From healing spines as a chiropractor to captivating hearts as the executive producer and host of Wright Place TV, her transition into the media realm shows the power of following one’s passion. For over two decades, Dr. Wright has been a familiar face in millions of homes across Southern California and beyond, weaving narratives that resonate with audiences far and wide.
But her impact extends beyond the confines of television, as she tirelessly works to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs as a Top 100 Crowdfunding Expert in the United States. PVM Magazine sat down with Dr. Wright to unravel the triumphs, the challenges, and the commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
Can you walk us through your journey from opening a medical practice to becoming a renowned media personality and crowdfunding expert?
In 2011, the economy was in a recession. Because of this, small business owners were struggling to get loans and funding was difficult. I discovered crowdfunding in 2010 and thought this was a wonderful way for business owners to procure money to expand or create cash flow. At that time, many people did not know what it was, especially marginalized communities. Wanting to learn more, I dove into research and purchased the only two books on Amazon about Crowdfunding. And, I did Crowdfunding for ten of my friends in business who trusted me.
Six of those experiments went well, but four crashed and burned so hard that I am certain you can still see the smoke from here. But from that, I learned with practical experience what truly worked. You can’t just read the books and become an expert without actually doing the act. From there, I started teaching for the SBA in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, continuing to expand.
What challenges did you face in the early stages of your medical career, and how did those experiences shape your career decisions?
The biggest obstacle was finding a mentor and getting the right financing to open a practice. Unfortunately, I was underfunded and was never able to truly get over that challenge. Secondly, I could not find a local mentor. One Doctor told me to go home and be with my kids while another told me that my office was too close to her own and was competition.
No one had an interest in truly helping me, despite meeting face-to-face with twelve doctors who had thriving practices. I understood that mentors had helped them and knew I was missing a big part of success.
In the end, television was paying more than my practice, so I opted to close the office doors and dive wholeheartedly into TV. I learned the hard way that you must have your practice figured out before you graduate and go out into the world, otherwise, you are at risk.
How did your transition from practicing medicine to hosting and producing your own television program, Wright Place TV, come about?
My initial interest in TV was sparked when I guested on another show talking about strategies and tips to be healthy as an advertisement for my practice. It went very well. I looked good, sounded good, and went back to the studio to ask how I could develop my own show.
Back then, you needed to take a class to create your own show. Wanting to promote my practice, I created my first show: “A Healthier You.” It went well for two years, but I started to get an inkling to learn more about business, which is when I created the Wright Place TV Show.
My original intention with the show was to meet business people and ask my business questions. Going back to the studio, I proposed the new show and started getting it off the ground.
Could you share some insights into the inspiration behind Wright Place TV and its evolution over the past 25 years?
The original inspiration was a deep desire to get information on how to run my business better. I thought interviewing experienced business people would give me insight that I had missed, and it did. As the show became popular, I was able to leverage the fact that I could offer exposure on TV for people’s businesses. This was the first business model I used. Then, I sought out commercial sponsorship.
On the hosting side, I’ve been through a number of transitions. Unfortunately, I went through a period where I was struggling with interview burnout. I had too many guests wanting to be on the show talking about how they accidentally became millionaires or stories akin to a get-rich-quick schema. After some time, I grew tired of those stories and began to slow down my interviews, only doing the most incredible and interesting stories.
However, as I have gotten more selective and intentional with my process, I’ve been able to attract the most fascinating guest interviews recently. I consider this a great lesson in being intentional about who you invite to your platform and the messages you want to share and promote within the world.
As someone who has experienced the difficulties of finding resources and mentorship in their field, how do you believe your experiences have equipped you to support other aspiring entrepreneurs and minority-owned businesses?
Much of the advice people are giving comes from those who have resources or backup plans. Oftentimes, people who tell you not to worry about a net or a backup plan also have families who can pay their bills and take care of them while they risk it all. The SBA website used to say you can borrow money from your uncle. There is only a small amount of people who can do that. This leaves the rest of us vulnerable.
Not only do we have to navigate issues of starting a business but we also must navigate the bias of people who are supposed to help us. Banks that don’t act fairly in their practices is something people of color still deal with today. I feel passionate about supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and minority-owned businesses because I know where they are coming from and what many of their experiences are.
What motivated you to delve into the world of crowdfunding, particularly with a focus on empowering women and minority-owned businesses?
I saw crowdfunding as a way for small business owners to get funded. They wouldn’t need credit, but it would require a clear plan and the guts to move forward.
In your opinion, what are some of the key challenges faced by women and minority entrepreneurs in accessing funding, and how does crowdfunding address these challenges?
There are biases in place that prevent minorities and women from accessing capital. Often, these biases manifest as being told that you are “not ready” or being required to have better credit scores or higher amounts of collateral than their white, male counterparts. This continues to make funding difficult.
There is even a discriminatory lawsuit against a foundation that funds African American businesses. Because of these barriers, women and minorities may need to look at alternative funding such as Crowdfunding. It does not require credit and is based on your ability to raise funds. You can get investors or create a presale that can bring money into your company while building a tribe that supports your efforts in every way.
Can you highlight some success stories from your work as a crowdfunding expert and consultant that particularly resonate with you?
Goldi Blox is a game that encourages girls to become interested in engineering. I helped with the project where we were able to raise over $225,000 to carry out her vision.
She and I were both invited to President Obama’s last Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2016 as a recognition for our work. It was a wonderful conference, and even President Obama was in attendance.
How do you leverage your background in medicine and media to enhance your role as a crowdfunding consultant?
I find myself diagnosing problems and matching them with the best possible solutions as a nod to my medical background. On the media side, I always find myself seeking media or publicity involvement with any projects.
There is no cookie-cutter way to do things with crowdfunding. However, some things do not work, even though they initially seem as though they might. It’s crucial to understand how people actually act and respond to things in true life.
What advice would you offer to individuals looking to pivot in their careers, drawing from your own experiences of successfully navigating multiple transitions?
I would advise you to view it as a pivot, not as a starting over. I want people to understand that everything they have experienced in their life can be used for the next step. I never stopped calling myself a physician even though I no longer see patients. It all works for branding and differentiation.
Little did I know that decades later, there would be a wonderful actress in the Black Panther movie, one of Disney’s biggest hits, with the same name as me. You never know what will work out for your greatest good if you are willing to trust yourself, the process, and the pivot.
Additionally, don’t worry about what others think, or people thinking that you are unstable. Everyone grows and changes as they experience life. You are allowed to evolve and experience who you want to be and how you want to show up in the world. You can’t think it out, you have to actually go out and do things to experience them before you say, it’s not for me.
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