The Unscripted Blend Podcast
Where faith, culture, and marketing meet — with a side of coffee and conversation.
Join creative consultant Victoria Stackhouse as she explores the stories behind brands and the people who bring them to life. Honest dialogue. Creative insight. Plenty of soul.
The Unscripted Blend Podcast
From Taxes to Tech: Building a Smarter Business Ecosystem
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Welcome back to Linux Crypto. I'm your host Bitcoin Stocks. Before we get into today's episode, educational, informational, or finding all type of title for types of individuals that you can discuss for that I'm joined by down C O Square consulting. It's also a certified as a interceptive auditors and an accounting perspective at the introspective of finance and technology. Beyond accounting, it's also engaged and innovation across AI and technology. And it's the founder of a fashion magazine, bringing a unique blend of business creativity and forward thinking perspective to the work that you do. Without further ado, everyone, I give you Donald Butler. Let's get into the conversation.
SPEAKER_01Hey Donald.
SPEAKER_03Hello. Thank you so much for the invite.
SPEAKER_01Of course. And thank you for saying yes. I really am honored to have you on this platform. So thank you again, sir.
SPEAKER_03Yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So listen, we're going to dive right into it, you guys. Let me start at the beginning with you. So where did it all start? How did your interest, you know, in finance grow? Just kind of walk us to how we got to where we are now with Butler Square.
SPEAKER_03Wow, I'm going to give you the very brief summary of that. So I went to high school and I graduated in an engineering program. And I was looking at what my major would be in college. And I thought accounting. I felt that was my life call to be an accountant. And I didn't really know what that looked like, but I figured let me try it. And I failed accounting three times before I actually passed it. But I took a break once I failed it my third time. And I got into banking. I started working for what we know it as Bank of America. And I spent several years there. Then I went back to college and I got A's in in accounting. And I thought, well, I'm not going to hold my breath too much. I'm just going to keep walking down this path and see what happens. And then finally I graduated with a grade point average over um 3.0 in accounting and as a bachelor's degree. Then I could continue to pursue my master's in accounting in IT. And so I've been in this industry over 25 plus years. And I was saying, because I started it, I couldn't end it. Because the minute I was saying I was going for my degree in accounting, I had tax clients. I was like, I don't know what I'm doing. But I felt like let me just go ahead and get started and learn it. And I've been doing taxes ever since. And um, but what we see today is much different than when I started. When I started, more people had W-2s. Now more people are 1099 contracting, you know, uh uh individuals who are filing taxes as a business, so it's a little different now. But and also I'm a professor at University of Maryland, global campus where I teach accounting. So I've been in this industry quite some some time.
SPEAKER_01All right, I love that. And I didn't realize how early like that interest was for you. I love that. So was it hard to kind of keep going when you had to do the test more than once? Like when you failed accounting in the past, did you think about maybe letting go of that and doing something else? Or it was just always, this is what I want, we're coming back.
SPEAKER_03This is what I wanted it, and I felt like everything was gonna be hard. And I knew I don't know why I didn't grow up in accounting. My mother definitely did not teach me accounting. That's why I failed it three times because I didn't understand debits and credits, I didn't really understand the fundamentals of numbers and keeping track with things. And um, some people think that accounting has a lot to do with math, but it's not really math driven, it's all about theory and where to put um the transactions and understanding how to record it. And so for me, it was just more like let me, I don't want to, you know, just give up. I felt like everything was gonna be hard. Victoria, I just felt like I was not that a student, so it didn't matter what I was gonna pursue. I felt like everything was gonna be challenging, but really, you know, even if I look at it from you know, when I when I prayed about it, I felt led to do accounting, and that's why I stuck with it.
SPEAKER_01I love that, I love that. And now here we are, professor too.
SPEAKER_03Okay, here we are. Oh, professor two.
SPEAKER_02Okay, we finished okay.
SPEAKER_03I laughed with my family about that because I struggled through school. I was not the A student, I'd never been on on the roll except one time, and I think that was in the eighth grade. By the time I got the ninth grade in high school, and anybody to know Baltimore and Polly is um a significant high school, it's a very prestigious high school. Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Shout out to all of those that that went to City. Unfortunately, y'all did not get the knowledge, the experience that we had, but but you know, it's it's all good, it's all good robbery. But yeah, I was glad I went there and it told me a lot. But yeah, accounting is not really a math type of um industry, it's more about documenting where transactions go. And then there is a lot of math involved, but it's just not calculus or it's not you know um uh trigonometry, it's not algebra, it's simple math, but it's just all about where you put it.
