IAM461- Disney Nerd Represents and Connects Disney Fans of Color

June is a mom of two, a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, and a Disblerd – aka a Black Disney nerd. She created Afros and Pixie Dust, which is a community for Disney fans of color, because of the lack of representation and connection in the Disney social media space. June also hosts a weekly podcast show bearing the same name where she highlights people of color in the Disney community. She loves to encourage everyone to pursue their happiness in their own way.

• CEO Hack: Having mantras to maintain positivity
• CEO Nugget: Don't be afraid to talk to people
• CEO Defined: Hustling

Website: https://afrosandpixiedust.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrosandpixiedust/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/frosinfantasyland/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afrosandpixiedust/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afrosandpixiedust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/afrosnpixiedust
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsq4QMmX2qTtTq_zbl6qL6w

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today of June Joseph of Afros and Pixie Dust, June, it's awesome to have you on the show.

June Joseph 0:39

Thank you for having me.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

No problem. Super excited to have you on and what I want to do is just read a little bit more about June so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. June is a mom of two, a neonatal nurse practitioner, and a Disblerd, AKA a Black Disney nerd.

She created Afros and Pixie Dust which is a community for Disney fans of color. Because of the lack of representation and connection in the Disney social media space. June also hosts a weekly podcast show bearing the exact same name where she highlights people of color in the Disney community. She loves to encourage everyone to pursue their happiness in their own way. June Are you ready to speak to the IMCEO community?

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June Joseph 1:14

Oh, yeah, I'm here. I'm ready.

Gresham Harkless 1:16

Let's do it. So I wanted to kick everything off in here a little bit more about what I call your CEO story, what led you to get started with your business, and, your podcast.

June Joseph 1:23

Yeah. So I am at this load, as you said, which is a Black Disney nerd. And I started kind of delving deep into the Disney fandom space through Facebook groups and just wanting to learn more about the parks and kind of how to, I guess hack. And like the best way is to go to the parks best way to kind of get the most for your money and just connect with other fans and see what they love about the community. And through the different groups that I started to join, I didn't see a lot of representation of people of color.

And so I also felt a little left out when it came when it came to certain conversations, particularly about the different salons that they have for little girls and what experiences people of color mainly black people had with their daughters getting their hair done in those salons and other topics. And so, because I didn't feel kind of understood in those spaces, I started to seek out more than just fans of color. I had a hard time doing that on Facebook. So I ended up going onto Instagram and kind of searching through followers creating hashtags, and kind of going down that rabbit hole.

And it brought me to create the Disblerd hashtags. So other people could kind of unite under the hashtag and find each other. And after a year of being on Instagram and making connections and getting to know people and finding out that the community was there, but we just didn't know about each other, I decided to create Afros and Pixie Dust and start the podcast so that people can get to know about each other and have a like a uniting place for them to feel like they belonged.

Gresham Harkless 3:24

Nice. I definitely appreciate that I feel like in this day and age, and I especially saw too when I was growing up as well, too, just there wasn't always an equal representation. So I think that's what's beautiful about this time and age is just like you were able to do you know, you can have on Instagram, you can do research and actually see, hey, I feel like I want something but I don't know if anybody else wants it. And then once you find that's verified, you can, you know, create your own kind of platform so that, you know, the Disblerd of the world have a voice so that they're able to have a place but also have a voice, in this Disney World.

June Joseph 3:53

Yeah. And I really noticed that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. And I'm so happy about that. Because it doesn't feel good to feel like the one or feel like a token. And it's nice to kind of just be able to talk to people about issues that may concern you and may not concern people that are not like you in a safe space. And so I'm really happy that people feel like they have that space now.

Gresham Harkless 4:22

Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to hear a little bit more about the space and about your podcast, some of the things that people can expect from it. Could you take us through a little bit more about what you're covering and what we can find there?

