Ask Red & Black

How can I be better at “buying American”?


Red assets.rebelmouse.io


I must admit that before we wrote our book and Black insisted on having it printed in the U.S.A. (even though it doubled the cost), I never thought about buying American-made products . I only focused on price and quality. But even once I became more aware of buying American, I still didn’t do it often enough. Even when the pandemic, and the associated supply chain issues limited products from overseas, showed how we’ve become so dependent on imports.

So, why don’t I do it more often? Well, I wish I had a good answer, especially as I know I should, and I want to. But I’m not sure how to turn my “good intentions” into actions. Especially since all my decisions need to be cost-conscious and products made overseas are usually cheaper.


Black assets.rebelmouse.io


Cheaper is a relative term. Maybe in absolute price, but you also need to consider quality because something that may be cheaper, but not last as long so needs to be replaced more often, may actually be more expensive. But, the first step is simply getting in the habit of “checking labels”.

And, then understanding your motivation. Are you being patriotic? Is it about job creation? (FYI, without making this an economics lesson, buying American has a ripple effect as it helps the companies making the products and also companies that support them – from suppliers to energy providers to accounting firms.) Maybe it is related to climate change (shipping products across the world increases carbon footprints). Bottom line: How much “extra” are you willing (or can you afford) to pay for environmental and safety reasons? (Many countries can produce products cheaper than we can due to less stringent, or non-existent, regulations regarding pollution, human rights, and consumer safety.)

values & priorities
Ask Red & Black

Real Questions. Real Answers.

Design by Sawyer Pennington

JUST LIKE MOM?

One of the things that drove Red crazy growing up was when our mother asked everyone questions. Lots and lots of questions. But that was because Red was a quiet, unassuming child who disliked attention of any sort. However, as she grew up, she realized how else do you find answers? Black, on the other hand, rarely asks personal questions, figuring if you want her to know something, you’ll volunteer it. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. (WARNING! Her favorite one is, “Why?”)

OUR FAVORITE QUESTIONS …

Our favorite part of Speaking Engagements is when we open it up to questions from the audience, and, more often than not, we run out of time before we run out of questions. Many times, the questions are predictable (Did Red’s husband ever get a job?) and sometimes they’re not what we expected (What did Black learn from Red? FYI, she had to pause before answering). However, given Black turned Red’s crisis into a book — a brand — a business, we haven’t gotten a question that we refused to answer. (Note: Please do NOT take that as a challenge.)

We’ve also done countless media interviews, and the questions from media professionals are not very different from the ones at speaking engagements. However, many of them provide us with an opportunity to share food for thought and “instantly actionable” suggestions, so we’ll share the “better” questions with you.

QUESTIONS WE ASK EACH OTHER?

If you’re wondering if we ever generate the questions, the answer is “yes.” Why? Because sometimes one of us wants to know how the other one would answer it. Typically, Black’s curious about Red’s self-proclaimed “mere mortal” take on a topic, but sometimes it’s Red needing a non-emotional perspective.

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!

We love questions. And, yes, you can submit one. (Red gets very excited when they arrive in her inbox.)

If you receive our newsletter, you’re part of the group we invite to send questions to Red, Black, or both of us.

We read them almost immediately. (Red insists.) From there, we select the questions most likely to resonate with our community — ones that are useful, thought-provoking, or simply fun.

Because the goal isn’t just to respond. It’s to make it worth sharing.

P. S. — If you want to be part of this community, sign up on the sticky bar at the bottom of this page.

q & a
Ask Red & Black

You asked us ... Do you follow March Madness?

So much of what we had to say about March Madness in our 2023 post still holds true … Red’s lack of interest and Black’s love of …


Red assets.rebelmouse.io


Until a few years ago, I would have thought March Madness had something to do with Spring Break. I’ve never followed sports (pro or college), but once my younger daughter started playing competitive high school volleyball, and then applied to colleges, I learned all about college sports and division teams.

This year, living in the Greater Houston area, I couldn’t help getting caught up in March Madness since the University of Houston was a No. 1 seed. (I hate to admit it, but it’s the same with the Houston Astros. I’m not interested until they make it to the playoffs.) But now that Houston has been eliminated, my only real interest in March Madness is avoiding Houston’s NRG Stadium since that’s where the Final Four playoffs will be held, and the traffic will be, well, madness!


Black assets.rebelmouse.io


I love March Madness. Not because I love the sport but because the statistics are fascinating. (Plus, it is a great name.) The odds of filling out a perfect bracket (correctly predicting all game winners once the March Madness teams are selected) are almost too small to calculate. Out of a record 20 million brackets submitted on ESPN this year, just 37 picked the men’s Final Four. That's 0.000185%.

And, this is the first time all four No. 1 seeds were eliminated during the Sweet Sixteen, not even making it to the Elite Eight, let alone the Final Four. Which improves the odds of this being a “Cinderella Story” year.


sports
Ask Red & Black

Asking Again: Is one of you “the boss”?

FULL QUESTION: Asking Again: I love how Red & Black is run by two sisters. Is one of you “the boss”?

We thought this would be the perfect question to rerun on National Boss’s Day. Why? Well, we think the responses below say it all …



Red's Head assets.rebelmouse.io

Oh yes, definitely! Without question, that would be Black. In fact, on more than one occasion, I've been known to refer to her as The Boss (and I'm not talking about Bruce Springsteen). It's usually me kidding around and saying something along the lines of "I'll have to check with The Boss." (Even my daughters have heard me refer to their aunt that way, and they've never questioned me, so there must be some agreement, at least in my family, about who's the boss.)

To a great extent, it may be because if you were to compare our bios, I don't think my background as a mom prepared me to be a businesswoman, although Black has tried to convince me otherwise. On the other hand, Black's bio makes it painfully obvious she's "all business" so better suited to be "the boss."


Black's Head Black assets.rebelmouse.io


It depends on how you define "boss." If you are referring to who owns more of the company, I hold 1% more than Red, which technically means I have more"authority". And, I will admit that as the older sister, I have more practice being bossy (especially as she has always tried to avoid conflict), but when it comes to business, I value teamwork. Red has a perspective and background very different than mine (that is an understatement!), but the key is acknowledging that – and learning from one another in order to make the best business decisions.

The bottom line is there would be no Red & Black … without Red or without Black. It is truly a partnership.
business