SPEAKER_01Okay, it makes sense. And now I didn't know you were gonna do a little jab at City at first because I was raising my hands because I graduated from Pali, but I know you're gonna do a little jab at City. And normally I wouldn't say anything except I went to both. I wanted the I wanted a few. I did two years down the middle, two at City, two at Pali, but Polly is where I graduated from.
SPEAKER_03See, well, you you're you're Pali graduate. You said, Let me get out of here right now. I know what I need to do.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_03I I really think because of my major, I think I I would have did better going to City, um, just for the the academic side of it. But you know, both schools are amazing schools and they teach a lot of good information. So, you know, but Polly had the engineering and science, and I thought, I'm gonna go into engineering. I was not going to nobody engineering, I went into the account, so go figure that that's fundamentals of engineering class.
SPEAKER_01What a time the time was head, and I survived it.
SPEAKER_03Listen, wood class, um, electricity.
SPEAKER_01I mean, honestly, I'm gonna be starting on that one.
SPEAKER_03We learned a lot, we have learned a lot, but yeah, so here we are.
SPEAKER_01Here we are today. Pray, praise the Lord. So now looking more again up at your business. So, how do we now come to the point where boom we have Butler Square? And that let everybody know like what you have with that because it was beyond um tax services as well.
SPEAKER_03So that started well, when I was a full-time employee, and like I said, I was doing taxes since I was graduating from I mean since I was in college, and people felt like because I was taking accounting courses, I knew taxes, and I did not know taxes at the time, but I used that as my you know practice at the time and getting to know how to do taxes. So thankfully I didn't turn it down. But um, but being a full-time employee, I realized that even though you have a job, you have to have something on the side. And um, and I needed to have something on the side when I hit those bumps in a row, like 2009 when the market crashed, I lost my job. And having done that during the tax season, I had that additional cushion that was giving me and my family something to live on, even though it wasn't a whole lot because I wasn't doing a lot of taxes, but I still had something coming in. And um 2019, literally, you know, and and and and you know, we we're believers, so I was God told me I was gonna start the business in 2018. And I thought, okay, Lord, you're gonna have to make this big because like I I don't want to work with individuals, and um, but I had no other choice. I had to start in 2019, May that year. And when I started the business, I thought, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna sell? How do how do you sell your services? I would I was used to writing proposals for government contracts, not for individuals. And why would somebody want to hire me to do their books? Like I need income. And um, but that's when Butler Square was birthed in 2019 of May and um or May of 2019. And it was since then that I felt like even now, like when I used to work at the big four CPA firms, like Price What I was Coopers. I remember sitting in a meeting and someone said, How do we stay on top of industry the where things become competitive? Are we gonna survive the economy? And I thought that was a I mean, as you can see, it's it's it still remains in my memory, and it's been since maybe 2010 that that that happened, and that made an impact on me, meaning that no matter what we do, we cannot stay stuck. We have to evolve. So even though I started my business and doing accounting attack, I felt like I have to evolve. So I thought, let me step into different industries because accounting is in every industry, it doesn't matter what industry you're in, accounting is represented in every industry. And when you see, like you know, we uh you uh many people may not know this, but I got into the fashion side because I will host a gala and I'm having one coming up really soon. But um, but as part of my gala, I had a fashion show, and that triggered me to realize that even in a fashion industry, there needs to be accounting. And so I have hairstylists that are that are my clients, barbers my clients, so people in different industries. I have somebody in construction that is my client, so I deal with a lot of different industries in itself, and that comes from my background of being an auditor. So I learned that don't limit yourself just because so I do behavior health. I'm I'm in a lot of industries, but um, don't limit yourself and expand your knowledge and grow in different areas, and that's what I did. So when someone sees me in fashion, it's like, how'd you get into that? Well, they need an accountant. How'd you get in construction? They need an accountant, you know. So I've branched off into different industries and um and able to grow in those industries, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I love that. And one thing I can appreciate about you, you are all about once you're working with somebody, you're all about education as well. And I guess with that, I would say, is that kind of how you also got into the consulting side with businesses of going beyond accounting?
