Adenah Note about escaping war torn country. Today, she’s the owner of four IHOP franchises and founder of four restaurants of her own, including three locations of fast casual, farm-to-table, soul food restaurant Cornbread and her newest dining venture, Urban Vegan.
Adenah opened her first IHOP in Irvington Township, New Jersey at the age of 27, making her one of the youngest IHOP franchisees in the country. Today, Adenah is the second largest employer in Irvington Township.
Adenah’s grandmother showed her how to overcome adversity to succeed and taught her the value of working hard every day.
Supporting her community is important to Adenah. She believes that housing is a right and owns and operates affordable housing developments in several communities. During the early days of the pandemic, Adenah opened her restaurant’s doors to help feed kids who were missing out on school lunches while schools were shut down.
Quotes
“People talk about luck all the time. Oftentimes I am the underdog. People always look at me and say, “She can’t do this. She’s not capable.” It’s those doubts that fuel me.” (Adenah)
“I think we have a stigma with underdogs that it’s a bad thing. I would rather be an underdog than a leader. Being an underdog keeps you looking ahead, being a leader makes you look back. You always have to be looking over your shoulder as a leader and looking to see who’s coming up on you.” (Joseph)
“If I can be more successful, I can give back more (to my communities). I believe that we as a community have to take care of each other. When you have the opportunity to give, just do it.” (Adenah)
“I learned from an early age (while starting at McDonald’s) that the customer is always right. Another thing I learned was systems. There is a system for everything. So I knew when I started my businesses, we had to have a system.” (Adenah)
“I started in the restaurant space through franchising. Franchising allows someone to come into a system that’s already been tested and join that partnership.” (Adenah)
“During the pandemic, we were told to ‘support local’ but I reminded people that the McDonald’s down the street is also local. It’s owned by a local family and they hire local people. Support them, too.” (Joseph)
“If you’re persistent, you will get it. And if you’re consistent, you will keep it.” (Adenah)
Transcript
00:00.00
vigorbranding
Hey everyone this morning I have the distinct pleasure of talking with my friend Adina Byo she is the founder at her own companies of which there are many. We’re going to unpack all of them and all the efforts that Adena has been doing over the years before we jump in adna say hello and give a little bit of backstory.
00:18.60
adenah
Hi Joseph my good new friend I just met with his beautiful new baby. Ah, my name is Adina Bio I am founder and Ceo of Adina Bio and companies and all that means is that we own 8 restaurants we own.
00:23.90
vigorbranding
Um.
00:34.28
adenah
Urban vegans we own four ihopbs we own 3 corn bread which is our own signature restaurants by the way as except for I have I wouldn’t take credit for that. We have real estate in affordable housing. Um I believe fundamentally believe housing is a right.
00:45.61
vigorbranding
Um.
00:53.71
adenah
And I’m here as um as a conduit if I was to really say my purpose on this earth as a conit and I’m just grateful to be here with Joseph and just kind of get to know you a little bit that’s all.
01:08.96
vigorbranding
That’s wonderful. Yeah, so you scratch the surface. Um, you’re aware of many hats from entrepreneur to restaurant owner landlord developer franchisee. Um, you have a very ah. Notable portfolio of real estate. Um, you’re self-described as a onewoman economic engine for the township of Irvington which is in New Jersey correct yep great so ah to say that you’re busy.
01:31.65
adenah
Yeah, yes, yes.
01:39.14
vigorbranding
Pretty much an understatement. Um, what does the average day in Adina’s life look like.
01:45.36
adenah
Is she’s juggling. She’s juggling a lot of balls. Ah.
01:47.31
vigorbranding
Um, it’s like a circus huh.
01:53.27
adenah
To say at least I mean I mean that in a good way. But I think for me I I wake up three thirty four o’clock in the morning on average and the first thing I do I really work out I’m ah at it like I enjoy working out and I enjoy like doing harsh shit. Like I am that person that’s in a gym for 2 hours and not ready to just start my day so I usually after I work out I meditate good meditation is always a good thing is to bring the focus back into your intention because I believe in intention I think that. We live in a world full of egos right? and you have to work so hard to not fall victim victim to your ego right? So I meditate just to bring intentionality back to my purpose of helping people and having people see their highest potential.
02:36.81
vigorbranding
Are.
