentorship Is a Critical Success Factor

Tonya repeatedly highlights mentorship as a defining difference between struggle and progress:

• The lack of mentorship contributed to challenges with her day spa business
• Strong mentorship later helped her pivot, recover, and scale
• Her relationship with Alicia Lyttle (“The Queen of AI”) accelerated her expertise and credibility

Mastermind groups and strategic partnerships played a key role in expansion.

E. Women Must Shift from Spending to Investing

Tonya offers direct advice to women:

• Start small and stay consistent
• Invest only in things you under

Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show for Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026: Steve Harvey's Morning Inspiration | Show Open | Nephew Tommy's Run That Prank Back - "Bottom Of The Pyramid" | Ask The CLO | Trending & Entertainment News | Ray J Vs The Kardashians | One Has To Go | Nephew Tommy's Prank - "Check Settlement" | Strawberry Letter - "I Hope He Can Fix His Issues" Pt. 1-2 | Junior's Sports Talk | Social Media Advice | Mind-Reading Beanie Cap | Would You Rather | Steve Harvey's Closing Remarks

Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.