SPEAKER_03It's interesting you asked that question. Many times when we're in business, um, some people want to start a business. The question is, what is the problem in the earth that you're that you're trying to bring solutions to? So, what is the problem? Because a business does very well if someone understands you're solving their problem. So for me, it was like, you know, I wanted to um make sure I position myself to solve the problem. And the problem is a lot of people don't, entrepreneurs that is, don't understand the um significance of an accountant. Sometimes we like to think of an accountant like our favorite bag or our favorite car, our favorite whatever that you know it's our badge of honor. I have an accountant, but really, do you understand that accountants have to follow the law? Do you understand that an accountant has a lot of pull, a lot of a lot of authority when it comes down to state agencies and federal agencies? And when I realized that a pot a lot of people didn't know that, like we we're the ones that can help you get approved for a loan. If if people knew that, they would better appreciate their accountant, they wouldn't bounce around the different accountants or they would choose the best accountant because when you have your own business, you basically hire someone to do accounting. But how do you know how to hire someone? That's like hiring hiring uh um uh you know, let's say a statistician, and you're not even a statistician. How do you know that they're good at being a statistician? You don't know. So, you know, for me it was more like let me educate my clients and those who are interested in understanding what this looks like. Like I spent six hours, and I literally was thinking about this this morning because I was wrapping up somebody's tax and I'm still not done, but it took like six hours to work on someone's taxes. Do you know how much money that is if I was working for a CPA firm that's charging at least three? I'm billable, like three, four hundred dollars an hour. How much I just made in six hours? So you translate that to the everyday entrepreneur or the person need their taxes done, and it's like, I just spent six hours, but then I'm getting a fraction, not even a full amount of what I'm billable at. And somebody can say, why does it take so long? Because in this instance, they have triggered investment decisions taking money from their investments, and those transactions have to be recorded on your tax file. So when I see a long list of investments that you have um triggered to pull that money out, that's like the the tax person's nightmare. And um we can summarize and all that stuff, but we have to make sure those numbers are calculated properly in your tax file. Then they have a business, then they have other things. So, yeah, so people don't know the the work that it takes, or they try to call us. I can't get my accountant, probably because we sit in there trying to calculate numbers during the meeting or something like that.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_03So it's a lot that goes in into accounting, and that's the that's why for me, teaching people, helping people understand it is so important.
SPEAKER_01It's so important, so necessary, so needed. And as I said in the intro, I want to say that again before we go to this next part. What's this lesson here regarding taxes and everything? That's educational only. So he is not here providing you personal counseling or services. Okay, okay, all hearts and minds are clear. I want to put that out there. Absolutely before, and I say that because I want to go to this next part. So, talking about you know, educating people, um, there's a lot of people online right now, a lot of influencers, and they're talking about how they're doing their businesses. A lot of people have become influencers in the business space rather, you know, educating other entrepreneurs, and I love it. But I've kind of seen this thing happen a lot. You have that one on TikTok or Instagram, and they'll do this really pretty, real whatever of, you know, their vacation, designer bags, cars, this, and then at the end, some pretty fun will say, I wrote it off, you know, and you can too, right? And then you, the the average entrepreneur with your LLC, you go and you try to do that, and then at tax time, it's not quite working out for you like it did for the person in that video. Why is that? Like, what's the disconnect? I guess um, like what's the biggest myth out there with write-offs?
SPEAKER_03So the biggest myth is that you can write off everything. The RS myth, or I should say the RS terminology for writing off is is it a qualified business expense? According to section one um 162a, you can write off expenses related to your business that's ordinary and necessary for your business. So the question is, is the expense ordinary for your industry? Is it necessary for your industry? So if you're buying a Maybach, just using it as an example, and you're getting that for your business, the question is, how do you justify a Maybach as a write-off if you're just delivering orders? Um, now if you are a real estate agent and maybe perhaps you're selling billion-dollar properties or multi-million dollar properties, that could be justifiable. But you know, you have to understand what is ordinary and necessary, and you have to prove that to the IRS. So even though you can have a receipt, you can have your documentation. If it doesn't pass the test of ordinary and necessary, it's not a qualified business expense. So that's how we look at it.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so translation maybe we should talk to you first before we go do that. That's that's what I'm getting at.
SPEAKER_03There are rules around writing off expenses, there are rules like section 160 um 179a. I don't misquote me, but it's it's so many rules about it, and so the thing is we want to make sure we are following the law when it comes down to writing writing off things, and the like you said, the myth is that I can just write it off just because I purchased it. That's not the truth. We have to make sure that it actually qualifies as a write-off. And do you have to um depreciate it uh or can you write off 100%? So there, yeah, so it's section 179 deduction expenses, and those allow businesses to immediately deduct the full purchase price of a qualifying equipment and software in the year it was purchased or place and service. So there are the rules around it. So we can't just say just because you bought something, you can write it off. That's not the truth. We have to do our due diligence to check to see if it actually is a full deduction or not. So, yeah, that's a lot of times people say it and it sounds good, and we gravitate towards because they're gonna get views, they're gonna get likes, they're selling something, but they're not the tax expert. And that's what I ask people where did you get this from? Show me in black and white, wherever you got it from. Because again, that advice is just something that people want people to pay attention. How and I'm how am I gonna go viral unless I tell you you're missing out on your write-offs, write this off and write that off, and then you come at to write it off, and then the RS challenges you, yeah, it's not you know, that's just that's just clickbait.
