In this heartfelt and hilarious episode, I sit down with my girl Annie White-Brown — founder of @naturalannieessentials

— and we go all the way in! From growing up in rural Jamaica and revival church culture (yup, full revival church vibes!) to building a nationally recognized candle company from her kitchen, Annie shares her inspiring immigrant journey, entrepreneurial pivots, and the power of culture, grind, and growth. 🇯🇲✨

We talk:

💸 Partner savings culture in the Caribbean

👩🏽‍🔬 How she went from skincare to candles

📈 Scaling into 1,000+ retail stores and international markets

💡 Lessons from early money mistakes

💼 The REAL behind-the-scenes of hiring, HR, and staying in your purpose

🎯 And why NaturalAnnie Essentials is destined to become a household name

This episode is full of gems, giggles, and goosebumps! If you're an immigrant, entrepreneur, or candle lover — you don’t want to miss this one.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in.

Share with a woman who's building her dream! #IslandMoney365

After a 17-year corporate career ended unexpectedly, Evelyn Ruiz didn’t stop—she pivoted. In this episode of Island Money 365, we sit down with the powerhouse behind Hasta Luego, Friend—a mobile café and soon-to-be brick-and-mortar rooted in family legacy, resilience, and delicious coquito-infused drinks.

From selling her beloved sneaker collection to hauling a vintage trailer from Florida, Evelyn takes us behind the scenes of building a business from the ground up—with no barista experience, just heart, hustle, and heritage.

We talk setbacks, wrap jobs gone wrong, balancing entrepreneurship and caregiving, and how Evelyn honors her abuela’s migration story through every cafecito she serves.

Listen now and get inspired to bet on yourself—even when the path isn’t clear.

Hartford-based
Puerto Rican-owned
Fueled by culture, community, and coquito

Evelyn reminds us that we don’t need everything to start—just a dream, a plan, and the guts to go after it.

Island Money 365 — where money stories and migration journeys meet.

In this episode of Island Money 365, I sit down with Sasha Allen Walton, Hartford native, Gullah Geechee descendant, and founder of Sasha’s Whole Earth, to explore how ancestral wisdom, spiritual practices, and plant medicine come together in her work as a healer, storyteller, and culture keeper.

We talk about:

🌿 What it means to be Gullah Geechee and why cultural preservation matters

🍵 How Sasha’s healing journey led to her powerful tea and herbal blends

📰 Her leadership of Northend Agent’s, Connecticut’s longest-running Black-owned newspaper

🔮 Misconceptions about Hoodoo and the sacred responsibility of land stewardship

🖤 Creating spaces where Black and BIPOC people feel seen, held, and healed

Whether you're curious about herbal medicine, decolonizing wellness, or the power of media to uplift communities, this episode is full of grounding insight, love, and legacy.

#GullahGeechee #AncestralHealing #BlackWellness #BlackHerbalists #IslandMoney365 #BIPOCFarmers #Hoodoo #SashasWholeEarth