Money Talks shirts have arrived

I'm tired of being a walking billboard for other companies.

A street promoter tried stopping me as I walked hand-in-hand with Parker along Chicago’s swanky Magnificent Mile on Thursday.

We were on a special shopping excursion. I’ll share more on that experience and the money lessons we learned in the coming weeks.

The man was pushing jazz music from a local band. But before he extended his hand, which clenched an old school CD, and began his pitch, my attire made him stray from his script.

“Money Talks!” the man shouted. “I need to talk with you, brotha. You’ve got your own brand.”

It was the first time the Money Talks logo elicited recognition. I was so happy I could have danced in the street. Parker, meanwhile, completely missed it.

Parker caught only the end of my abrupt, walk-and-talk exchange, the part where the promoter wouldn’t release the CD into my grasp without receiving a donation. As we walked away, I asked if she heard what the man said.

“Something about jazz,” Parker said.

I wanted to shout, ‘the other part!” But I refused to let her oblivion dampen my joy. Instead, I explained that the man first exclaimed our company and then saluted us on our brand. It was a big deal, I said, and that we should be proud.

I told you last month that I’m tired of being a walking billboard for other companies. The handful you’ll see me wear now, like Nike, will be companies in which I’m invested. But from here out, the dominant brand you’ll see me wearing will be of the company we own.

Our first batch of Money Talks shirts arrived on Aug. 3. I surprised Parker with her initial set of four Money Talks shirts on Aug. 10, folding each one just right so the logo displayed prominently at the top of the fold. I staggered the shirts on the couch and instructed Parker to close her eyes before she walked inside. As she crossed the threshold I shouted, “surprise!”

Understand that our shirts are symbolic of so much. Their significance stretches far beyond our first splash in apparel.

This is us. This is our company. This is our mission. This is our brand.

Our debut line of Money Talks shirts represent who we are, what we’re about and how our fledgling family business is rapidly rounding into form. The brand encapsulates our unique, Daddy-daughter bond. As we grow, it will grow. And nothing and no one can get between us.

Equally important to me is the lessons I hope the shirts teach Parker. When she sees me wearing our Money Talks shirts, I want Parker to know that every day I pull one over my head I’m choosing to believe in myself. I’m purposefully pursuing my passion. I’m daring to chase my dream.

First, I had to step out of my comfort zone. I don’t like drawing attention with my wardrobe. My personality prefers to be inconspicuous. By proudly rocking Money Talks apparel, I’m asking for attention. I’m intentionally opening the door for comments and conversation.

I also had to learn the shirt-making process. The task contributed to my recent funk and why I felt overwhelmed due in part to how much I had on my plate. It took five months for everything to come together, but each step brought valuable insight about the supply chain.

To start, I needed an appropriately formatted logo. It’s why I spent $51.96 on a Canva subscription for four straight months. I tried and failed to do it myself. Fortunately, my cousin Anthony is a graphic designer. He completed in minutes what I couldn’t figure out in five months. Without him, our shirts might still be on hold.

Then I needed to select the right shirts, no easy task for a perfectionist and first-time picker who could only weed through online offerings. I settled on 18 shirts of various sizes, styles and colors from jiffyshirts.com. They cost $107.92.

I paid $300, including tip, to get them printed. My lady friend, Triest, connected with a longtime friend in the printing business to get them done. She didn’t stop there.

Last Wednesday, Triest surprised me with an embroidered Money Talks hat. Her gift was example 99,947 of how she has my back and how she makes it easy to love her. It’s the exact hat I wanted. It looks great and complements our shirts perfectly. I wore it the next day with a crisp white Money Talks shirt, which made our brand more apparent for the Magnificent Mile street promoter.

I’ve already loaded a cart online for my second order. I’m planning on printing more shirts in more colors. We’ll also be getting more styles, including hoodies, sweatshirts and long-sleeve hooded T-shirts. Parker and her friend Tiffany have special, pink Money Talks hats on the way.

Soon, we’ll incorporate the secondary Money Talks logo — the green banner at the top of your email and atop the website — into merchandise. But we’re off to a great start.

On Friday afternoon, Parker decided to wear her Money Talks shirt for the first time. She chose the white shirt. I pulled on the black version along with my new Money Talks hat. And we took a walk.

For one hour, we strolled around our neighborhood as walking billboards.

For the first time, we were promoting the company we own and operate.