Kimberly Evans is the founder and CEO of Just Her Rideshare, a safe alternative rideshare for women. She’s 57 and new to the tech industry, but a seasoned entrepreneur. She didn’t go to business school, in fact, she barely finished high school. But here she is, many businesses under her belt, starting yet another. So how does she continue to push forward as a 57-year-old black female entrepreneur in America? By committing to a very powerful purpose, that’s how. (She's also whip-smart, compassionate, thoughtful, and tenacious. My goodness did I love talking to her.) Listen to her episode now to find out more!
Kimberly Evans is the founder and CEO of Just Her Rideshare, a safe alternative rideshare for women. She’s 57 and new to the tech industry, but a seasoned entrepreneur. She didn’t go to business school, in fact, she barely finished high school. But here she is, many businesses under her belt, starting yet another. So how does she continue to push forward as a 57-year-old black female entrepreneur in America? By committing to a very powerful purpose, that’s how. (She's also whip-smart, compassionate, thoughtful, and tenacious. My goodness did I love talking to her.) Listen to her episode now to find out more!
https://www.justherrideshare.com/
Full transcript available on www.iamthisage.com
Hi my name is Kimberly Evans I am a servant of others I am a wife of almost twenty six years I'm a mom a grand mom I'm also a business owner and a social entrepreneur. And I am 57 years old.
02:39.55
jellyfishind
Hi Kimberly welcome to the podcast.
02:43.26
Kimberly Evans
Thank you for having me I'm so excited to be here with you.
02:46.63
jellyfishind
I am so excited to have you I've been really looking forward to talking to you? Um, so we're I'm just gonna get into it because obviously we have a lot to cover. Um, but I want to start by talking about. Sort of where you began you had a career in a lot of careers. You had a career in fashion. You had a career in software sales. Um, 21 years working in management at the Us postal service and you left that. To build your own customer support call center company a logistics and transportation company and all under the umbrella of an engineering consulting company which you and your husband owned together. Um, which is that's. Impressive as an impressive list of accomplishments um, you were approached by your now former business partner to start just her rideshare had you been looking to start another company.
03:51.90
Kimberly Evans
Um, actually I'm a serial entrepreneur as you can tell based on the history and you got everything correct. So I knew that I would launch into something new I Just didn't know what it would be.
03:56.38
jellyfishind
Yeah.
04:10.86
Kimberly Evans
Um, but I knew it had to be something that had a social impact element to it because that's what my life has basically been about I've already always built companies around social impact so I was not technically looking. Um. Start another business I actually was working a business I was working my call center business and I actually met my former business partner at Winthrop University in South Carolina where I was actually promoting my business to scale and grow through the women's business center. And we met that way in 17 and just sort of built a relationship over the course of the next couple of years but no I wasn't just looking for another business.
04:56.45
jellyfishind
Ah, oh Wow. Okay I didn't realize that you had that history with her but that makes sense. Um, so what attracted you to so to helping her start just her ride share.
05:06.70
Kimberly Evans
Well actually just her rideshare was birth out of my idea when I was with my former business partner. It was something different. It was a different um trajectory it was a different mission and vision. But what attracted me because I was introduced to the ride share industry not just her just her was birth out of what I created but I was introduced to this potential partnership because of my business acumen. Ah, and.
05:30.25
jellyfishind
Okay, got it.
05:41.56
Kimberly Evans
What resonated with me was that I was a person who was actually living um this problem right? So I grew up I like to say I am a woman of a certain age. And I grew up stranger danger. So when the ride share and industry became this huge phenomenon it wasn't anything that I was interested in taking part of it just because of my own comfort level and some fear factor and so I was first. Um, solving a problem for myself because I had not taken a ride taken a ride share without my husband and so that was sort of ah the first thing because I was like hey now I can help create a space where women like myself. You know we get the right to choose. And so that resonated with me first. But also there was some tragedy involved which helped me sort of push this to the next level which I lost a dear friend. It was the pre- ride share era but it left me feeling very vulnerable as a young woman. Ah, but I lost a dear friend who was abducted and brutally murdered by a man. She did not know and so that sort of added to my anxiety and fear factor of just hopping in the vehicle with people that I didn't know.
07:00.41
jellyfishind
Yeah, oh my goodness that makes sense and you told me a little bit about that before but again I'm so sorry about your friend who um so you had never worked in tech before this you were.
07:08.90
Kimberly Evans
Thank you.
07:19.60
jellyfishind
Um, 55 when this when this started you weren't just going in to work in the tech industry. You were starting your own like app based tech company. What sort of internal conversations were you having about this.
07:37.91
Kimberly Evans
It's interesting. You would say that because I am such a gutsy person like you tell me? no and I'll go find a way so I wasn't thinking that it was going to be difficult I Knew that technology was not an area that I was familiar with but I.
07:41.76
jellyfishind
Clearly. Ah.