02:48.43
adenah
If I can accomplish that in any giving day I’m I’m fine right? So you know that I run through emails I run through a bunch of emails you know because when you’re Ceo of a company. Everyone have to c see you and everything I’m like did you really need a cc me on good morning. Everyone.
03:00.77
vigorbranding
That’s right.
03:07.25
vigorbranding
Ah, well.
03:09.60
adenah
Ah, so everyone has to see see you on everything so I go through this budget email filter out and I believe in to do list I believe in jotting down 3 things I want to get accomplished this day that I’m above ground because like Beyonce said. Every day above ground is’ a blessing right? So if today was my last day here. What did I want to get accomplished and 1 thing that’s always on that list is saying I love you to my kids and my significant other and spraying that joy and then not diving to the day you know I have 2 director of operations that see.
03:34.24
vigorbranding
Um.
03:45.68
adenah
Concepts I meet with them. You know through phone Zoom and we kind of strategize for the day and I have a director of development on a real estate side I meet with him kind of get his martian orders and then i. Have my physical to do list of things I must touch daily. So I do that and usually my kids are up at 6 in the morning drop them off and picked them up around 6 when they go to bed I’m responding to my last email around eight thirty Nine o’clock
04:21.63
vigorbranding
Well so you go to bed at 9
04:21.64
adenah
And it’s the end of the day for me. Yeah, a good a good night for me is not thirty ten o’clock three four yeah and
04:30.86
vigorbranding
Okay, and then you’re up at three four who in I need to get that schedule the the amount of work you can get done apparently um, I’ll get back to it I promise so your your person’s personal story is very fascinating as well. So um. As an eight year old girl you escaped a war-torn country in Liberia. Um, that experience probably taught you a lot of valuable lessons in business and commerce and ah a lot of other things about life. How how did you turn.
04:51.90
adenah
Yeah.
05:05.19
vigorbranding
Many could easily use as a reason to not succeed. Um, how did you turn that into the impetus to become ah such a prominent figure and a role model.
05:19.60
adenah
I think a short answer to that is that um purpose and my grandmother I think that people think people talk about luck all the time you’re so lucky oftentime I am the underdog I guarantee you in. Most of my transaction I amed on the door because people always look at me as she can’t do this. She’s not capable and it’s those doubts and things like that that feels me because there’s nothing like coming from under door stop status and meeting your goals. You know escaping civil war Eight years old and washing my grandmother this powerful woman in Africa that had a whole empire. She had farms. She had a restaurant. She had real estate. She had a bakery. And leaving everything behind and going off to another country to be a refugees in another country and seeing the dignified way. She transitioned that looking at adversity as a step stool I learned so much from her seeing that. And she’s telling me at the end of the day as long as you have your life. That’s all you need you can lose everything everything as long as you have health and life you can easy but rebuild those things and she did that she came to America.
06:38.73
vigorbranding
You know.
06:49.59
adenah
We eventually? um, went to Sara Leone I came to the United States she followed su as well and my grandmother came here and live you know through us through me she pour a lot of wisdom into me. She has explain a lot of business concept to me as I was starting my business. And one of the things that she really really pour into me was you have to work hard. She will always say to me all you working hard. What are you doing with this opportunity. She just was a woman that didn’t believe in excuses if you came to my grandmother with some. BSExcuse she’s not having it. She’s gonna grow you. She’s gonna question you about your part you playing into it and she always put it back on the onus on you and when something is going wrong. What part of it that you’re playing. It’s so easy.
07:38.85
vigorbranding
Ah.
07:45.88
adenah
To say they doing this to me this is happening to me. What is me what part of it that you’re playing and I think it those lessons are the reason I’m sitting here today occurs from you because I fundamentally toly do believe that. When you are hardworking I don’t I don’t think you can fail I think talent is 1 thing but being able to execute and be able to work on those talented skills is another thing.
08:19.30
vigorbranding
Ah, hundred percent yeah I I think we we have a stigma with with underdogs that they are um that it’s a bad thing I I would any day of the week rather be an underdog than the leader.
08:28.43
adenah
Yeah, yeah.
08:33.95
adenah
1 1 tell me why.
08:35.79
vigorbranding
And for 1 kind of quippy reason. Ah the underdog keeps you looking ahead. The leader makes you look back. You always have to be looking over your shoulder as a leader you always have to be looking to see who’s coming up on you. You always have to be aware or um.
08:45.40
adenah
Um, and.
