Meet Charlisa Goodlet | Brokepert & Conscious Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlisa Goodlet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlisa, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My brand Broke Black Bougie is a platform that creates a safe space for young Black women to talk about life, money, and wellness. Broke Black Bougie was developed after examining how my family’s money challenges significantly impacted our quality of life and how going off to college didn’t quite seem to solve my obstacles with money. The most important part of my brand is creating content that meets young Black women in various chapters of their life and highlights the many experiences of our journey in this strange place we call adulthood. As the creator of this brand, what’s important to me is creating a safe space where we talk about the intersections of race, gender, and our access to wealth building. Our workshops and online community is not the typical personal finance space, as we prioritize racial and economic justice discussions and actions. While this platform leans across generations of Black women across age groups, it’s incredible to see how many people connect with our purpose: Broke Black Bougie is dedicated to women who’ve lived through the experiences of Broke-ness, Blackness, and the Bougie lifestyle. It’s relatable because we’ve all been there, women having to make it on less than our worth. We do it while setting trends, spreading Blackassness, and ultimately busting our tales to live our best life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m most proud of the brand’s relatability and how our thought-provoking conversations lead Broke Black Bougie’s online community to share their personal stories of overcoming obstacles. When people reach out to say how this platform has made them feel more comfortable dismantling the taboo of talking about money or bringing to light meaningful conversations that people avoid addressing, it encourages me to keep creating. I’ve seen most people relate to discussions about family and money, parentification, poverty, childhood trauma, and success stories on young women reaching their financial wellness goals. This inspires me to continue developing programs and resources. In my 9-to-5, I️ work as a Policy Analyst, and while I️ do consider myself a busy policy nerd, I️ find so much peace in being a creative and connecting my interests through Broke Black Bougie. Along this journey, I’ve learned the power of storytelling; even when we may feel like there is no space for our stories to be shared, someone is always willing to listen.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a Rochester, NY native living in Albany, NY. My favorite food spots are places that have a feel-good vibe and excellent tasting food, of course! Pre-pandemic, when my loved ones come to visit me in Albany, I️ always love to take a trip to Umana Restaurant & Wine Bar for tasty international cuisine. When I’m in Rochester, I️ prefer my mother’s soul food, but I️ will break bread at my favorite soul food restaurants Unkl Moe’s and BoBo’s Chicken Shack.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While being a Black body and maneuvering through anti-Black spaces, I’ve learned the importance of surrounding myself with people whose politics and work mirror real solutions that create change for Black lives. I now understand my strength is not limited when I️ produce work that aligns with what I️ care about the most, reparations and liberation. I️ dedicate my shoutout to the women who have saved my life: my mother, my beloved sister, and the women of NNLB, a collective whose work is dedicated to Black liberation, direct reparations, abolition, and the decriminalization of poverty. I️ highly advise those passionate about this work to visit www.nnlbunited.com to learn more.

Website: www.BrokeBlackBougie.com, www.nnlbunited.com
Instagram: @BrokeBlackBougie, @NNLBUNITED
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrokeBlackBougie

Image Credits
The last photo included on the brand story page highlighting me at a protest was shot by Kisha Bari @KishaBari