07:48.37
jellyfishind
Um.
07:55.72
Kimberly Evans
Thought I've always been of the mindset that if you put the right people in place around you surround yourself by people who know more who are smarter you can do anything most people who work jobs these days.
08:10.73
jellyfishind
Kitchen.
08:11.96
Kimberly Evans
Didn't get it or didn't get there by their own merit. They got there because of people around them helping them to achieve to certain Status. So I was like crazy enough to think that I could do it now when I got involved that was a different. That was a different conversation.
08:28.66
jellyfishind
So how did that internal conversation change as you got more involved and learned more.
08:36.23
Kimberly Evans
It went from you could do this no problem to girl what the heck are you thinking? but so that conversation went from you know am I truly over my head.
08:52.33
jellyfishind
Who.
08:54.63
Kimberly Evans
You know can I do this. It went from oh I can do all things again with a great team with great support to literally what have you gotten yourself into and I had to sort of navigate through those ebbs and flows of what that was now becoming. And the more ah that I would delve deeper into it the more ah fear started to come and then I got to a space to where um I just had to do it scared.
09:27.99
jellyfishind
I Love that idea of like figuring out how to do it scared can you I don't know talk maybe a little bit more about how do you do it scared because fear is immobilizing for so many of us.
09:44.32
Kimberly Evans
It is and it can be ah but what I learned in particular on this journey because I never built a company on this scale before um and what I learned and what I was able to accept was that I was going to make mistakes right. I was going to have to learn the importance of learning and the mistake and not losing the lessons and so what I could not do in the beginning was shake the fact that there was going to be failure right because I was used to sort of succeeding.
10:23.13
Kimberly Evans
And always looked at succeeding even in failure I never looked at it like it was failure I always looked at it like it was lessons to be learned but I had to get over that fear of oh my gosh I'm putting myself out there. We're getting all of this press. You know we've. Won you know, an award for one of the top 10 startups to watch in 2022 my entire city they had their eyes on me, they're watching me and so it was um, it was it wasn't easy sort of you know navigating through that. But what I learned ah just walking one morning and sort of the spiritual side just having this conversation about okay, what would failure look like in this business because failure looks different in different. You know things that we put our hands to to work. And I thought okay what does failure look like here in this business and when I started thinking about that it didn't seem so bad. It. It made me realize that I wasn't afraid of the failure I was more afraid of not proceeding to see if I could succeed. Or fail. So that that's what it became to me and then I realized and then a light bulb went off in my head and said so what? So what? if you don't achieve this level or so what? if you don't achieve that you can handle it and it was. You know I'm not saying that I don't get discouraged now and I don't get overwhelmed, but it looks very different now I'll just say that.
12:02.95
jellyfishind
Um I Love that I got just I just got chills. Um, what an important distinction of like what exactly am I afraid of so you kind of maybe answered this question but I'm Curious. You've started so many businesses. Um, do the fears starting. Ah ah, do the fears around starting this company differ from the fears of starting other businesses.
12:29.51
Kimberly Evans
I Won't say the fear um is different I think the intensity of it is different like you could be a little afraid if you're launching out into something um that you may not have as much stake in the game right.
12:34.70
jellyfishind
And.
12:44.24
jellyfishind
Um.
12:46.98
Kimberly Evans
Versus launching something where you could potentially lose your life savings. So There's a different level of intensity which means it sort of forces you to work a little harder. Um, you know to sort of do more to try and Succeed. So I Think the fear is is there. And I think that there are levels to it. But for me, it was the intensity it was you know could I breathe you know and starting a clothing business and you know failing at that or you know could I breathe and starting. This rideshare company where I'm going to impact ah women who deal with social issues. So. It's not just a rideshare but it becomes about building Community. So I don't know if that makes sense but there were just different levels of intensity I would say.
13:33.29
jellyfishind
O. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense and did I mean this I'm curious because this is a podcast about age. Um, what you know? what? if anything like has your. You know, being in your mid 50 s and starting this new venture in tech like has that how is that affect whoop Sorry how has that affected you or has it.
14:06.82
Kimberly Evans
It has absolutely ah 100 % it has you know as I talked about sort of the fear earlier and sort of just doing it scared um because one of my girlfriends helped me to sort of realize you know that realization that I could do it scared. But you know it was interesting because I asked myself a couple of times you know was I on the right path because I had this visual these goals these plans. To do it one way and now I'm on a different path and I'm in my mid 50 s so I ask myself? Oh my gosh like I'm adding the stress level to my life when I should be sort of relaxing and sort of coasting into my 60 s. And now here you are you're building this company where you have late nights and early mornings and so I've asked myself you know girl are you taking years off of your life. So that part of it. You know is like okay, what am I doing. So I would say yeah you know, starting a company. You know if you I think statistically I read somewhere where most millionaires are made in their fifty s nowadays. It might be a little different because of all of the social media and access to some of the ways that the younger people you know you can make money. But for the most part traditionally.