SPEAKER_01Oh, they there you have it. So make sure you talk to your friendly local Spider-Man accountant.
SPEAKER_03Spider-Man, yes, Superman, accountant, whichever, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right, talk to them first before you just go and book that trip to wherever and say, I'm writing it off. And so, and I like that you said that too, because it may not be that that influencer is lying for their circumstances. Perhaps that did work, but your business is not their business. So do what you want with that, all right.
SPEAKER_00Hey there. Listen, if you've been listening to this and you realize that you need support with your brand or content, I want to invite you to work with me. As a creative consultant, I offer clarity sessions to help you get focused and move forward with confidence. You can schedule your session through the link in the show notes. All right, let's get back to the conversation.
SPEAKER_01So, let me ask you another question now. Um, so a lot of entrepreneurs when they're starting, um, many people go into the route of forming their LLC when they start their business. And then there's a lot that's not always understood with the tax side of that. So I want to ask you now, like, what are some common mistakes that you see business owners um make with their LLCs with taxes? Let me just throw one or two things out there.
SPEAKER_03One, they don't think they have to file the annual report that costs in Maryland is $300 a year. So they forget about that. And if you don't have that in place, you're faced with having your personal assets exposed if there was ever a legal um issue that came up. That's the whole purpose of an LLC. The other thing is a lot of times people don't know that they have to file taxes, and they think, oh, I haven't done anything with my business. Well, first of all, why'd you start the LLC? The minute that you set up that LLC, that means that you're saying to the government, I'm doing business with you. But most people don't know the law when they come down to businesses and maintaining the LLC. So you're getting into it, the mistake is you don't know about the law, now you're being hit with penalties and fees because of it.
SPEAKER_01Gotcha. That's good information. And let me ask you one more thing, and then we'll kind of pivot to something else. So, last thing I would say if there was one simple like tax habit that every entrepreneur should start early in their business, what would it be? Something to help you stay on top of things, set up QuickBooks or some kind of software to make your life easy.
SPEAKER_03Set up a separate bank account. I don't care if it's a business account, personal, separate account. Separate your business expenses from your personal because that is necessary. Like I'm I'm dealing with somebody right now and working with them. He's an awesome entrepreneur, been in business for quite some time. But I said, hand me your expenses. How do I do that? Where's your account? Everything's in his personal account. Okay, give me your bank statements because it sounds like I have to do this for you because you're not doing it. Give it to me. So I had to take all of his statements for a couple years to see what would be classified as an expense for his business. So here we are. And my recommendations start start right the first time, like separate everything and put it in one account that's designated for business to make things easy.
SPEAKER_01I like that. Well, thank you so much for that. So now let's go back just a little bit. You mentioned um being working in the fashion industry before, um, having clients there, but you also uh have a magazine too. Is that am I right? Online magazine.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_01When and how did that happen? Because that's a completely different direction. So let's talk about that for a little bit now.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. So that had been again as part of being in fashion and collecting so much um, I would say, footage of you know, um, the styles, the fashion, all that stuff. Basically, what happens is for me, I look at it as a tax write-off. So I get to enjoy my work, my journey as an accountant in ways that are, you know, that I can say I have a purpose for being here at this event, at this gala, um, and whatever you know, fashion show it is, because I am this person's accountant. Um, I'm doing business in this industry, so it makes it a need. So it's not that I'm just showing up at an event without it being a need. It also affords me to travel. So I get a chance to travel to different fashion weeks. So New York Fashion Week, I've been there, um, DC Fashion Week, um, Philly Fashion Week. So I've been to Fashion Weeks, and it's mainly because I stepped into this industry as an accountant, but also having my magazine gives me even more purpose of why I'm there. So that's what triggered me to do that. And actually, I'm working on so basically right now it's a website, and but I've I'm rebranding it where I'm actually getting it to be placed as an app. So I have um developed new skills over um the last couple of months and figured out how to publish an app on Apple Store as well as Google Play. So that's something I I I have the skill set to do, and I'm gonna take my magazine and put it on an app so people can have it right there in their phones.