08:55.31
vigorbranding
Ah, worrisome about the underdog who’s going to overperform. Um, and so I would rather be the underdog because it keeps you looking where you should which is ahead. You should be looking upward and onward and what’s next and underdogs are more more apt to take risks that leaders.
08:58.40
adenah
Rain.
09:14.70
vigorbranding
Won’t take because um, you know the the leading brand or the leader the human leader or whatever. They’re not going to take the risk because they know it could risk their leadership their number one status so they’re more risk averse by a very nature whereas underdogs. They’ll take the paths less traveled.
09:26.37
adenah
Let’s fight.
09:30.23
adenah
Yeah, that’s right.
09:32.34
vigorbranding
They’ll do the things that are different or at least they should um because if if an underdog brings the same game to a leader. They’re going to lose um and so I would rather be an underdog actually I would I would see it almost as a failure to be number 1 um because you know.
09:40.44
adenah
Yep.
09:45.10
adenah
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:49.72
vigorbranding
You’re just waiting. It’s a waiting game. You’re going to be overtaken and that’s right.
09:50.81
adenah
Right? Because someone is always coming for you always coming you but but what I do know is that when you’re under dog you know and I said this you know people are always rooting for you but understand as much people as rooting for you. Just.
10:04.52
vigorbranding
Yeah.
10:09.89
adenah
This is equal people are not rooting for you. It’s just a matter who you’re focusing on against you right right? So I said to people all the time. There’s always someone rooting for you and it’s always someone rooting against you. The difference is who is your focus.
10:15.37
vigorbranding
Um, of rooting against you like even worse. Yeah.
10:26.21
vigorbranding
Yep.
10:29.79
adenah
And who are you focused on is who’s gonna win.
10:32.85
vigorbranding
That’s right, that’s a hundred percent I love that so you’ve you’ve taken this this rooting mentality. Um, and this idea of hard work um into the community and.
10:48.84
vigorbranding
A lot of the work that you do outside of the restaurant industry. Um specifically is supporting the community. So your franchises are located. Um, that’s a core part of the business strategy. But then you you expand out so your commitment to the community has been huge. Where does that come from and and.
10:53.45
adenah
Yeah.
11:06.52
vigorbranding
What are some of the high points of your community efforts like what are the things that you’re I hate to use the word pride in this moment but that you’re proudest of.
11:14.74
adenah
Yeah I think the reason I think I’m so community oriented was I tell you why when I first came into this country I was like twelve years old um but when the civil war started my country. The last classroom I was in I think was Bobby the first grade so I had a deep interruption of my education from like the first second grade all the way. So I come to this country and when I went to serraillon. It was very spotty. It was very spotty. So when I came to this country I was like twelve years old so where do you put a twelve year old in a seventh grade I was putting the seventh grade with about second grade education of first grade education I knew nothing.
12:05.39
vigorbranding
Oh wow.
12:10.65
adenah
And I think it was like two months into it. My teacher miss broke recognized something she recognized that I will memorize things a lot. So but if it was off memorization I didn’t know it. So one day she said to me she said Adina can you stay for me after class I gotta ask you something and I was so scared I think I think I was gonna pee my pants and I she came in she said I’m gonna put something on a board and I just need you to.
12:42.76
vigorbranding
Um.
12:47.86
adenah
Tell me when it is a pronounce it and she put on the board and I didn’t know it couple of letters and I did not know it and she said to me don’t worry she said I tell you what you’re gonna know these words and she said you know how I make. Make a deal with you if you come every day a hour before school I will meet you here and I will tutor you you know and every time I say this story like it bring tears to my eyes and we did that for.
13:16.23
vigorbranding
Um, well.
13:26.86
adenah
Ah, good Seventh grade Eighth grade and she started tutor me from like pre-k books like literally took me through the concept of pre-k ah kindergarten first grade second grade and just kind of brought me up as if he was. Teaching like ah, a child and my confidence grew and me as a person like you know, just really got fell in love with like school. It wasn’t this. It wasn’t this nightmare thing anymore for me and when I graduated if grade. She reached out to a couple of schools to find out who in the high schools that she know that can do the same thing for me and she reached out to a good friend of her that was teaching Ms Jackson at weekqui high school that was ah by 2 buses away from my house. And she said this is gonna be hard for you. But you’re gonna have to catch these buses and go meet with her because she is going to help you and do the same thing that I did for you and I met Miss Jackson I want to say in December of my high school year and we did that every day.