June Joseph 4:31

Sure. So the podcast is kind of like the cornerstone of the community. I interview individuals every week, and pretty much talk to them about how their love of Disney started, and how they like to show their fandom. So some people found Disney as a child some of them are legacies that their parents went through all the time and then took them when they were kids. And some people like me found then later on in life when they were adults and kind of, you know, fell in love with the parks and the beauty and the, just the way that Disney can kind of create a whole world in a little, you know, short square footage.

So I talked to them about how they like to show their fandom, some people are creators, and they, they might make merchandise, some people are aspiring animators, some people just, you know, love going to the parks, because of the way it makes them feel some people have gone through some traumatic experiences, and being able to have that little bit of escape every now and then is very therapeutic for them. So it's really great to hear people's stories, I have one person who, you know, went through cancer, and to him just seeing other people being happy in the parks kind of helped him find some joy when he was stuck in a hospital bed.

And now he can, you know, he's been recovering, he's able to go to the parks and kind of encourage other people out there to live their dreams and live out loud, you know, for the time that they have. So, it's really inspiring to hear people's stories and to hear how they have found this fandom, to help them get through what they're going through in life. It's kind of people kind of think it's maybe odd. You know, adults who are in love with Disney like to go to the parks and some of them don't have children and still go, but everyone has their story. And everyone has their own reasonings for why they like what they like.

And I think that it's important to understand people past what you just see, on an Instagram page or feed, and to actually get to know them and find out what makes them happy, and why it makes them happy. Because you might learn a lot about people just by asking them some questions. So that's mainly what the podcast is about, just getting to know people getting to know, why they like what they like, and how they, express their fandom.

And then I wanted to kind of go past social media and just not look at people's pictures, and like them, and then move on, I wanted us to really build a community and really actually get to know each other, and to have other people that look like us, you know, in the parks, to be able to have someone that you can relate to and be able to go to the parks with them or go to little events with each other. And so I started doing meetups, we had our first official meetup in August, which was during the D-23 Convention, which is the big mega convention for Disney fans.

And so that was a great experience. And then a lot of other Disney fans have started creating meetups of their own. I love to promote those, I always promote them on the podcast and the website. So that people can know when they can meet up with each other and kind of just fellowship and get to know each other a little better. And, you know, be in that kind of environment with each other.

Gresham Harkless 8:13

Nice. Yeah, I definitely appreciate that. And I think, hearing what you were talking about, and the guests that you've had on the show, just being able to hear people's stories, I think having a platform to be able to talk about those things, I think that also provides a lot of light to like you say the way you know different people think or the way different people who sometimes can cope with things like that.

So as you mentioned, like, the guests that were dealing with cancer and because of the positivity because of you know, Disney in and of itself mean like its own world, just being in that environment helped him to be able to battle through, you know, that his treatments and things like that. And I think that is, again, one of the beauties of this day and age where you have a platform to drill down and hear from people and kind of have that opportunity where everybody has a voice. We know that everybody has a story. Not only do we know that, but we can actually hear that and hear what makes them tick as well, too.

June Joseph 9:00

Yeah, I think it's really important to pursue your happiness. That's my main goal. And it's not going to be the same for everyone. Yeah, just like because everyone has their own life story. So just as long as you're doing it safely, go ahead and do it.

Gresham Harkless 9:15

Exactly. And Disney is definitely one of the safest ways you can do that. So I appreciate you for creating that. So is that what you would consider to be like your secret sauce of the thing that kind of sets you or your organization apart? Is it about pursuing happiness? And that's what kind of lights you up? Or is it something else or other things that you feel like adding to that?

June Joseph 9:32

Definitely, it's all about being happy and positive. I try to promote positivity as much as I can. I know there's drama everywhere, even in Disney. But the my goal, because I mean, as you said, when you introduced me, I'm the only nurse practitioner and if for people that don't know what that is, basically I take care of infants in an ICU. So it's not necessarily the most positive atmosphere, yes there are amazing wins when these babies get to go home to their families, and they're healthy, and you see them years later striving and doing well.

But there are some very, very troubling and not-so-happy moments that can happen. One thing that I've realized, by witnessing this so often is, that you do have to try to find the positive, try to make sure that you always kind of look on the bright side of life, and cherish those great moments that you do have, because, you know, there are times where there's not going to be so very great moments.