15:32.72
jellyfishind
And.
15:37.41
Kimberly Evans
Um, most millionaires were kind of made in their fifty s and so you know my husband will remind me of that you know and I would say am I too old to be doing this. You know should I be doing something else. That's you know more relaxing but here's the thing. Um, Molly that was super important to me one day again. I usually have my morning walks. Meditation and I always always like using this as an analogy because um I used to love to bake a lot and I would bake cakes and I actually got pretty good at it at 1 time where I was selling my cakes you know to a restaurant and so I thought that was pretty cool but I was walking one day and I was like oh my gosh I'm so overwhelmed. Why didn't I just bake cakes for like just open a cake shop and it was like again it was that spiritual moment that said to me hey so you think you bake cakes pretty good and I was like yeah heck yeah I bake cakes pretty good and he was like well where's the challenge in that. So how are you going to be stretched. How are you going to know what your next process is your next purpose and so I was like okay I'm not going to say that anymore because once you do that? Well and it sort of becomes redundant in a way. Um, and we can get really comfortable and complacent. And we could just stay stuck in that place now I'm not saying that's a bad place for some because that might be a stopping place for some but I knew it wasn't for me I knew that I needed to be challenged more and cake baking wasn't going to be the thing to do it. So.
17:01.67
jellyfishind
I knew I needed to talk to you today. Thank you for that answer um wait did you go to business school or anything did you study business. Wow.
17:12.63
Kimberly Evans
I did not you would not believe um I have very humble beginnings. Um I grew up in a very um difficult childhood. Um, there was Alcoholism. There was um. Verbal abuse as well as physical abuse in the home not to me or my siblings. But I saw my mother suffer at the hands of an abuser. Um I can remember you know having moments of of just being so terrified. Um, that.
17:49.30
Kimberly Evans
This person was going to kill my mother that it really damaged me for a lot of years education was not a priority in our home. Ah, some of most of my siblings were childhood were teenage parents I should say and married very young which resulted in divorce. And so there were broken homes and so I come from very very humble beginnings as a young woman I even struggle with insecurities about just being valuable just being enough and it wasn't until I got in my late twenty s that I really knew. Ah, who I was and I I was able to. To rest in that so I didn't go to business school barely finished high school went to community college but I've always been fortunate enough to build great relationships around people because of my personality and so that has helped me and been a conduit for me to get into places. And access to platforms that ordinarily I wouldn't have had so.
18:48.47
jellyfishind
Wow wow. Okay, so ten months into starting this company. Your co-founder quit. How did you internalize that.
19:03.49
Kimberly Evans
Oh my goodness Molly that was a very difficult time for me I gotta tell you um I love um, building teams I love what teams represent I love seeing other people shine and what they're good at. Right? I always say I'm good at a lot of things but I'm not good at everything and I love seeing people utilize the platforms that they have their talents and be great and so I was um I loved having thought partners. That's the 1 thing that I absolutely miss about co-founders because you have someone. If. It's the right person that you can have a thought partner um I was broken like I was really broken behind this I took some time to sort of reflect on everything that went wrong I wanted to own my crap I wanted to figure out what I could have done better. Um, and it was you know it was it was a difficult situation and um, the disappointment was here. We were 2 black women. We wanted to I wanted to dispel the myth that black women could not work together. Um that we could not be powerful that we were. Caddie or you know all of these you know, ah stereotypes I wanted to dispel that and I got to tell you that it was just that it was someone not all but having the right partner. Being able to clearly define roles and responsibilities is truly important but I was really broken and it took some time for me to adjust of whether or not I wanted to move forward whether or not I wanted to continue launching because here was my sister that we had so many hopes and dreams of taking. You know on the world and doing something great in the world and it was gone in ten months after building, you know, late nights and early mornings and putting my my finances and my hard work into it so it was pretty difficult.
21:05.98
jellyfishind
Yeah, how did that impact your commitment to the company and what made you keep going.
21:15.80
Kimberly Evans
I Knew it was bigger than myself I knew that what I needed to do and this power of connectivity I knew that it wasn't just about me I had dreams and visions Of. Of what I saw this could be and the impact that it could have on the lives of women and so people often ask me, you know what makes you keep going like why didn't you quit and I always say because it's so many more women connected to what I'm doing. If I quit Yeah, there are a lot of people out there who could do it but I know that I have a specific task I know I have a specific mission and if I quit then the women around me in my family and my community in my orbit. They don't get to experience the process of me building something great in this world and so that was my commitment for going. It was so much bigger than me.
22:18.33
jellyfishind
Yeah, Wow. So what was the next like big thing that you did after your partner left to get you moving again.