14:31.23
vigorbranding
Um, well.
14:44.37
adenah
High school Miss Jackson will come 45 minutes she’ll meet with me and Misss Jackson was this amazing woman and I did that throughou throughout high school and I graduated high school seventh in my high school class of 200 students I was number 7 right? I was in the top 10 of my eyes. So and I look at that as those women did did that for me and I have such deep gratitude for that that to this day I remember it and I just want to pour into someone else.
15:04.14
vigorbranding
It’s amazing.
15:21.96
adenah
Like they have pour into me.
15:24.69
vigorbranding
Yeah, how could you not I mean that’s so I ah I taught at the college level for 2 years This is going to be nothing compared to what you just said. But I need to say this because it it’ll leave somewhere I promise. Um and in every class that I taught. Ah, got to say out of 30 Maybe 1 maybe two really made it worthwhile and there was a hefty middle that could take it or leave it. It wasn’t very fulfilling for me. Maybe they got something out of it and then there was a larger group. Ah, compared to the top that made it really tough to want to do it and I think that’s something that a lot of our instructors are facing right now. Um you know where it’s people like you who are hungry for it and who who are willing to do the work make.
16:06.38
adenah
Um, a yeah.
16:18.32
vigorbranding
I think it’s really what keeps a lot of instructors going. It’s always that 1 or that 2 people that are like these are the ones and and I actually follow those people to this day and what they’re doing in their careers and it makes me happy not selfishly but like they really went as far as I thought they would. You could tell they put in the work.
16:18.87
adenah
Yeah, yeah.
16:34.12
adenah
And we.
16:38.15
vigorbranding
And then onto reading I think it’s It’s a disservice that we do in this country right now is people just don’t read you know and and once you can read like you said confidence but your world is opened up to centuries of information and ideas and.
16:43.60
adenah
Now then.
16:52.83
adenah
Absolutely yeah, yeah, 1
16:56.62
vigorbranding
Failures and successes and the world becomes larger than the actual Geographic world. You know, um, and so it’s amazing to hear that how that unlocked your life and what you do, um.
17:05.15
adenah
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
17:13.61
adenah
And you know now you know the biggest thing I did during the pandemic when there was no Ppp and my staff you know was forced to stay home I took all my savings and I paid them for about a whole month.
17:15.78
vigorbranding
You know.
17:32.72
adenah
Um, we opened our doors and we fed people in the community and we did we give away 10000 pancakes we opened the door to kids that was out of school between 11 and two they could come and get free lunch because I knew I was that kid.
17:40.28
vigorbranding
Are.
17:52.48
adenah
That needed school lunch growing up and I knew what that meant to me and every year we gave away free turkey every year we closed down a restaurant and we do a week longn of giving because I believe that we as a community have to take care each other.
17:54.71
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.
18:10.63
adenah
And not just that I think that people are struggling and when you have the opportunity to give just to it. It come back to you 10 fold right? and I’ve always lived my life very simply like I don’t want much I’m not a flashy person. You know.
18:15.13
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.
18:22.27
vigorbranding
That’s right.
18:30.32
adenah
Or I need a movable car. Don’t have to be you know and I live my life in a way that I want to be able to have impact in people’s lives in a way that’s meaningful to them So That’s just a journey that I’m on and I want to continue to be on and. God Just have blessed me with this platform. But I tell you it’s not easy is’ it’s you know like you know the other day I was talking to someone that was interviewing me and said you do so much how you’re able to I said to that person I Said. It’s never been even a question in my mind. It’s just something you do it just something you do so for me day you have it but it is. It’s not easy. The journey I want to do more I do I do and I’m gonna.
19:09.96
vigorbranding
Um, yeah, yeah.
19:25.64
vigorbranding
Yeah I think Audrey Hepburn said um I might be misquoting this ah and misassigning it. But ah she said you have 2 hands 1 is for helping yourself and the other ones for helping others you know and I think it’s a really good quote to remember.
19:26.30
adenah
To do more.
19:36.44
adenah
Yes, yes, yes.
19:42.16
vigorbranding
Because it’s important. There are a lot of people out there that think that both should be helping others and I’m a big proponent of a strong Adina is makes a stronger community. So if Adena weakens the community weakens and so you have to help yourself and that allows you to help others.
19:46.70
adenah
Yes.
19:54.94
adenah
That’s why.