SPEAKER_01I love that. And I want to make sure I got the name right too. Is that B Square Collective?
SPEAKER_03It is B Square Collective, and that's on Instagram and Facebook.
SPEAKER_01All right, so make sure you follow that because I love the images, I love the content. Is yeah, you can tell.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you, thank you.
SPEAKER_01You can tell the passion is there, you have a good eye for these things.
SPEAKER_02So, yes, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01Of course. Now, you already, once again, you we're just on it. We're we're we're in this groove right now. So you already talked about that app. I want to hear you talk some more about because you branched into the digital marketing marketing space as well. You branched into a lot more with AI. You have a group, um, an AI community you started for those who are learning. So, how do we um get into that field as well? Of you wanting to do more with digital products and AI?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because AI became, I mean, that's like the dominant, you know, you can't go online without having some interaction with AI, whether you're on a Word document or you're on, you know, social media, there's AI that is all around us. And I wanted, I didn't want to be left behind. That's the one thing. I didn't want to be left behind. Um, I was trying to understand how to use it, how to create prompts, what would make uh, you know, how do how do you make sure that the the outcome of your prompt turn into something that you wanted? And playing around with it, uh Ashley took my social media page, my Facebook specifically, to over now 105,000 followers. 105,000 followers, like just because I, you know, was uh posting baby videos, and that was to me like more like me getting to know how to write a prompt and growing that much now gives me exposure. So basically, social media is a business. Social media and people don't think social media is a business. Basically, if you draw people to your page, that means that people stay longer on social media on that platform longer, and the platform awards you they pay you for those followers. So when you grow on your followers, it's not so much that you're just growing the followers, but you're building a community on social media that they actually mean a social media platform wants you to do, and they're gonna pay you, they're gonna pay you for it. Um, so for me, it was more like jumping into that, but I was also um trying to figure out how to uh market my business leveraging AI because AI does so much, so much like marketing, um development. You have uh AI can do a lot, it you can't even limit what it does, it can create things. And so for me, I wanted to make sure that I could stay relevant in this industry and even teach other people how to do it, and um, so that that's where I get that from, and that's why I jumped into AI, it's just really leveraging that because I think even taxes in the future, not our generation of people, but the babies growing up, they're more than likely gonna use AI to do their taxes.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_03Facts, right? So why would I want to leave, you know, stay stuck in you know, in my mindset and saying, I'm just gonna keep doing taxes, da-da-da-da. No, I gotta prepare for what's coming because even the tax industry, the accounting industry is changing and implementing AI.
SPEAKER_01That's so true. And with it, you said a mouthful. With that, you you just made me think of something else. So if someone right now is like, you know what, I'm I'm not gonna download this tax software, I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna, it's just gonna be me and Chat GPT. Chat GPT is gonna be my accountant right now. Are there some things they should be cautious about with trying to do that?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, uh AI is like GPS. What happens when you drive your car? Do you just totally rely on your GPS to tell you where to go? I did that a couple of times and I I normally don't do that, but being a busy entrepreneur, I end up doing it and I end up in a place where I was not supposed to be.
SPEAKER_02Oh no.
SPEAKER_03I'm on Southwest DC, and I'm supposed to be on Northwest. Why I'm in Southwest, I was leaning on GPS to tell me where to go, and I'm in somebody's school. I'm like, this is not the place. Is this the place? Made me even later than what I was supposed to be. So, um, so yeah, so I is so uh AI Chat GPT is pulling resources, AI pulls from different resources, and I don't think people know that that's what it does, it's not smart in itself. AI is just a faster way of Googling something, it's a faster way of scouring through the internet to look at Reddit, to look at so um web pages, to look at certain sites, and it's pulling this information, then it's delivering it to you faster. So it's almost as if AI is like that pizza delivery driver. Instead of you having to go get the pizza, you order the pizza and it's bringing it to you, then you having to leave your house. You can just sit in your house and let it do it for you. That's one of the best ways I could describe AI. But it does some other creative things where you know, if you program it right, if you give it the right prompt, it can create great images, videos, blah blah. You know, so but informational, very powerful, but it's not powerful in itself, it has to pull data from somewhere else.
