Rapid Response: How to turn intentions into action, w/Aurora James, founder of the 15 Percent Pledge
Masters of Scale
WaitWhat
4.6 • 4.4K Ratings
🗓️ 18 November 2021
⏱️ 40 minutes
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Summary
In May 2020, as companies began making promises about how they’d help Black-owned businesses in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, Aurora James launched the 15 Percent Pledge initiative with an Instagram post. Tagging major retailers, she declared that 15% of retail shelf space should belong to Black-owned businesses. And she's helped these companies turn promise into action, unlocking $10 billion in revenue for Black-owned businesses. It's a relatable story for any small business or team: the tactics and strategies that allow one small but dedicated effort to deliver outsized results.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi listeners, it's Chris Goethea, one of the producers here at Masters of Scale. |
| 0:04.5 | As any entrepreneur knows, partnerships are immensely important. No one scales alone. |
| 0:09.4 | But how do you build the mindset for finding, creating, and sustaining successful partnerships? |
| 0:14.4 | We answer that question and dive into the key of activating strategic partnerships |
| 0:19.0 | in the newest course in the Masters of Scale courses app. It's called the Power of Partnerships, |
| 0:24.1 | and you'll learn how to find, cultivate, and expand alliances from experts like Reid Hoffman, |
| 0:29.9 | Damon John, Stacey Abrams, Bill Gates, and more. So if you're already a Masters of Scale member, |
| 0:36.2 | jump right into the Power of Partnerships course today. And if you're not yet a member, |
| 0:40.8 | search for Masters of Scale courses in the app or Google Play Store to start your seven day |
| 0:46.2 | free trial. In just 10 minutes a day, you'll learn the tools you need to build the kinds of |
| 0:51.3 | partnerships that will unlock your business's potential. So go check it out. Again, that's |
| 0:56.8 | Power of Partnerships in the Masters of Scale courses app. Now on to today's show. |
| 1:03.9 | She was like, you know, they just donated like a couple million dollars to the NAACP. They love |
| 1:08.8 | the Black community. And I was like, really? Is that what it means to love the Black community? |
| 1:14.5 | By day 10, Sephora became the first major corporation to commit to the 15% pledge. And since then, |
| 1:19.6 | we've announced 28 major corporations as pledge takers. And we've taken over 10 billion dollars |
| 1:27.2 | and diverted that to Black O businesses across this country. I would be lying if I didn't tell you |
| 1:34.0 | that it's really, really hard. And for all of the companies that have taken the pledge, you know, |
| 1:43.3 | Alta Putey rent the runway. CB2, Hudson's Bay, there are a lot of other companies that haven't |
| 1:50.0 | taken the pledge. Everyone has told me my whole life that things were going to be impossible. |
| 1:57.0 | And I'm constantly surprised by how wrong people are. |
| 2:04.8 | That's Aurora James, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and founder of the 15% pledge. |
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