20:01.76
adenah
That’s right, It’s like when you gain an airplane. It’s a in time of turbulence put your seatbel on then worry about your child next to you right? You have to be secure to kind of protect your child. It’s the same concept here. It’s the same concept.
20:02.30
vigorbranding
Um.
20:09.20
vigorbranding
Um, right.
20:16.37
vigorbranding
That’s right.
20:19.44
adenah
And I think if I can be more successful The more I can give back the more I will do right? So how how do I become successful community and the community have rowity around me the community have poured into me. You know.
20:23.40
vigorbranding
Um, yeah.
20:38.99
adenah
We just came off of making history last week you know and I became the first african american woman in the state of New Jersey to ever be awarded the 9% low income house and tax credit and people are. It’s such a big deal because if you’re in real, um, affordable housing development.
20:51.79
vigorbranding
Um, oh wow.
20:58.58
adenah
That is like the pinnacle of development that’s kind of partnering up but the government that allows you to build sustainable, affordable housing for for you know Middle Income Low income family. These are not poor people these are working families. So.
21:16.69
vigorbranding
Um, right.
21:17.96
adenah
This would be the first time this was the first time a african-american woman was awarded such a honor and that happened because the community rallied behind me the community wrote letter support. You know the mayor the lieutenant Governor the b a.
21:30.49
vigorbranding
It’s amazing.
21:37.58
adenah
All of these people. It was like if you want something I don’t know if you ever read this book called alchemist. Yes, the alchemist says if you want something very badly. The universe conspires for you.
21:46.46
vigorbranding
Um, of course. Yeah.
21:56.00
vigorbranding
In.
21:56.47
adenah
So have it, You just have to want it back and not give up because the universe is gonna test you to see how badly you would it and so long as you don’t give up. It’s gonna let you have it.
22:06.12
vigorbranding
Um, that’s right.
22:14.62
vigorbranding
Yup, yeah because it it is the hard work you you mentioned earlier the the word luck I think it’s the most demeaning word that we have out there. You know, um and you know and I forget who said it like I think maybe the dwayne the rock johnson repeated it or. It’s been repeated by many people so I don’t know the attribution off the top of my head but it’s like the funny thing about luck is the harder I work the more I get you know the more luck I get you know and it’s like so it is very much in line with the alchemist which is a great um short novella it’s totally worth reading. Um.
22:39.22
adenah
Um, yes, yeah.
22:48.38
vigorbranding
In my opinion I think it’s great. Um, it’s up there with the prince I think the prince is a fantastic novella to read as well. Um, so we’ve talked about a lot of your um accomplishments across the board. Let’s kind of go back in time a little bit too. So your your first job in the food service industry was working at Mcdonald’s as a teenager. Um and I think a lot of people not in the food industry. They hear the word mcdonald’s and there’s a sort of sort of turning of the nose and and I think.
23:06.50
adenah
Um, yeah, yes.
23:19.34
vigorbranding
You know there’s there’s many reasons probably why a lot of it has to do with health and and and the quality of the food and things like that a stigma around. Um you know, healthy eating and that kind of food and its role in obesity. The list goes on. However I am a big defender of Mcdonald’s.
23:36.24
adenah
Anyone.
23:38.50
vigorbranding
Because it is a fantastic system in a lot of ways we know there’s some issues right now that are coming out. Um, but in general you could start there with no skills and you could make 6 figures relatively quickly in a general scheme of things if you just work hard and you you show the initiative to.
23:46.72
adenah
No skill.
23:56.50
vigorbranding
Get into management get into general management and then regional like Mcdonald’s has taken a lot of people out of the proverbial gutter and got them on their feet and so I got to love mcdonald’s in a lot of ways so you started there. What did you learn from Mcdonald’s um. And Mcdonald’s had not sponsored this podcast by the way and nor do I work for them. Um, what did you get from that experience that helped one you fall in love with food service apparently because you you went on to build this ah this empire? Um, but what other lessons did you take away.
24:28.88
adenah
Customers a Mcdonald’s 1 an amazing thing about mctown is is that is that place that you get the whole gamut. You get the soccer mom running in with her kids you get the homeless guy that just got. 90 nines now he want to get his double cheeseburger. You get the executive that his daughter have conned him into picking of a happy mill on the way home. So you get the whole gamut and what that taught me was in Mcdonald’s. When I said that customer is always right at my Mcdonald’s that was something that we totally practice so we still have this homeless guy a so coming all the time he so eat his burger all the way to like the last bite and then he’ll come and he’ll be like oh I just find here. In this piece and we used to look at him and I call the manager and she’ll come and she’ll comp it and she’ll ring up another one and it’ll go on and on every day every week at least twice a week he was doing it so there was a running joke in there that says.
