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00:00Hey y'all, welcome back.
00:21My name is Shameka and this is Check the Rhymes.
00:23I am super excited that you're here as always.
00:26Thank you so much for tuning in.
00:27Y'all, I know I've been all over the place
00:29with ladies edition and celebration,
00:31but this is home right here, Check the Rhymes.
00:33So I don't stray too far, so don't worry.
00:36But thank you guys for the continual support.
00:38I'm so excited.
00:40Anyway, today I love reality TV and I know you guys do too,
00:45but you throw in some family drama
00:47and it is bound to be a good show, right?
00:49So there's a new show on OWN called Family Empire Houston
00:54and it kicks off on Friday, June 28th at eight o'clock
00:57on OWN, don't forget OWN.
01:00OWN is the Oprah Winfrey Network, eight o'clock Friday.
01:03Y'all, in the building today,
01:05I have two of the show's stars here, Nicole and Jermesha.
01:10We're gonna talk about what we can expect this season
01:11and more, so stay tuned.
01:15Nicole and Jermesha, welcome to Check the Rhymes.
01:18How are you guys?
01:21We are amazing, how are you? We are wonderful.
01:24I'm excited about Family Empire Houston
01:27because one, family drama and reality TV
01:32and you guys are building a legacy.
01:35So let's talk about it.
01:36For the people that do not know,
01:38tell them what this show is all about
01:39and either one of you can answer that question
01:41or both of you.
01:44This show is about family.
01:45It's about family working together
01:47and I think a lot of people always tell us,
01:50hey, I could never work with my family,
01:52but we're here and we are doing it.
01:54Our family, from an intergenerational standpoint,
01:58and so that's what you'll see.
01:59You'll see the intergenerationality of our family,
02:02our grandmother, our aunts, our uncles,
02:05our cousins working together, oh, and our children
02:08and how this all plays out in life.
02:11You'll see the sister cousins
02:14and how we interact with each other,
02:16the struggles that we go through on our daily basis
02:18as a family, but at the end of the day,
02:20we're all working together for the same good
02:23and that's pushing forth our family legacy.
02:26I love that, because I'm thinking about my own family,
02:28like, yeah, we can't do that.
02:33Everybody has thought of that for years.
02:34They're like, I can't do it.
02:38But you know, what made you want to do the show?
02:40Because, you know, especially in our community,
02:43people tend to be like, we keep our business to ourself
02:47or just stunt for social media,
02:49but what made you want to go on television
02:51and share your story?
02:54That's either of you.
02:54Well, you know, the TV actually came looking for us.
02:57Oh, okay.
02:58The TV actually came looking for us, you know.
03:00We were approached, you know, that, hey, you know,
03:03a publicist heard our story and they said, hey,
03:06this is great, this is something
03:07that we think you guys should share.
03:10You know, it was a lot of hesitation, honestly,
03:12because putting your life out on first street is a lot,
03:15right? Yes.
03:16When we looked at it, you know, we prayed,
03:19we thought about it, we prayed about it very hard.
03:21And at the end of the day, you know,
03:22we think it's something that people need to see
03:24because we are normal people,
03:26a normal family, just like everybody else.
03:28Yeah, we work together, but we also have struggles.
03:30We also have trials and tribulations
03:32and things that we need to overcome.
03:34So, you know, our goal is to, you know,
03:36display that, hey, black families can work together.
03:39They do have issues.
03:40You know, we're just like you all, no other.
03:42We're just putting it on first street, unfortunately.
03:44But you know, we hope that we can help somebody
03:45along the way.
03:47Yeah.
03:48Are you worried about, like, you know,
03:50you know how people get when a new show is on
03:53and they got their opinion.
03:54Are you guys ready for that?
03:57I don't know if we're ready, but we're ready.
04:00We have no choice, right?
04:04We have no choice.
04:05I don't know about you, but we're here for it.
04:07Don't read the comments.
04:08That's always my advice.
04:09Don't read the comments.
04:12We have been told don't read the comments.
04:14And the one thing about us that I think
04:15is a little bit unique and different is we hate each other.
04:19So when one of us is going through something,
04:21we're all about to lift each other up.
04:23I love that.
04:24Well, the thing is, as well,
04:26we're coming here with our authentic self.
04:28We know we're not perfect.
04:29And I think if we were trying to display
04:32a perfected version of ourselves, it would be hard.
04:36But we're showing up authentic understanding
04:38that we have flaws and that people
04:40will probably pick at them.
04:41But you know what?
04:42It's okay.
04:43We chose this life.
04:44And we want people to see that life is not just all glam
04:50and it's not all perfect.
04:51And life is hard and life has challenges,
04:53but we're here to get through with each other.
04:56And I really do believe that that will strike a chord
04:59because people, I know me and other people
05:02that I've seen talking about it online,
05:04we love those shows that have people
05:07that are being their true authentic self
05:09because we can relate.
05:10So I appreciate that you guys are showing up that way.
05:13Now, I want to know about this going through life,
05:16the tribulations and the trials and all that stuff.
05:18I know there's some dramatic moments.
05:20Can you give me like a, just a little piece of tea
05:23on what kind of drama we'll get this season?
05:27Ooh.
05:33Again, you see life's challenges, right?
05:36You know, we're all, you know, we struggle in our business.