22:27.91
Kimberly Evans
Oh my gosh I would say the most serendipitous moment was that we literally we had after I prayed about it and sort of said. Okay, it's time for me to move forward. Um, it was literally thirty days and the company was revamped of course. I and I built the infrastructure of that company. It was under a different name but now is relaunching a new brand a new name and literally in thirty days it it was happening I raised my first 25000 I think we had actually raised about thirty one thousand at that time and. And I and it literally blew my mind I thought oh gosh I'm really really on the on the right path. Um, but that gave me sort of an incentive that hey maybe perhaps this will work. You know if I put the heart work into it that it will work. So.
23:18.70
jellyfishind
Yeah Wow. Um, so how do you speaking of like raising money. How do you get people to trust you and work with you and invest in you when you're brand new to an industry and I need this.
23:37.32
Kimberly Evans
Yes, well I wish I had a magic bullet but I don't because statistically statistically we know that women. Um.
23:38.47
jellyfishind
For me like this is like such a personal question tell me your secrets.
23:55.23
Kimberly Evans
You know and even during the pandemic we were hoping that it would get better but the numbers even failed ah failed slightly lower of the amount of capital that women in general raise in this industry. The reality is they don't write checks to women to people like us and in particular. For a black woman founder. So it is extremely difficult raising capital I am at the beginning stages of it I actually spoke with an investor this morning I am usually having meetings with them day in and day out. But I'm on a little bit of a different trajectory I started out early on. Because I'd never raised capital before my husband and I were fortunate enough to bootstrap our own businesses. So raising capital was very new I was very intimidated I didn't feel worthy that someone could write me a million dollar check it didn't feel natural to me asking people for money.
24:51.28
Kimberly Evans
Ah, but I knew that I needed to do it I Just didn't know the best time and one of the things that I could have discovered that I discovered I wish I had discovered earlier was finding the right time ah to raise capital.
24:53.66
jellyfishind
Um.
25:06.62
Kimberly Evans
When are you ready when are you vc ready or when do you need to raise capital through friends and family through angels through family offices and so it took me about four months of going through classes I didn't even know I barely knew what a cap table was. Evaluation cap when I started and so I did the work and I learned I became more comfortable I learned my financials my numbers I wanted to be able to answers sustaining challenging questions from investors because that was the 1 thing that intimidated me I could tell my story I felt comfortable. In front of anyone I set at the table with men who had raised $800000000 and I wasn't intimidated at all except when it came to the numbers when it came to write me a check you know like cut the check but it was It's been very difficult and it's been a journey that I um.
26:00.61
Kimberly Evans
You know I was told it was difficult and now I see that it's actually difficult to do ah but there are some things that you can learn I took an approach to where I started building relationships First. So Usually if I'm meeting with an investor.. It's not always about write me a check right? It's usually about building. Um, relationships getting advice. They say if you want a check ask for advice if you want it by you know the other way Around. It's some saying. But anyway, um, it Um, So it's it's been really difficult and I know it's going to be a long journey but it only takes one.
26:26.45
jellyfishind
Oh.
26:37.29
Kimberly Evans
Um, the investor that I spoke with this morning. It only takes one and it just takes a lot of work to get to that one? Ah, but there are other things you can do there. There is alternative funding. There's so many different things that you can do You don't have to let that be ah you know the thing that stops you from moving forward.
26:53.78
jellyfishind
Yeah, ah that sounds scary and hard and good on you I hope that it goes well with that. Um, with the investor you talked to this morning.
27:04.28
Kimberly Evans
Thank you? Well, he's actually not an investor that would invest in my company. We're not his sweet spot. But this is this is where you learn you find out but he may he knows someone who is so when you start building relationships and you start seeking. For advice you never know where that may lead he and I actually judged a um, a pitch competition a couple of weeks ago at the university of North Carolina we had an hbc u hackathon and so we were judging together. It was my very first pitch competition that I judged I'm usually on the other side pitching. And so it was um, it was pretty cool to do that with him and so I just asked hey can we? Um, he had seen me pitch a couple of times before nationally and I was I just said hey can we just stay connected I'd love to conversation with you about this whole raising capital. Um, and and that's how we started ah building and so through that conversation he was like hey I know a couple of people that I'd love to introduce you to and so if there there are many ways of getting to where we need to get.
28:08.70
jellyfishind
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense but it really is all about relationships isn't it Um, and your team I'm always talking about my team I like quote unquote team I don't actually have a team but I have like a support team.
28:16.66
Kimberly Evans
It is yes, Um, yes. Yes, Well you you have to speak those things that are not as though they were if you talk about your team Now. It can sort of be um, the thing that you actually sort of call into existence. You know I Want my team to you know, be this way or I want to get.
28:28.16
jellyfishind
A.
28:38.69
jellyfishind
Um, yeah.
28:44.78
Kimberly Evans
You know the perfect CO or the perfect Cto not perfect literally but you could start speaking those things even though they haven't happened.