25:44.30
vigorbranding
Um, yeah, yep, yep.
25:44.80
adenah
If he come just give him 2 because you know he’s gonna be right back I learned that principle from a very early age that the customer was always right? You never engage. You never argue with the customer that was a big. No no. It didn’t matter how ratchet a customer came in there behaving you just stood there. A thank you? You know? So I learned very early on for Mcdonald’s a customer always right? and then also another thing that I learned from mcdon for systems. Mcdonald is a big system place. There is a system for everything I went on a grill I was in drive I was on pickup window I was cashier at every step of the way there was a process and there was ah a way that things needed to be done so that sort of got ingrained in me cause I work at my downs. All throughout high school almost like my last year and when I got a better paying job at the mall and I left them. But that was it. It was systems and the customer would always write and if someone wasn’t following the system it collapsed somewhere drive.
26:43.71
vigorbranding
Um.
26:58.75
adenah
Factor it collapsed somewhere. So I knew when I started my businesses I wanted to implement systems that everything had to have a system and that we didn’t have a system. The customer would be impacted it would Collapse. So now my restaurant that I built corn bread formed to so. Everything have a system and if it doesn’t have a system we’re in a process of building that system. So. It’s been very very um in like very very good kind of see how so early on some of those. Principles of some of those things still live with me today.
27:39.66
vigorbranding
Yeah I mean I think movies like um, the story of ah Ray Kroc and all that really started to show like the difference between um, a restaurant and.
27:45.35
adenah
Um, yeah.
27:56.58
vigorbranding
A strong multi-unit and the difference between people who knew how to run a restaurant and a person who knew how to grow a restaurant again rather predatory in a lot of ways but in some ways not like it’s easy to look back through the lens of what we know today and cast.
28:03.00
adenah
Ah, hey yes.
28:16.20
vigorbranding
You know, doubt or negativity on things that have been done in the past. Um again were were more knowledgeable today. But back then I mean franchising was a way for families to get out of the Rat race on their own business and succeed and there are a lot of stories like that.
28:30.64
adenah
It’s today it still is today and I think when you ask how do I plan on growing like my concept is true franchchising I think franchising is allowing someone to kind of come into a system. That’s all been tested out.
28:38.70
vigorbranding
Um, yep.
28:48.13
adenah
And join that partnership I this I started into french I started into the restaurant space through franchising. My first store was I have I um franchise it I bought a franchise and I think at the time I was the youngest woman franchise in the whole northeast.
28:56.28
vigorbranding
Um, right.
29:06.35
vigorbranding
2027 years old right.
29:07.38
adenah
And I was a 27 years old and I was able to be successful because 1 thing I remember and it still stayed with me today is that if you were persistent you will get it and if you’re consistent, you will keep it right. So every morning I remind myself be persistent never take no be persistent in your pursuit of accomplishing your goal 1 person may say no, that’s fine, nothing lost move on to the next person don’t take it personal. Don’t. You know, don’t hold no malice in your heart and stay consistent consistent with your work ethics right? So I think if you are coming to the franchising system with that mentality. You will be successful.
29:59.70
vigorbranding
And we see it in a lot of communities too. Um, you know communities that are built on work ethic and um consistency so they’re they’re usually immigrant communities. Um, um so you can go down the list of all the Asian countries.
29:59.97
adenah
Yes.
30:07.90
adenah
Yeah.
30:14.84
vigorbranding
And they are the ones that end up being fantastic operators more often than not and of course blanket statement. You can poke holes in it. But it’s because it is consistent. It’s persistent. They follow the the book as it were and as a result they succeed you know.
30:17.72
adenah
In that.
30:28.96
adenah
It’s part you know? yeah.
30:32.77
vigorbranding
And during the pandemic that’s something that I made sure to ah at least tell the the folks that I speak to and and that I interact with because like you know, support local I was like absolutely also understand that the franchise like the Mcdonald’s down the street or you know this concept or that concept. Is local. It’s owned by a local family and they hire local people and so support them too. Um because they are a part of it because people forget they see the logo. They see the brand and it loses a lot of the humanity on the ground.