And so I do want people to remember that, even though you may have some difficult moments and times, maybe you're not happy right now, that you should stop by to continue to pursue your happiness, because it's not necessarily just going to happen for you, you kind of have to reach out and look for it. And, work for it, it's not necessarily just going to be around the corner, or someone's going to do it for you. So that's kind of what I always want to portray to others, that, you know, positivity is very important. It's good for your health.

Gresham Harkless 11:19

Yeah, absolutely. And a lot of times, you said that your environment can determine your altitude, so to speak, and, and I definitely appreciate you for talking about the Neo Natal, part of your life as well, and what you kind of experience because I think a lot of times, whether it be that or of course, it'd be something else, because we all have you know, ups and downs and trials and tribulations, you have to work you have to actually pursue to make sure that you have that light that can help you get through those trying times.

And sometimes, you know, that can always be different, you know, for different reasons and different times of our lives. But I appreciate you for talking about the activity of pursuing your happiness and not something that just kind of falls in your lap. But something you kind of have to actively do and pursue and and find through your life. Awesome. Well, I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app or book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

June Joseph 12:12

So for me, I usually have mantras, because it's very easy to get discouraged. And I suffer a lot from impostor syndrome. Because, for me as a child, I was very creative. But as I got older, I kind of moved into like a more scientifically structured form of life. And for a lot of kids, especially for me, like I came from humble beginnings. And I had to focus on making sure that I got a stable job, that got me to be able to get on a good trajectory to pay the bills to make sure that, you know, I could be prosperous, I guess, for lack of a better term.

But a lot of times when you put yourself on that track, you kind of put your creativity aside, you don't want to dream, you don't want to necessarily go into a field that is not stable, because you feel the immense pressure of becoming successful, and you don't want to go into a risky field.

Gresham Harkless 13:18

Exactly. And so now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you can happen to a time machine. What would you tell your younger business self?

June Joseph 13:29

I would tell myself to not be afraid to talk to people. Like asking questions, you're not going to know everything in the beginning. No one knows everything in the beginning. It's a learning process. And it's okay to ask people for help. It's okay to even if you think that they're not going to help you even if you think they're going to say no, ask anyway. You never know what's gonna happen.

Gresham Harkless 13:57

I appreciate that nugget. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So June, what does being a CEO mean to you?

June Joseph 14:08

For me. I'm trying to be positive as I'm running on little sleep, but it means hustling, it means you saying yes when everyone else is saying no means the lights are on in your office when everyone else's lights are off. But you know, you get that fulfillment in the end, because the amount of work you put into something is going to show it's going to equal the amount of reward and the amount of success you get from it.

Gresham Harkless 14:40

I appreciate that perspective, and I appreciate your time even more June. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know and then of course, how best they can get a hold of you. Find out about all the awesome things you're working on. And of course, subscribe to the podcast.

June Joseph 14:56

So basically, I always tell everyone like never before, to pursue your happiness your own way. My sign-off for my podcast is to never stop deep conditioning or pursuing your happiness. And I say that because you have to have self-care as a part of pursuing your happiness. So that's what the whole deep conditioning part is. But I just want people to find joy in life every day. Tomorrow's not promised.

So you have to be happy today and not put it off. If you want to learn more about Afros and Pixie Dust. If you know the people in this community, and hear more of their stories, you can go to the podcast. It's called Afros and Pixie Dust. It's on all major podcast platforms. And you can definitely follow the Afros and Pixie Dust Instagram page and Facebook group.

If you want to learn about the people or if you want to learn about Disney, if you have never gone to the parks, or if you have questions, there are lots of people who can definitely help you out there. And it's a really great community of people. Everyone's very encouraging, and everyone has a unique take on their fandom. And it's really fun to get to know who they are, what they are about.

Gresham Harkless 16:13

Awesome. Well, thank you so much, June. I appreciate that. And we will have the links and information in the show notes. But again, appreciate your time and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Outro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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