05:39You know, we struggle in our individual marriages.
05:41We struggle with our family relationships.
05:43You know, so you will see some of those things
05:46and it might not always be the prettiest, right?
05:48But at the end of the day, we get through it.
05:51Now, what inspired you to follow
05:53in your grandmother's footsteps
05:55and co-found the Brayden Real Estate Group?
06:00It was actually Axe again.
06:03Those are often the best times, right?
06:05Yeah, well, it was just one of those things
06:07that when you, we remember her and my grandfather so much.
06:11Our grandfather passed away about two years ago
06:13and we just remember what they did so much
06:15that we really just took a piece of it at the time
06:17and that was real estate
06:18and decided that we both wanted to get
06:19into the real estate industry.
06:21And let me tell you, that seed that was sold,
06:24it was just nourished and it was water
06:27and it bloomed into what we see now with, you know,
06:29with Brayden.
06:30We really just decided to get our real estate license.
06:33We both were working corporate careers
06:35and this was not our plan.
06:38We didn't put together a business plan
06:39and decide we wanted to start Brayden.
06:41It just kind of just happened.
06:43Nicole can chime in if she wants to.
06:47Well, yeah, you know,
06:48we always look to honor our grandparents.
06:50You know, and one thing that our grandmother,
06:52our screen, and you'll see us mention this on the show,
06:5412 years ago, she gave Jameesha and I tuition
06:57to go to real estate school.
06:59You know, we never thought it would evolve into this,
07:02you know, but like Jameesha says,
07:04she did sow that seed and not only did she give Jameesha
07:07and I, as our other sister cousins
07:10wanted to get into the business,
07:12she also paved the way and paid for them to go as well.
07:16Well, I love that,
07:17because that's one thing I've been thinking about.
07:19My grandfather passed away a year ago
07:21and it's like, how can I take what his legacy
07:25and carry it on?
07:26But, you know, those things to me are so powerful
07:29when you take what your grandparents
07:31have laid down the foundation for you
07:33and then you do something with it.
07:35So kudos to y'all for that.
07:38What are some of the biggest challenges though
07:40that you faced in maintaining
07:42and growing the family business?
07:44Because I'm sure Houston
07:45is a competitive real estate market.
07:50You know, a lot of the challenges are,
07:52you know, with it being a family business is,
07:56you know, the things that should be challenging
07:58sometimes aren't challenges.
07:59What we do know working with families
08:01that families don't have our back.
08:02So, you know, even when we're recruiting,
08:04or hiring employees,
08:06I actually are, you know,
08:07our family members have been the best
08:10because at the end of the day,
08:10they have our back,
08:12but real estate market is definitely a market
08:16that has its peaks and its valleys,
08:19but it's just kind of staying true to our core values.
08:22And so we're really big about what our values are
08:25and those values are really instilled through,
08:27you know, our vision of our family.
08:29And that's really, you know,
08:29working hard with each other,
08:30you know, showing respect and, you know,
08:32reaching back and pulling forward into the community.
08:35And that's kind of what's pulled us through.
08:36We're natives of Houston
08:38and we share so much in the community through our efforts.
08:42My sister, one of the sister cousins, Jaquita,
08:45you know, she heads up our,
08:48like our foundation efforts and our initiatives
08:50to be able to outreach to the community.
08:51So it's really been,
08:53I try to take that question
08:54to what's been the obstacles.
08:56The family has really,
08:57I think if we wouldn't work in a family business,
08:59it probably would have been even more difficult
09:02than it truly could have been during this time.
09:05Okay, well thank you.
09:07Let me chime in and say this,
09:08working with family,
09:09there is, that line sometimes get blurry
09:11when you try to separate family from business now.
09:14Not really yet.
09:15The lack of boundaries are definitely there, okay?
09:18The lack of boundaries.
09:21So Nicole likes to tell this story
09:23that I'll call her at 10 o'clock at night.
09:25That's her favorite little story, right, Nicole?
09:27She does.
09:28She calls at 10 o'clock.
09:29I have to literally pick up the phone
09:31and say, I am off work.
09:32I am no longer working.
09:33But she doesn't like to tell the story
09:35that she calls at six o'clock or 5.45
09:38or 5.30 in the morning
09:39because she can't sleep or she's already at work.
09:42So she doesn't share the opposite side of the story.
09:44I'm like, I'm here with my kids.
09:46I have the most kids.
09:47So Nicole, so can you please,
09:48can we transition the story that you're telling
09:50to the other side of it?
09:52That is absolutely true.
09:55My brain runs a million miles a minute in the morning
09:57and hers runs in the evening.
10:00Look, that is the biggest challenge with us.
10:04There are no boundaries to separate family from business
10:08and that's the hardest thing for us to do.
10:10Yeah, I called her last night around.
10:12It wasn't even that late.
10:13It was like 10, still like 9.45.
10:15It wasn't 10 yet.
10:16And she was like, I am not working yet.
10:21Well, I want to thank you both on, you know,
10:23hopefully the boundaries thing will get cleared up
10:25as the season goes along.
10:26But Family Empire Houston premieres Friday, June 28th
10:30at eight o'clock on OWN.
10:31Thank you both for joining me
10:32and I can't wait to check the show out.
10:35Thank you so much.
10:36I'm so excited.
10:37Thank you so much.