28:49.52
jellyfishind
Yeah, yeah I think that's right I agree. Um, okay, so obviously your biggest competitors are are uber and lyft right? Um, so how do you stay focused and calm when knowing that that's what you're up against.
29:06.81
Kimberly Evans
Well, here's the thing we are not up against them actually because we could never compete with them straight up and down because we are in the same marketplace, we do share obviously this same industry. Which can be very intimidating ah but because we're a niche market. We're doing something that they are not doing um that they don't really have a desire to do at least at this point we have a little bit of a different trajectory than an uber or lyft our goal is not to. Try to compete with them side by side but our trajectory our path is to build out the social impact to do what they're not doing so when we think of the ridesharing industry everybody thinks of uber and lyft I like to focus on what they're not doing right. What they're not doing in my opinion is keeping keeping women safe the way that they should what they're not doing in my opinion is creating specific programs that answer the call to women who are impacted by social issues including second chances what they are not doing. They are not building community with women. We are not just driving women or creating a safe work environment. But we're literally building community with them where we are trying to figure out how can we give equity in our company to our drivers. This is how much we hear. About the women that we're going to come in contact with so is it tough going into a marketplace with huge brand recognition who dominate the market share absolutely will it take a lot of marketing. Absolutely, but we have a little bit of a different approach and a little bit of a secret sauce that we think will differentiate us from them.
31:05.52
jellyfishind
Hell yeah I love that? Um, what do you do when you're feeling overwhelmed or full of doubt. What do you do? How do you get out of that space.
31:16.99
Kimberly Evans
I gotta tell you and don't think I'm crazy but I do a couple different things. Um I love to pray for one but and I love taking walks and I love listening to waterfalls. Right? Like I'm I'm just a fanatic of a really great river run or waterfall or something but when I am ah working in my office and I start to get overwhelmed I have recorded a message to myself. Um, with the bail that goes off that reminds me. To take a break right? Reminds me to focus on something other than what I'm doing and so it pretty much goes like this you know Kim step away from your desk. You know, go take a look out the window. You cannot get this all accomplished today and then what that forces me to do is I find one of my co-founder. Not co-founder but 1 of my founder friends. Um, I find ah you know someone who I am sort of engaged or connected in their business and I just give them a call and say hey what are you working on today. You know what can I do to support you so it helps to take the attention off of what I'm doing. And it helps you to focus on what someone else is doing and even if it's 1 thing whether it's an introduction whether it's a a phone call to encourage someone that helps me now you know I don't know if you know what anybody else does but I know for me, it helps it reminds me. Of you know all of the things that I have going on right? like you could just get so overwhelmed and if you allow it. It will just take it will take you over it would it will overtake you I should say um so for me that helps to release it helps to for me to just. Look out the window for 20 minutes and say um, you know, just think about something different and so yeah, that's kind of what I do.
33:25.96
jellyfishind
I Love that idea What is it about trying new things and starting new businesses that you find the most interesting.
33:35.88
Kimberly Evans
Oh okay, that's a good one. Um, what intrigues me the most is I get an opportunity to create I get an opportunity to build I get an opportunity to explore what I'm good At. Like you know what? I'm saying like you don't know sometimes what you're good.. There's some things you know that you're pretty good at but finding new ways it opens up a door for you because we are so amazing and women of God Of course we are just Phenomenal. We have so many things in our repertoire. Ah, and so for me to be able to start something new or even consider starting something New. It gets me excited I'm like ooh I could be really good at that or ooh I could help somebody be good at that. So. So yeah, that's the part I Love the most.
34:23.50
jellyfishind
I Love that and actually that kind of goes into my next question I was going to ask you in what ways have you underestimated yourself or or in other words like when have you proved capable of something that you didn't know you were capable of before.
34:38.46
Kimberly Evans
Building this business I gotta say I mean come on like really like who does this at 55 like who launches into I do right? So who launches a business a non-technical founder.
34:47.80
jellyfishind
You do.
34:57.23
Kimberly Evans
In a tech company in a 2 sided marketplace in a tough as transportation industry. You know who does this at 55 and so ah, yeah, so I've proven to myself and I got to tell you if we shut down today. The thing that I'm most proud of is. Obviously the the development ah of our app but the growth you know like it. It makes me feel like I can go and build anything right? like that I could at least I would die trying for sure but it helps me to realize that you know the relationships that I've built along the way. These are so impactful. Full relationships long lasting relationships that when all of this is said and done. You know, whatever happens 5 to 7 even years from now these are relationships that I've built along the way that I will still have once you know we're we're all doing something different. So yeah. So that that's the thing that that helps me to realize you know I can do this. You know Yeah no mistakes only lessons. Yes.
35:59.23
jellyfishind
Yeah, yeah, there are no mistakes I'm only lessons I'm always talking about my learning journey. This is just my learning journey and I'm just gathering information.