SPEAKER_01Okay, there you go. So thank you for that for that warning, breaking it down a little bit more. I love that. So I'm gonna go back to you. Mentioned um you were working on an app right now for the magazine eventually be over there, but you're working on some other apps too, right? We already have another one out there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I have two apps, one is published already on Apple, the other one is coming up on Google Play, so it's it's gonna be there rather soon. I needed um 12 testers before I can make it live on Google Play. Apple has its own restrictions and they do their own internal testing that I had to pass. So the fact that I got past Apple's testing, I can definitely fly through Google's um Google's platform. So that's what I'm working on. Hopefully, it'll be available on Google within the next maybe within a week or two. So it just depends on their approval process. Um, but yes, and then I have another one, a second one that's going to be coming out. So the first one that's on it now is for entrepreneurs to keep you on track, to help you to stay on top of these deadlines that come up: sales tax, income tax, um, helping you to know what needs to be done for your business, um, it's tracking income, tracking expenses, all you know, all the things that you did not know that you need to do for your business. This gives you a checklist. Also, there's an AI component within my app where you can ask questions. So you can ask it, how do you do a cash flow statement? What does that mean? Why is this important? When is it due? It will give you responses. So I just did that. I'm getting ready to release that new update within the next week. So I'm working on that right now. My second app that I'm working on is specifically for my clients. Specifically for my clients. So if you have a request, Victoria, you can actually go into the app and submit your request. We can follow that that request from when it's received to that, it's in process, and that now you know we can we can chat back and forth, you can ask questions, we can ask you questions, and then until it's get closed out. We can also initiate a request to you. So if we need something from you, we can do that. You know, so it's a really great way for us to connect with our clients, but this isn't just for our clients because Apple rules are very strict. So we had to open this up like it's an office building, like it has many suites. So when you go into the app, you have to enter the firm code to access the app. So basically, this is a way for business to do business with me, other tax professionals, other accountants. They can use my app to invite their clients, and you're putting in the code to that particular accounting firm or that particular tax professional, and you're getting access to their platform and be able to communicate with them. So this is a very powerful app that I'm creating and it's almost done, but I'll be sending out updates about it's now finished. Let's go, let's rock and roll with it. And then I just landed my first contract for a client that um we're doing a mobile app for them as well. And um, it's for behavior health. They're gonna stand out in this industry as it is a very um competitive industry, it's very stretch saturated with a lot of behavioral health professionals, counselors, and stuff. But this will really put them on the map that when they see people, they can say, Hey, download my app, download our app. And anytime there's anything that could trigger emotions, like let's say the war, there this could trigger emotion. They could send out a notification. Hey, is it time for you to check in, you know, to your counselor? Would you like to set up a meeting? Blah, blah, blah. Here are reasons why you should talk to a counselor. That way, people can have more of a go-to app if they want to ask questions and also engage in this and help increase their sales. So we just landed that contract about uh two weeks ago, and we're already in the process of getting this done.
SPEAKER_01That is awesome. So just hearing you talk about the different apps and things too. I'm like, so wait a minute. So, at what point did we say we want to work with apps? Because I know you were you were playing, you know, with AI, and you know, I've seen the baby videos on Facebook. So we we started monetizing social media, and then when did you know app creation and app development come in there?
SPEAKER_03When did you so I literally was inspired by a uh person on YouTube and they were like, you know, and it kept coming up. It comes up now, and they're like, you can create an app within minutes. And I thought, well, how can I create an app within minutes? I want to know. And man, that was a whole discovery because I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and this is back in January, so this is not years ago, this is literally in January. And when I started on this journey, I did not know again, is it I have locks, so any lock to locations or people that's in, you know, that have locks will understand what I mean by this or anything. Really, when I started my locks, I was not educated, I did not know that there were different kinds of parts for locks. So I was like, well, why didn't somebody tell me about the rectangular versus versus the diamond? You know, I didn't know. That's how I entered into the world of um this app development. And you know, you hear um no coding involved. So I'm thinking, oh, I don't have to worry about coding. So it must be easy. Let me just go and do it and try and see what happens. Well, AI does create the app, but you have to understand process flows. Let's say, like, for example, you can't forget that somebody is going to want to um let's say change their password. Do we have a change of password feature? Do we have you know a register as a new user feature? Do we have this different so just because AI can create it does not mean that it's it's perfect. It can be perfect, but it takes you and AI working to get there. All right, that's one step. So we can do an app like that. Now we want to take this app and put it on Apple and Google Play. That's a whole different layer. They don't tell you about that part really when they talk about you create apps because literally you create the app. Let's say you're using a software like Lovable, so Lovable AI. Lovable would create this app, but you have to literally migrate that app to be um utilized on Apple and Google Play. It's not just a simple, let me create this app. It's now taking you time to look at a code. So, me, people don't know this. I had some coding experience as a kid, so I have not tapped into that, but I'm super excited and thankful that AI is now here that I can tap into something that I was doing when I was nine years old, and that sort of triggered emotions because, as you know, as kids, there are certain things we had emotions about, and my grandmother bought me my first computer, and there was the whole DOS IBM type of thing, and I was typing in the command, creating games and stuff. That was then, and I have not touched it since then, and to do it now, I just want to tell my grandmother, grandma, look what I did. I was able to go in there and actually do what I started back then. So I never wanted to do app development as a career because it's very, very like I will spend hours. Victoria, you know how people get, you know, they they people watch um you know um uh series like on Netflix and they like binge watching. Yeah, I'm a binge script writer on apps.
