There are moments in business when you encounter leaders who don’t just talk about vision — they embody it. In this episode of CEO Chatter LIVE, I sat down with Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, CEO of Root Branch Media Group, inside her breathtaking waterfront studios in Baltimore. Nearly 20 years into entrepreneurship, Dr. Pettigrew has built more than a media company — she has built a legacy, making history as the first African American woman in Maryland to purchase an entire block al

I’ve been in this visibility space for some time now. Back in 2021, I attended EpicCon hosted by Aprille Franks and found myself in the hot seat—unknowingly at first. I had walked in late and volunteered, not fully realizing what the moment required. By the time it was over, I felt exposed, a little defensive, but also open in a way I hadn’t expected. Once I understood the intention behind it, I allowed myself to receive the feedback for what it was: an opportunity to grow. L

We discussed ten thought-provoking prompts business owners can use with ChatGPT last week, and this week, we are discussing ten more. The thought-provoking prompts are designed to empower you as a business owner to explore crucial aspects of your enterprise. With the assistance of ChatGPT, an advanced AI language model, we'll delve into various strategies, techniques, and trends guaranteed to steer your business toward success. Here at SwagHer Magazine, we are embracing techn

Are you using ChatGPT yet? As a CEO, it's essential to stay ahead of the curve, adapt to changing market dynamics, and embrace innovation to stay relevant. By tapping into the vast knowledge base of ChatGPT, you gain an AI-powered ally to complement your strategic thinking and decision-making process. In this article, we have curated a series of thought-provoking prompts designed to empower you as a business owner to explore crucial aspects of your enterprise. With the assis

Business visibility refers to the extent to which a company is known and recognized in its industry and by its target audience. It encompasses the company's brand awareness, reputation, and overall presence in the market. Potential customers easily find a company with high business visibility, has a positive reputation, and is seen as a leader in its industry. There are many ways that small businesses can increase their visibility and reach a wider audience. Here are some sug

Public relations (PR) is a crucial aspect of any business, and it's especially important for small businesses to get it right. Here are nine tips to help small businesses with their PR efforts: Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your message? Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your PR efforts to reach them effectively. Define your brand: What makes your small business unique? What sets it apart from the competition? Your brand

Greetings Sis, We all know legal agreements are important to our business. They help things to flow more smoothly while also outlining the expectations for all parties involved, but knowing which agreements we should have in place can be a little confusing. A few weeks ago, I interviewed Kianna Chennault. Kianna is the managing partner of Chennault Legal and Consulting Group (CLCG). C.L.C.G. is a full-service law firm offering litigation and transactional services specializi

Want to know a secret? I know it takes time out of your day to create content for your social media. So something I hear a lot is, “I know Instagram favors reels, but I don’t have time to create them.” I get it because I don’t have the time either. At least not during the week. But what I have begun doing is when I’m not going anywhere on a Saturday evening, I get dressed, put on makeup, and make reels! What??? Yep, I make my reels on Saturday nights when I have enough time

Black Women Equal Pay Day is a significant occasion that highlights the persistent gender and racial wage gap. As a Black woman in the workforce, advocating for yourself and demanding fair compensation for your skills, expertise, and hard work is essential. To mark this important day, here are seven empowering tips to help Black women effectively request raises and strive for pay equity in the workplace. 1. Know Your Worth Before asking for a raise, take the time to assess yo

What are the benefits of vending at events? Have you incorporated vending at events into your marketing plan? Well, you should, as vending at events can offer a range of benefits for businesses. Of course, I recommend them because they help garner your brand's visibility. The beauty of events is that they allow you to talk directly to your potential customers, allowing them to see the person behind the brand and make things more personable. Below are a few other benefits of v

Greetings Chatters, I added a new title to my accolades last week. I am now a book author as I’ve contributed to the Glambitious Guide to Self-Love, Peace, & Confidence which is launching this month. I’m so excited! To be clear, this is the second anthology I’ve contributed to, but it’s the first to be published. So I guess that makes this my first book! When I heard of the opportunity to contribute, I was immediately on board because I knew the benefits of being an author.

I wanted to share the seven applications I use daily to execute my work. As a business owner, I use several applications every day to manage our clients and customers and work remotely with my team. Since we double as a media outlet and public relations boutique, we use quite a few tools. Some of them you may need, some of them you may not, but below you will find the apps, that my team and I use on a daily basis. G-Suite- G-Suite is the business of Google. We use it for our

Greetings Chatters, Television appearances have their benefits. Not long ago, I secured two placements for clients on tv shows. These were the first of my experiences with tv. Since then, I have been seeking more television opportunities for my clients. It’s a great way to reach a good mass audience, but if you need more convincing, here’s a list of positives of tv appearances. Being on television can offer a range of benefits, including: Exposure: Television is a powerful

There is nothing worse than watching a good opportunity become smaller than it could have been simply because someone was not prepared. Recently, I was searching for a select group of individuals for a project. The opportunity involved a collaboration in which SwagHer would provide media exposure in exchange for their participation and services. I was excited about the possibilities because I believe bartering can be a valuable way for businesses to work together, especially

When you think of vehicles, you think of a means of transportation. In marketing, there are also vehicles for visibility. These are the ways that you attract and gain new customers and clients. Today I want to talk about the five vehicles of visibility to ensure you incorporate them into your marketing strategy for 2022. Social media- Social media is one of the easiest and most frequently used tools for visibility. It is what most of us use to communicate with our audience.

Lately, between my onboarding new clients and SwagHer Magazine’s newest correspondents, my junior publicist leaving, the passing of my aunt, pursuing custody of my youngest daughter, my oldest daughter going to college, and a full schedule of classes for myself, I have been running like a chicken with my head cut off. It’s an old saying, but it’s also how I feel, and yet I hope to portray an image of a swan. The swan floats gracefully across the pond, but what we cannot see

Greetings Chatters, Do you know the benefits of getting your finances in order? I’ve been so busy these past few weeks with the release of our latest issue (the Favored & Fit issue), hiring a new managing editor, and planning our Her Money Matters event, but today I wanted to touch on the benefits of taking control of your finances. We all think if only we had more money, but baby- let me tell you, it doesn’t even matter if you don’t know what to do with the extra money you r

There is a version of leadership that glorifies exhaustion. The early mornings. The late nights. The constant notifications. The silent pressure to always be producing. For many of us — especially Black women who lead — rest can feel like a luxury we have not yet earned. But this weekend, I made a different decision. I rested. Not accidentally.Not because I had nothing to do.But because I understood that rest is not the opposite of strategy. Rest is strategy. Choosing Myself

Need ways to collaborate on Instagram? If you haven’t noticed, collaborations are the reigning strategy on Instagram right now, whether it's a brand owner and their brand or two or more brands collaborating together. Collaborating is critical to growing your audience and supporting each other. Here are three powerful ways millennial Black women can team up to boost their visibility and success on social media. Host Joint Live Sessions Imagine the thrill of collaborating with

For a long time, I felt stuck. SwagHer Magazine was still moving, but I wasn’t sure where it was going. I eventually realized that what I needed was an outside perspective in business—someone who could look at what I had built with fresh eyes and help me see the possibilities again. That was a difficult realization for me because I have always had a vision for SwagHer. Even when I didn’t have the money, resources, or connections, I still believed it could become something big