36:13.19
Kimberly Evans
that's that's so interesting you would say that because my husband has been trying to get me to because I mentor aspiring entrepreneurs young women who are just starting out who may be just an ideation stage. And my husband is like oh my gosh, you're so good at this like you should really just package this up and and sell it and I was like yeah I would be okay except I don't like being on camera and so he was like well just do audio just do something and you know I got to tell you that. When I would get frustrated with whatever was going on with the business I would be reminded of every experience that I have I started saying oh that's just more content shoot I'm not going to get upset about that if that didn't go because here's the experience that I had we were changing our company. Because we were raising capital so we were changing the company's entity from an l lc to a Ccorp literally I went to three cpas including my own since 2003 I talked to 4 people at the Irs about how I should do to classify our company. You know whether or not we needed to do a new ein literally every single one except for one there was so much ambiguity in what I needed to do. It was literally two weeks of trying to get this straighten out eventually and and it was very frustrating but eventually we got it straight now and I was so upset.
37:41.70
Kimberly Evans
And then this light bulb went off in my head and said guess what you're going to be able to share that with someone else. That's just more content. So I love that you said these are your learning lessons. Yeah I Love that.
37:49.56
jellyfishind
Yeah, yeah, learning Yeah, that's awesome. Um, in what ways have other people underestimated your capabilities and how have you been able to move past those.
38:02.29
Kimberly Evans
Um, you know what? I've had a lot of support. Um, here's what I was I looked for when I got on this journey I remember doing my first magazine article in we are travel girls um ah a magazine that's based out of.
38:21.34
Kimberly Evans
Ah, out of I want to say London if I'm not mistaken, but it was probably maybe a year and a half ago and I talked about in that article. Um about mentors finding great mentors because in the beginning. I looked for people to really tell me girl you are about to bump your head right? Like what are you doing I looked for people to be real with me to give me real feedback and I didn't find it I didn't find it until later on in the process and I wish that people would have so it wasn't.
38:55.65
Kimberly Evans
They underestimated me I Just think that they were just not honest with me about some of the process and it would have helped me it wouldn't have discouraged me or stopped me. It would have just made me work a little harder. Um, but it wasn't that they underestimated me so far I've been able to to meet really great people that said hey. Um, it's going to be tough, you know, but I believe you can do it I Believe there's space for you. But I don't want to deceive you. It's going to be hard. But I believe if anybody can do it, you possibly can and so if there have been others who have underestimated me. They have been. Suckers and they have not told me but.
39:36.20
jellyfishind
Um I love that and I love that now because you you couldn't necessarily find the mentors of the people that you needed that you're creating that for other people that's so cool. Yeah.
39:46.53
Kimberly Evans
Yes, absolutely. It's important to do so because here's the way I see it um experiences the best teacher obviously but if there are ways that I can lessen your pain shorten The journey. For you to get to your destination I feel like it's my job to do So. There are a lot of people that will not assist you for fear for whatever reason you know that you may get further than them or you may I don't know. Do it better. But.
40:08.40
jellyfishind
Yeah, just.
40:24.18
Kimberly Evans
I'm thankful that that is not me I'm thankful that I have sort of the spirit that listen if there is a ditch at the end of the road I'm going to let you know that that ditch is there now if you want to walk over in that ditch you can. But I'm going to tell you listen, There's a street to the left and there's a street to the right. And you can go either way and that might save you some time. It might save you some hardship. It might save you some money and so I feel like that's my job to do so.
40:52.50
jellyfishind
Yeah, oh man I Completely agree with you I'm right there with you. Um I think there are a lot of people out there who are like I struggled so much you should struggle just as much as I did and it's like wait. What no wouldn't it be nice if you.
41:09.20
jellyfishind
If if we like helped the people coming after us to not struggle as much as we struggled like isn't that the point.
41:12.26
Kimberly Evans
Absolutely absolutely I do not subscribe to that thought process. Um, now I don't I don't think that you have to give away all of your secret sauce. Um, that's not wise we know people have taken ideas of other business.
41:30.45
Kimberly Evans
People who have worked really hard. But if you can help somebody along the way to smooth that journey that path you you you should do it and if you don't do it shame on you.
41:39.85
jellyfishind
Yes I agree. So then what does your support system look like.