SPEAKER_01Wow, oh wow, okay.
SPEAKER_03I literally can sit there and work 24 hours without sleep, without eating, working on the app because it's not so much you it's not a boring session, it's a it's a session that you're going back and forth, and it's something that's breaking, it's something that's not doing this, and then you're happy that this got done. You like, oh my god, that worry. Now you do something else, it triggers something else to break, and I'm sitting there fussing with AI. Why you didn't you messed up my app and you think I'm dumb and you think I'm like all cats, all cats. I need you to give me the full replacement, but I rely, like you literally have to know when then uh you can't rely on AI to know everything. So I had to tell AI, you take it, you're taking me down the wrong path. I'm not changing that. And it says, Oh, I'm sorry, I should have known better.
SPEAKER_01Let me tell you the frustration. Okay, for those who like are using a y'all like that, y'all, y'all know what we're talking about. You had that argument with it, and first of all, you feel a little bit crazy, like yo, I'm gonna argue with the machine, but whatever. You had an argument with it, and then when you say it's oh, I'm sorry, I should have. I'm like, that's why I'm using you in the first place.
SPEAKER_03People have used you, I'm gonna be using my subscription, and be like, Well am I paying you $20 a month and you don't it's like they're probably like you're not even paying that much. What are you talking about?
SPEAKER_01We have the pro plan, and you're still telling me, Oh, you know what? I should have known. Yes, you should have known.
SPEAKER_03You should have known. You know what's crazy, real quick? So I use one, chat LLM, and then I use perplexity. I use a number of them, so they're not the only ones I use, but just using that as an example. Perplexity got to be a male, unless we want to say alpha female. I don't know, whatever. You know, people get you know hinged up with genders, but perplexity is a male, chat llm is a female, perplexity doesn't care. I'm like, you need to be focused on this, and it just literally don't care. Chat LLM. Um, let me know if this was really good. And by the way, share with me your other script that I'll help to make sure I look at it. That is a female. I'm like, this got to be. I like working with you. Okay, this all day. It's like I think it has some kind of sensors in there to kind of like pick up what kind of person we are.
SPEAKER_01So listen, something, but yeah, like this is good. It's nice to talk to somebody else, is like in it, and you these conversations they're real, but we do, but you make it because we're building something. It sounds crazy, but empires are being built in the middle of these conversations. Yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03They are, they are, but no, literally, like honestly, and I mean, I'm saying this for sure. I I know that being an app development is I'm gonna tell y'all something, this is very powerful. One, for anybody that says, I don't know, like, should I change careers? I wouldn't say just change careers, but enhance your career, enhance your knowledge. Two, I'm a black male app developer. That's rare here in the United States. Normally we would go over to India to find somebody to create an app, but now I'm right here. Three, um, I'm gonna say the amount of money that you can make for app development, you can easily charge ten thousand dollars. Easily. So I'm saying, you know, how many people are gonna be interested in creating apps? I'm telling you, Victoria, not a lot of people. It takes time and it takes strategic, like you really have to be down to the detail. Like, literally, is this bracket in the wrong? Because if a bracket is wrong, yeah, if it's placed in the wrong place, this the production of this is gonna turn off bad and it's gonna throw the whole app off. You're not gonna have a signal. That's when you run into internal server issues, all that other stuff. But literally, I'm saying if anybody wants to change their income, you can do that, and it's just all about getting out there, not being afraid, and saying, Let me do this. But there are so many other digital products. So, to your point about starting digital uh marketing, there's so many other digital products that people want. And if you know where to tap into, you can create a spreadsheet and sell it on Google and ads, and people will buy it. So there's a potential monetization that you can have on Facebook that you can sell a spreadsheet, and people still want spreadsheets. Yeah, so yeah, it's it is it's so it's so many opportunities out here.