30:53.66
adenah
Yep yep yeah.
31:06.77
vigorbranding
Um, Ihop has been fantastic for you as a system um not to get into an ad for Ihop But what what drew you to Ihop was it just a love for pancakes or was there something about the system. Um, and then how has that experience been for you.
31:08.43
adenah
The hand.
31:21.83
adenah
I think I have an eyes just purely a love story I loved I have Pancas I think they have some of the best pancake in the world hands down I’ve been around a country I’ve been around the world and I’ve taken i.
31:38.10
vigorbranding
Um, you haven’t been to my kitchen.
31:41.34
adenah
I have to make that happen. We’m gonna have to make that happen. Okay, you know, couple of people have invited me to Atlanta and um when I was in college I love me I love ihop and I would freeprint it every day every time I was on a date.
31:41.84
vigorbranding
Yeah, come to Atlanta I’ll cook you pancakes.
31:59.81
adenah
Ah, late date. You know we were at Ihop It was just my spot and when I left college I wanted to bring that in my community and it was just so difficult and it you know what? I really opened my eyes to is that these communities that are.
32:10.30
vigorbranding
Um.
32:18.77
adenah
Blighted. They are blighted because people have stopped investing in them I remember when I was going after my ihopb and I would tell people I want to open this I have in Irvington they will give me all of the excuses in the world. But what they weren’t saying was that we’re not doing it. Because it’s predominantly black and it’s poor people and we don’t believe it’ll be Successful. So It was like these communities are not blinded because of lack of talent. They’re blinded because lack of investment a whole group of industry.
32:42.24
vigorbranding
Right.
32:56.20
adenah
Have decided that they are not going to invest in this community unless someone that looked like them separate from this community come in and save it and it took 7 banks saying no to me 7 banks.
33:04.80
vigorbranding
Oh.
33:13.00
adenah
Saying no to me they were not financed me and I kept pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and oftentime and guess what I’m going through the same thing right now with my concept. Cornbrat you a figure I’ve been in a restaurant industry for 15 years 17 years really and I’m trying to raise money to kind of build my next 10 stores and when I sit across investors and I tell them about the concept. What we do. We are authentically soulful restaurant unapologetically. We’re bringing you mac and cheese kitdy yams collard greens fried chicken big chicken barbecue rib all of your grandma favorites mind you and don’t look at I mean to be that. Yes, we think we you know we like those food you know. Can it be accepted mainstream and I’m like yes I have 3 stores 1 in proclaim one in maple 1 in Newar, we’re killing it I mean we are killing it and you’ll be surprised Joseph how much. I am going through right now to raise money to build 10 stores that are no are gonna be the most successful stores in bringing soul food in the mainstream right? And what they don’t say is that I would do it.
34:39.42
adenah
But the person that’s sitting in front of me is not familiar to me so when these banks were saying no to me this 25 year old girl that was asking them for two point five million dollars to open the ihop they weren’t familiar with me I didn’t exist in their mind.
34:55.62
vigorbranding
Right.
34:59.10
adenah
And they have never seen me before so what I was asking them was foreign like they like we’ve never done this before. No one have done it before literally Joseph. It took a act of god for me to get that first I have franchise and. It took someone in ihop after me having my franchise for almost two years call me and say dina what’s going on when are you gonna open your store and I lost it I broke down crying and I said to her. Nicole no one is lending to me. Everyone is saying no to me and she said to me what do you mean you are and a proof I have franchise. This is a brand that is a thing at the time was like.
35:55.17
vigorbranding
Right.
35:55.24
adenah
45 years old and she was so disgusted by it and I remember she said to me stay by the phone. Let me make some phone calls. She called ge franchise financing in Arizona I mean New Jersey and she’s calling a bank in Arizona and telling them if you guys want to do business with us like you have been harassing me to do there is a franchisee in Jersey that we believe in and if you can pull this deal. We will do business with you and we know. You are the kind of partner. We want to partner with.
36:31.70
vigorbranding
Um I got chills I love that I Love that.
36:33.31
adenah
And that’s how the deal got fat fun is.
36:39.33
vigorbranding
That’s amazing. That’s that’s what you want to see in the world is people with power use it to to push others who are reluctant I mean look banks are risk averse. They’re the most risk we want them to be risk averse right? Like you don’t want to invest a bank that is frivolous with their money.