41:47.47
Kimberly Evans
Well, my support system starts first with my husband who has encouraged me to do this? Um, even when I did have doubt that you can do it. He was one of the ones that prayed with me that encouraged me in the beginning to move forward that there was something great that I had put my hands on and it would be a tragedy for me not to see it through so that was a huge support. He is also a wonderful provider. Um, he is providing as I'm working this company full time I'm a full time entrepreneur so you can imagine I launched in June of 2020 and I'm used to earning income which means that our our household our family. It suffers financially so it is a huge sacrifice so he's my biggest supporter um, my other support is my team. You talked about team earlier and a lot of times when you're building startups your tape can change. You know everybody's not meant to go the full journey. There are seasons. There are cycles and a lot of times we try to hold on to something that's only supposed to be for a certain amount of time but I got to tell you I am super super proud of because as a revenue sensitive company. The biggest. Um, the hardest thing is to acquire talent because you don't have the money to pay someone's value but I have had such a group a great group of interns and apprentice that you would think that we're running a fortune 500 company right. Um, because I've always learned early on to operate business in excellence right? like people who are looking from the outside in they don't know that your company is not a brick and mortar or they don't know that your company is revenue sensitive because you appear. Ah, not that you're faking it but that you're operating in excellence. So I always say I don't care if you have a hot dog stand on the side of the road you better make sure that hot dog is in that bun perfectly right? I mean not perfect, but you want to present it. Excellent. So my team my young team of interns and apprentice and then we have.
44:02.34
jellyfishind
Right.
44:11.49
Kimberly Evans
Obviously we've had to bring on some great talent and you know we have a product manager you know and ah a dev shop. But yeah I got to say um you know that's my biggest support I could not do it without them.
44:26.80
jellyfishind
Yeah, you have 3 children. They're all adults. Basically um, how do you think that they see you and how do you hope that they see you or what do you think that they so or what do you hope that they see it do sorry.
44:31.92
Kimberly Evans
Yes.
44:44.19
Kimberly Evans
Yeah, that's okay, well I um first a mom you know because I have served my family um I've served my husband I've served my sons. They've seen me serve my community.
44:45.39
jellyfishind
Knows.
45:01.88
Kimberly Evans
Says my children were small. They've seen me work in their schools. They've seen me work in our church they see they see me serve 2 or 3 times a month I've taught them how to be servants of others. Um in terms of business. My son. My middle son is going to be graduating may seventh with his Mba. He was a student athlete. He is the 1 child that I academia wise I did not think he I knew he would get through college because he was on a baseball scholarship but I did not know that he would go this far. Um, my youngest son who finished at the top of his class. The highest honors who was building computers at 13 he now trades on the foreign exchange market at 20 um, he was the one that dropped out of college and I was devastated so it was quite different.
45:46.60
jellyfishind
Wow. Ah.
45:55.41
Kimberly Evans
But when we talk to them when my husband and I My husband's an engineer by Trade. So when we talk to them about what we're trying to create for them. It's legacy wealth. It's not for us because we're you know we're in our 50 s and so what we're building now is for them. It's for their children and I hope that they would see us. For me in particular I Hope that my children above everything would see that I'm a servant of others. That's the most important it's not business. Um, it's great. They see me working hard but I believe at the end of the day. It's what you can do for other people in this world that really matters.
46:32.80
jellyfishind
Yeah, yeah, it's very clear that that is your highest value. Um, okay, so can you talk a little bit about like how just her rideshare works What it you know, tell us what it is and how it works.
46:34.30
Kimberly Evans
So.
46:38.30
Kimberly Evans
Um, yes.
46:49.37
Kimberly Evans
Yeah, yeah, sure thanks for asking. So just her ride share is primarily a rideshare community of women drivers and riders right? So we are again our Mantras we're not just driving women.
46:51.49
jellyfishind
Love.
47:04.36
Kimberly Evans
Or creating a safe work environment for them. But we're building communities so we created in our technology a community portal called just her hub and this is a place where women will be able to connect and engage and support one another as we're also supporting them whether it is you know you need access to childcare you need access to. Car care. You need. We want to make sure that you at least we provide resources for you. 1 of the things that I love about just her rideshare. We are a b to b to c company the b two b part is extremely important to me because here is where we partner with organizations who.
47:44.10
Kimberly Evans
Support women who are impacted by domestic violence sexual assault sex trafficking or displaced so we have partnerships with organizations who are going to be supporting refugees who are coming into our country and so we're not only going to become um a transportation solution. Ah, but we're also going to be able to offer them a place where they could feel like I'm just not picking up somebody because I need to earn extra money but I feel like I'm a part of this community I feel like this community cares for me remember we're we're talking about women right? So you're not talking about. Men who hop in the car with each other and they may discuss the stock market or a game on the way to the airport. You're talking about women when we get ah around each other if we're vulnerable if we're open enough. I might know who your children are who your grandmother is who your Auntie is because we're so used to building communities. It encourages the sharing of stories and journeys and when we're vulnerable. We're empowered like we we get each other and so that's the atmosphere that we want to create. In terms of our business model. It is um, just think of an uber or lyft you know except we're a community of women.
49:03.10
jellyfishind
I Love all of that and I love your commitment to building community especially around women and helping women. It's so cool and it's so needed and it's just it's just awesome. Um, thank you? um.
49:15.46
Kimberly Evans
Thank you.