SPEAKER_01Where would they start?
SPEAKER_03So I'm gonna repeat what Gary V says, and Gary V is big on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, like all over social media. Gary V says spend at least 30 minutes to an hour a day on AI. Literally, get to learn it. And I thought when he said that, and I heard him say that, I want to say back in December or January. Um I thought, well, why would I do what would I do with that? But I was like, Donald, you're gonna have to figure this out. And here I am. I'm spending hours a day using AI talking to it. So I took that advice and I would say that to anybody else. Spend time with AI, learn it, develop some kind of skill set, join groups. Like I have a group on Facebook, join my group and learn about it because I'm going to be posting more about AI and helping people understand that you can leverage this the bill streams of income. So for sure, that's what my recommendation would be.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. And I'll make sure that we share that with the people to your group because it's a good group to be in, and you're an educators education. Educator, so yes, I'll definitely um be sure.
SPEAKER_03You are amazing, Victoria. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. I appreciate you too. This has been so good. I guess we'll wrap things up. I want to leave leave everyone with some inspiration. So, whether it's a new entrepreneur or one that's been at it for a while and they feel stuck, um, just what's some words of encouragement you would give to them?
SPEAKER_03Don't quit. Maybe change directions, but do not quit. Um, and one reason why I would say that is because when I've spent time at a CPA firm and the C I was aspiring to be a partner, I asked the partners, how'd you become a partner? What was the thing that you could tell me? And they said, Do not quit. So it doesn't matter I quit the firm, but it's more so don't quit whatever you're working on. As an entrepreneur, it takes time. Um, maybe you need to sell a different product, but just keep going. Ben and Jerry's, when they started off, they weren't selling bagels. They were like, Why are we not selling bagels? Then he looked around us, you know, and saw that they were at a milk farm. Let's sell ice cream and look where they are today. Then every grocery store, Ben and Jerry's household name. And um, so don't quit. Maybe change directions, maybe build another skill set, but keep at it because eventually you're gonna grow.
SPEAKER_01I love that. Thank you so much. That was that was a mouthful right there. Maybe you have to change directions, but don't directions. I love that, and you know what too. I'm gonna I'm gonna put you on the spot. I'm gonna put you on the spot. I know, I know you're a believer. Close out a little prayer if you don't mind.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely. I don't mind, Lord. We thank you for this moment. Thank you for blessing us to spend time together with each other and sharing with your people. Father, we honor you. We are gracious that you are heavenly, Father. We're gracious that you call us your children, we're gracious for the uh being a provider for us, Lord. Let this this podcast be a blessing to someone, inspire someone to want to uh do whatever they're called to do and and to even start and give them the encouragement that they need and put the right people around them to start, but also help them to recognize the people that's not there to help them get started or causing them to not grow. But Lord, help us to come together and support each other in love and as a community. And Lord, I thank you even for this um Victoria, this podcast that she started, God, that you will bless it, that you will cause this podcast to reach the world over a billion people. We call it forth, we thank you for the assignment that she's fulfilling that you've given her to do, and God, we thank you, God, that she will not quit, that she will keep going, and that it will continue to flourish and bless someone else. And we thank you, all these blessings in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
SPEAKER_01Amen. Amen. Thanks again. Listen, follow him on his socials. We're gonna have that in the show notes, okay? If you got any other things you want to shout out before we go.
SPEAKER_03So I I want to just say thank you so much. Follow me on social media. If you need somebody to help you to develop apps, I'm here. If you want to learn more about AI, I'm here. And um, so my information is um, you can reach me at Donald.butler at butlersquare.com. And I'm super, you know, available most often. If I'm busy, email or text message would definitely be helpful. But if you email me, I'll be able to get your email. My team will be able to help me to get back in touch with you. So I'm looking forward to us growing with you, but also looking look me up on social media, Donald L Butler on Instagram as well as Facebook.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Now be sure to check the show notes for the link to Donald's Facebook group so you can stay connected and continue the conversation. And if you enjoyed this episode, I'd love to stay connected with you. Make sure you join my email list to get notified when new episodes drop. And I'll also send you a couple of AI prompts to help you get started with AI in your marketing and content creation. Speaking of content creation, do you need help or are you feeling confused about your content? That's you, we need to talk. We need to talk right now. As a creative consultant, I offer clarity sessions. You can schedule your session today through the link in the show notes. That's all for now. Thanks again for tuning in, and I'll see you next time.