Jessica Johnson started bartending in 2008. Then she got laid off from her HR job in 2018 and realized, "I'm not clocking back in."Today she owns JusTini's, a New Orleans restaurant and cocktail bar in the Bywater. It opened in May 2023 and turned into a full restaurant because the demand pushed her there.Nobody told her what that would cost. Startup costs ran three to four times what she expected, and that was before the silverware, glassware and plates.We talked about all of it. The money, the staff, the customers, the reviews, and why she thinks Black-owned restaurants get judged harder. She's honest that she doesn't know why, and just as honest that "we're hard on our own people."If you've ever said "I should open a restaurant," or you're the customer who writes the review before talking to the manager, watch this one first.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ From bartending at Southern University to getting laid off from HR▸ The moment she knew she wasn't clocking back in▸ How JusTini's went from cocktail bar to full restaurant▸ Why startup costs run 3 to 4 times what you think▸ The hidden costs: silverware, glassware and plates▸ Being stuck between mom-and-pop and corporate expectations▸ Why Black-owned restaurants seem to get harsher reviews▸ Posting the complaint online vs. talking to the manager▸ Why tipping was never fair, and why she uses an automatic 18% gratuity▸ Why she won't give free food to everyone who asks▸ Turnover, especially in the back of the house▸ How motherhood changed what success means to her▸ Her rich lesson: your brand is your brand, down to the capital "T" and the red lip━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FOLLOW Jessica JohnsonJusTini's: https://justinisnola.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinisnola/3162 Dauphine Street, New Orleans (Bywater)JusTini's CocktailsCrash Course Bartending AcademyI Am Mommy Boss━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@RichLessonsPodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast

Gambling is everywhere now, and you don't have to leave your house to do it. 🎰 Sports betting apps, Polymarket, casino games on your phone: in this episode we're asking where the line actually is, and who's getting paid while the rest of us decide.We grew up hearing "we're going to the boat." Now the casino is in your pocket, and your favorite athlete is probably telling you to download it. 📲In this episode of Rich Lessons, we get real about:🎲 Why the old casino felt different from betting apps, and why the new version is harder to see🎲 Polymarket and betting on EVERYTHING: games, politics, the weather, and whether someone posts today🎲 Sports betting addiction and how easy it is to hide when it all happens on your phone🎲 The double standard: players and referees get banned or even jailed for betting, while leagues, ESPN, and sponsors promote the odds. In our view, that's the league selling the very thing it punishes🎲 What casinos do to keep you playing (there's a reason there are no windows)🎲 How being broke can make "what's the worst that can happen?" sound like a plan🎲 Our own stories: a college friend who couldn't stop, a lottery ticket mission in LA, and a woman asking strangers for gas money to get home🎲 Where WE draw the lineReal talk: we're not here to tell anyone how to spend their money. A $20 scratch-off or a blackjack game once in a while? That's your business. But when it's your savings, your family, or your last $20, that's a problem, and we think it's worth talking about out loud.💬 Where do you draw the line? Tell us in the comments. Is online betting just entertainment, or has it gone too far?If gambling is hurting you or someone you love, you're not alone. Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (the National Problem Gambling Helpline) or visit ncpgambling.org.

The WNBA is making headlines, but is women's basketball getting the respect it deserves?

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor break down the controversy surrounding the Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, and WNBA Finals, from arena scheduling drama to a promotional poster that had everyone asking: Who approved this?

Plus, we're talking fall TV premieres, the return of Law & Order: SVU, a new take on Carrie, and our recent trip to South Carolina for a gathering hosted by Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation.

In this week's quick takes:

• WNBA controversy: Are women's sports still being treated as an afterthought?

• Atlanta Hawks backlash and the business of women's basketball

• Fall TV premieres, Law & Order: SVU, and Carrie

• Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation and supporting communities across the South

• A quick shoutout to our latest Rich Lessons episode on Black farming, food, and the great oxtail debate

Rich Takes is the weekly hot takes series from Rich Lessons, bringing you quick, candid conversations on the latest in business, technology, money, entertainment, and culture.

New episodes weekly. Follow Rich Lessons on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and join the conversation on social media.

🎧 New Rich Lessons episodes weekly on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts
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