What does it take to turn a local food idea into a million-dollar festival? Cleveland Spears III, founder of Spears Group and producer of New Orleans’ iconic Fried Chicken Festival, takes us behind the curtain of scaling cultural events into major businesses. And though he maybe best known for events that have attracted hundreds of thousands, it might surprise you that events isn't actually his companies biggest money maker.

From raising $1.5M in sponsorships and securing partners like Raising Cane’s and the NFL, to managing 100,000+ attendees and keeping festivals affordable and inclusive, Spears reveals the strategy, risks, and lessons of producing at scale.

You’ll learn:

• How custom sponsorship packages fuel long-term growth

• Why influencers are media in today’s event landscape

• How PR and client work is his companies biggest revenue stream NOT events

• The real costs of festivals and why rain insurance matters

• Lessons from Dinner en Blanc, Rosé Fest, and the rise of Fried Chicken Fest

• Cleveland’s Rich Lesson: Be fearless in asking for what you’re worth

This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, event producers, and marketers who want to understand the business of big events, cultural branding, and fearless entrepreneurship.

Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase IV—grandson of legendary Leah Chase (whose Disney based Princess Tiana off of) and co-host of Food Network’s Family Recipes Showdown—joins the Rich Lessons Podcast to share how he’s carrying forward one of New Orleans’ most iconic Black-owned restaurants, Dooky Chase’s. From the role his family played in civil rights history to opening new restaurants like Chapter 4, expanding into airports and universities, and building partnerships with Disney, Dook reveals what it takes to honor tradition while innovating for the next generation. We talk legacy, food culture, entrepreneurship, and the rich lessons he’s learned along the way.

In this powerful episode of Rich Lessons, we sit down with Alencia Johnson, activist, author, political strategist, and founder of 1063 West Broad. From advising presidential campaigns (Obama, Biden, Harris, Warren) to launching the iconic Stand With Black Women movement at Planned Parenthood, Alencia has made a career out of disrupting systems with purpose.

We dive into her origin story, rooted in the love and legacy of her grandmother. Alencia opens up about mental health, leaving behind “success” to find self-alignment, and how she wrote her national bestseller, Flip the Tables, a bold guide for everyday disruptors.

She shares what it means to “flip the table” in your own life, why Black women must prioritize rest, and how community and clarity are essential to personal and political transformation. We also talk faith, feminism, boundaries, being your own red flag, and navigating the noise in a world obsessed with highlight reels.

Whether you’re a leader, creative, or everyday change-maker, this episode will challenge and inspire you to disrupt yourself first, then the world.

🔑 Topics:

• The story behind Flip the Tables

• Faith, family & feminine power

• Political organizing through culture

• Mental health, self-sabotage, and healing

• Why rest is resistance

• Real talk on community, boundaries & purpose

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