Brand Building: She built the first Black woman-owned, fully licensed character brand in major retail.
Strawberry Letter
iHeartPodcasts
4.5 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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 April Showers.
Founder of Afro Unicorn, joins Money Making Conversations Masterclass to share how she built the first Black woman-owned, fully licensed character brand in major retail. With over $20 million in sales, Afro Unicorn celebrates diversity and empowers women and children of color.
🔑 Key Themes & Highlights
-
Origins of Afro Unicorn
- April was inspired by a friend's repeated reference to her as a "unicorn," highlighting her extraordinary ability to balance multiple businesses and raise two children.
- Noticing existing unicorn imagery lacked representation, she created Afro Unicorn to uplift young girls of color.
-
Challenges & Early Growth
- Despite facing personal hardships—including her son's hospitalization and several family losses—April remained committed to her mission.
- Her persistence led to a viral moment where a young girl wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt caught Walmart’s attention, resulting in a licensing deal.
-
Licensing & Expansion
- Instead of manufacturing herself, April strategically partnered with licensees to distribute Afro Unicorn merchandise.
- Within a year, she secured 45+ licensing agreements, expanding into books, bedding, hair care, party supplies, and more.
-
Business Strategy & Advice
- Trademarking Afro Unicorn early, hiring an accountant and lawyer, and writing a business plan were critical to her success.
- She advises entrepreneurs to visualize success, stay consistent, and never quit.
-
Future Plans
- April is developing Miss April’s Crown, an animated series teaching young entrepreneurs business skills through affirmations and mentorship.
📘 About the Brand
Afro Unicorn is available at major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
$AMI
#STRAW
#BEST
#SHMS
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:04.3 | Welcome to my show. |
| 0:05.6 | I'm Rishon McDonnell, the host of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage |
| 0:09.8 | people to stop reading other people's success stories and start planning your own. |
| 0:14.1 | Now, you don't want to miss an episode, so please take a moment right now to follow or |
| 0:18.2 | subscribe to Money Making Conversations Masterclass. |
| 0:21.4 | It's free. |
| 0:27.0 | You can follow me on IHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcast. New Money Making Conversation Masterclass episodes drop daily. I want to keep you on alert |
| 0:32.9 | because my guests provide tips on how you can uplift your community, improve your |
| 0:37.0 | financial planning, motivation, or advice on how you can uplift your community, improve your financial planning, |
| 0:38.2 | motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. |
| 0:42.2 | Now, let's get this podcast start. |
| 0:43.9 | My next guest is the founder of Afro Unicorn, the first black woman-owned, fully licensed character brand |
| 0:50.2 | and major retail, with sales over 20 million. |
| 0:54.9 | How groundbreaking brand celebrates diversity and empowers women and children of color, |
| 0:59.9 | inspiring countless individuals to embrace their uniqueness and potential. |
| 1:04.5 | Please work with the Money Making Conversations Masterclass April showers. |
| 1:08.6 | April, thank you for coming on Money Makingmaking conferences, is MasterColet. |
| 1:11.9 | How are you doing? |
| 1:13.5 | I am living the dream. |
| 1:14.2 | How about you? |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 6 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