36:45.30
adenah
That’s right.
36:53.58
adenah
Um, yeah, yeah.
36:57.15
vigorbranding
But when all the numbers are there. You know and it’s fantastic. You got that final push.
37:02.32
adenah
And I think a year later year and a half later that iha was the highest grossing ihop in the northeast like we kilt it because I said I’m coming here as the under dog you guys didn’t believe in me.
37:18.55
vigorbranding
That’s right.
37:20.88
adenah
And I’m coming I’m gonna show you, you’re gonna eat your face I am gonna do well I’m gonna make sure this company is ran the way I said it will be and it was was it difficult absolutely but I was persistent and consistent in my pursuit. Of so sets and I make sure everyone around me realized what is stakes worse. The stake were high no one believed this is possible. We’re here as underdog I kind of took the Steve Job Model you know Steve Jo had believe in betraying himself as this underdog and everything became.
37:53.95
vigorbranding
A.
37:58.61
adenah
If you come for him, you’re coming from. He’s the honor dog if you ever read an autobiography of Steve Job you should. It’s a good week and my whole team just kind of knew we were the underdog and we had our martian orders.
38:07.37
vigorbranding
I Love it. Yeah, you had a shared vision. You had passion behind it and you stuck to.. It’s amazing I mean it’s like I hate to say it’s out of a textbook but it really is and what I have found is a lot of people may like know it upstairs that that’s what you should do but they don’t have it.
38:19.20
adenah
That’s right.
38:30.26
adenah
In here the dog.
38:32.28
vigorbranding
In their heart to actually the guts the heart the viscera like to actually do it every day wake up and do it. Um, which is amazing.
38:38.17
adenah
And as’s entrepreneurs we are led by our hearts oftentime I really make decision with my hand I have this gut feeling I in led by my gut and women we have this. We just don’t tap into it.
38:53.21
vigorbranding
Um, yeah for.
38:56.87
adenah
Just on tap into it and when I tell you we have it. We have it in a way that if you listen to it. It can save you a lot of headache and it can save you a lot of problems later.
39:09.37
vigorbranding
Yeah I’m sure if my wife were standing right next to me. She’d be like backing you up and looking at me because I don’t always listen to her but I probably should um.
39:15.59
adenah
Yeah, we have this strong intuition and whenever I have not listened to that hunch. It caused me problems later and I have this thing when I meet people when I’m talking to you eat up.
39:26.54
vigorbranding
Um, yeah, yeah.
39:34.94
adenah
My body tense up and I get this like back pain. That mean there’s something that is not joving in my body is rejecting you all if it’s like now we’re talking and I feel like I’m talking to like a oh high school friend and we just Chillin and we just talk and I just be like damn. And like this feeling I like this and because your body is sending you signal all the time we’re just so numb that we don’t listen to those anymore. We’re just not into all.
40:02.77
vigorbranding
Well, yeah, we’ve we’ve convinced ourselves that we’re above our animal nature in some ways in some ways we are which you know it’s how we you know, develop tools and you know evolved but the animal instincts are still there and. I think in some cases we really do still need to listen to them. Um, so this I wish we could actually talk for much longer. But um, we’ll have to do a second episode. You have to commit to that I mean I’ll of course you um, but for now.
40:30.28
adenah
Yes, definitely again.
40:36.48
vigorbranding
We like to end these with probably the most important question of all which is if you had 1 final meal. What would you eat where would you eat it? why.
40:46.43
adenah
If I had 1 fine meal I would eat oatmeal with lots of almond butter and a lots of chopped up cashews and um and I would have a black eye Pea Burger. From Urban Vegan which is my vegan restaurant.
41:04.99
vigorbranding
Yeah, and we’ll have links to Urban Vegan and cornbread as well as ah, some of those books that we’ve mentioned so far that sounds like a delicious meal and um, just thank you so much for being so open with your time and your story which. This this is going to kick off 2023 the right way for hopefully a lot of people that’s right.
41:25.20
adenah
Let’s kill it 2023 we coming for you. We are coming and we’re not coming nice. We’re gonna killing 2023
41:30.69
vigorbranding
Absolutely it is going to be all of our years for those of us who work hard and are determined to persistent and consistent and you know lead with our heart. So I love it so much adena thank you so much for being on the show.
41:43.61
adenah
My pleasure.