49:21.84
jellyfishind
So how is the launch going.
49:22.54
Kimberly Evans
The launch is going ah slowly I will I will say that because again we're raising capital right? We just started our preeed round So we're raising Capital We've been through a friends and family round. We don't necessarily have.
49:25.49
jellyfishind
Um, okay, um.
49:40.99
Kimberly Evans
A network of rich uncles that can write us $100000 checks so that was very tedious. We've done non-dillutive type crowdfunding platforms. Um, we had some success there and we are going through like the Sba process.
49:44.77
jellyfishind
Yeah.
49:58.29
Kimberly Evans
To sort of maybe see if debt financing isn't alternative funding so we're we're just um, exploring every opportunity while we are on this path of raising capital. We are very very close like we have been approved and in the app store for our mobile app. We are having some problems with my problem child Android so we've been tweaking some um, some security measures with our Android app this week um that has been resolved. We just need to test and we are trying to have. We're starting to onboard drivers.
50:26.62
jellyfishind
Okay.
50:36.63
Kimberly Evans
Who are already in our waiting room. We haven't even started a driver acquisition campaign yet. Um, we start that next week but we already have drivers who have just heard about us who have downloaded the app they are on. They want to you know we just haven't vetted them and onboarded so we're going to start that next week and we're going to try to have drivers in the market by next.
50:54.90
jellyfishind
Amazing and I was um in a lift just the other day with a woman driver and I mentioned your come I'm in Chicago near in North Carolina but I mentioned your company and she said that she had heard of it and she was really excited about it.
50:56.50
Kimberly Evans
Mob so.
51:12.21
jellyfishind
And we sort of were talking like it was just what an amazing smart idea and yeah, give yeah.
51:17.40
Kimberly Evans
I love that Chicago is we have a huge support system in Chicago. So Fox 32 news ran an article about a year and a half ago and from that interview literally before the interview was over I had people. In my Dm saying are you coming to Chicago when are you coming? We actually even got a call from the red from the regional economic development team. They wanted to highlight us for women's international month and they were like when are you coming to Chicago like we actually have programs here.
51:43.11
jellyfishind
Umny.
51:53.60
Kimberly Evans
That could help you know because we talked a little bit about our b two b side and so we were initially we were going to launch in Atlanta but since then we've sort of deviated from that a little bit and Chicago may be our second rollout in terms of state statewide. So but yeah.
52:06.20
jellyfishind
Yeah, yes.
52:12.20
Kimberly Evans
Yeah, we we love Chicago and I'm so excited to hear that more people we've had so much publicity like we we had a feature on the freaking Nasdaq tower so we've had we we made the business journal twice last year I had a friend of mine who runs who's the.
52:20.90
jellyfishind
Wow Oh my goodness.
52:30.68
Kimberly Evans
The director of the black tech um Charlotte and he called me up and he was like who makes the business journal twice in 1 year and I was like we do. But.
52:40.80
jellyfishind
Hell yeah, amazing. Wow! Um I'm just I'm like in awe of you this. Thank you so much I'm so grateful Clearly, you're so busy and I'm so grateful that you have like carved out this hour to talk to me and.
52:41.85
Kimberly Evans
Ah, yes.
52:57.69
jellyfishind
Um, and also thank you for your incredible work that you do in the world and for women and I just I am inspired by you and I needed this conversation for many many reasons but also because I've been feeling crappy for so for like all week and I'm like I just have this feeling that this is going to energize me.
53:13.65
Kimberly Evans
Oh.
53:15.66
jellyfishind
Um, so really thank you so much for your time. Um I know this is a lot and it takes a lot of energy and that just it's I Really appreciate it.
53:22.46
Kimberly Evans
Well actually Molly this has been great. Um, you're so easy to talk to thank you for just to having an organic conversation with me. No judgment I love that and this has been good for me like it helps to.
53:39.67
Kimberly Evans
For me to talk about it. It helps for me to talk about my experiences it helps for me to be able to sort of be transparent and and release. So. Thank you so much for the opportunity to share this platform with you. I'm always humbled by anyone who wants to have a conversation with me. So Thank you.
53:57.90
jellyfishind
Oh my God I would love to talk to you again. Hopefully soon? Um, so anytime and you're welcome and I'm I'm so glad this was helpful because this is why I'm doing this like I think we all need to yeah talk about our stories share our stories.
54:07.79
Kimberly Evans
You? Yeah absolutely we'll circle back and give your listeners. Let them know when we have hit the ground running and we'll give them an update and we'll let them know when we're coming. To a city near them. So I'd love to do a follow-up with you.
54:25.87
jellyfishind
Yes, oh my god I would love that so much. Yes, a hundred percent it's happening. Um, okay thank you so much I'm going to stop the recording but please don't leave yet. Okay.
54:30.96
Kimberly Evans
Also. Okay, all right. Thanks Molly.