(mellow music) - Sometimes life gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you would do with a clean slate.

Our guest on this episode is Dr.

LaDonna Boyd, President and CEO of the R.H.

Boyd family of companies.

♪ I've thrown away my compass, done with the chart ♪ ♪ I'm tired of spinning around ♪ ♪ Looking for direction, Northern Star ♪ ♪ I'm tired of spinning around, I'll just step out ♪ ♪ Throw my doubt into the sea ♪ ♪ Oh, what's meant to be will be ♪ Dr.

LaDonna Boyd is a fifth-generation President and CEO of the R.H.

Boyd family of companies in Nashville, Tennessee.

Focused on innovation, creativity, and transforming the business landscape while advocating the many social causes close to her heart.

An advocate for economic empowerment, Dr.

Boyd is dedicated to creating opportunities for underserved communities, elevating educational access for all, and driving forward wellness initiatives.

She has multiple degrees, including a bachelor's from Spelman College, an MBA from Tennessee State University, and a PhD from Pepperdine University.

She further honed her skills by earning two certificates from Harvard.

Community service is a passion for Dr.

LaDonna Boyd, where she currently serves on several boards, including as chairman of the holding company for Citizens Savings Bank and Trust, and a member of the boards of the National Museum of African American Music and the Nashville Ballet.

She is also a founding member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and established the R.H.

Boyd Legacy Ball.

Dr.

Boyd's community accolades and awards and numerous recognitions includes being inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and receiving the prestigious Madam C.J.

Walker Award from Mother A.M.E.

Zion Church in Harlem, New York.

And two resolutions from Davidson County, Tennessee, recognizing her community service and celebrating R.H.

Boyd's 125th anniversary.

She's an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and makes her home with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.

Well, LaDonna, thank you so much for taking this time to be with us.

We're really excited to have you on "Clean Slate."

- Thank you.

It's an honor to be here.

- Well, you are running a fifth-generation family business, and that has to be an incredible opportunity and responsibility.

So tell me about that.

Tell me the story of R.H.

Boyd.

- Okay, so R.H.

Boyd was my great-great-grandfather, stands for Richard Henry Boyd.

He was born in Mississippi in 1843, so very different times, if you will.

- Yep.

- He was born enslaved and he was a brilliant man.

So he taught himself how to read and write.

He studied theology.

He eventually became a pastor.

He had obviously other things.

He was a cowboy at one point, but he settled on theology.

And he moved to Nashville in 1896 from Texas.

While he was in Texas, he planted multiple churches.

He founded several of the Baptist conventions as well, and then wanted to create a publishing entity so that at that time freed Black people would have an opportunity to have their own voices heard in their faith-based literature and music resources as well.

We're known for our hymnals too.

But he wanted to move to Nashville because that was and still is a printing and publishing hub.

So he came here in November of 1896 and founded what was then the National Baptist Publishing Board, now known as R.H.

Boyd.

So in 2000, we renamed it to honor the founder.

- Wow.

- Yeah, yeah.

- You have a degree in economics, right?

And you studied French, and you have an MBA and multiple degrees.

- Yeah.

- A PhD.

You also have two certificates from Harvard.

So what do you bring from education and also just your own personal experience to the organization?

- Great question.

Well, yeah, so I studied econ and finance, and my doctorate's in education, so I have an EdD in organizational leadership.

So I wanted an applicable approach to learning and education and adult learning especially and technology.

So actually woven throughout all of those is the implementation of technology.

And I finished my doctorate right before AI was a whole thing, right?

So talking about information and communication technologies and what that looked like then pre-pandemic and now going into a whole nother genre of technology and artificial intelligence and whatnot.

But, for me, I bring not only financial literacy, but the importance of implementing technology in everything that we do.

So often I get, it's so funny.

Even I think last week someone was asking me about, "How do eBooks and digital technology, how has that impacted your business?"

And I think it's a great thing.

I think people are thinking, "Oh, it's been horrible.

We hate it."

No, we love it.

For me, it's a different platform.

It's a different way of reaching people from all sides of the planet, you know?

We can sell things to any country digitally.

And so I think it's been a phenomenal tool that we've been able to leverage and hopefully be able to spread our message around all the globe.

- So lifelong learning clearly is important for you.

And a lot of the content that you print and create, right, is educational.

- [LaDonna] Mm-hmm.

- Much of it's faith-based.

How do you think that impacts a community to have that kind of access in education and materials?

- Yeah, I think that it's something that we take great pride in.

So going back to the foundation, again, the reason why we were founded was for Christian education resources and giving people that look like us an opportunity to have our voices heard in our published materials and beyond.

So that is still very important to us.

So providing resources, and I'm speaking mostly about our Christian education side of our business right now.

Being able to have an applicable approach to Christian ideology and ideals, not necessarily what some would say like high church, you know, not like buttoned up and super stuffy in that capacity, if you will.

But we want to take biblical principles and be able to apply them to everyday, real-world scenario.

So Sundays are important to us, but what's more important to me is Monday through Saturday.

So what does that look like, when people read our materials and they are collectively gathered or doing personal study, be it Sunday morning or whenever it is, like how do they actually take those principles and nuances and apply them to running their businesses, managing their families, their finances, their health, their hobbies, their vices, you know, whatever it might be?

And that's what we take great pride in.

- You know, it's interesting, LaDonna, that you talk about, you know, Sundays are important, but it's the rest of the week.

And something that I know our community appreciates about you is you're a wonderful philanthropist.

R.H.

Boyd has a legacy ball that really makes a difference in a lot of people's lives.

So I want you to share a little bit about that, but also you really are a founding member and a real reason why the National Museum for African American Music is here in Nashville.

So will you share a little bit about both of those?

- Absolutely, so I'll start with the museum.

So that was a vision of my father, Dr.

T.B.

Boyd III, as well as one of his best friends, Francis Guess.

So they wanted to start a museum where the history of Black music could be expressed because Black music permeates through every genre, really founded most, from rock and roll, R&B, blues, jazz.

Most of that came from Black music, and actually most of that started in the Black church.

So they wanted to tell that story, and I'm so happy to have been on that team to help bring that to fruition.

So I was on the board and one of the donors as well, and we actually have a space in that museum that's named after my father and my mother.

So we're very excited and happy to be able to tell that story as well.

So we get so many compliments on how great the museum is, how fun it is, how it brings a different perspective.

So I think it's truly one of the jewels of Nashville, and I hope more people get to experience that.

- I do too.

It's great.

And then tell me about the Legacy Ball.

How did that start and what is the purpose of that?

- Okay, so that started in 2022, kind of going back.

I've been on quite a few boards and gone to all the big balls and the galas in the city.

And I thought, "I would love to chair one of these big events."

And, you know, it's a whole kind of secret society, if you will, all of that.

And I thought, wait, hold on, I'm not going to do that.

I'm not going to work that hard or kind of play those games," if you will, for another organization when we have our own entity that can be supported in this capacity and create a space for people that you might not see in those other spaces, if you will.

So I really wanted to focus on something that was accessible to the community, the focus predominantly on African American excellence and what that looks like and the achievements of different organizations and individuals in our community, but really telling the whole story of Nashville and what that looks like.

So we're so happy that's become one of the top social events of the city, and we're really excited next year.

So it will be on Juneteenth, 2027.

So excited to celebrate that holiday with the sixth Legacy Ball.

So yeah, it's been a labor of love.

It's a lot of work to put on an event like that, but I'm thankful that every year it's been a huge success.

And even the first year it sold out and I thought, "Wow."

It's still to this day, it's very surreal when I get on the stage and just see a room full of people that are buying into the vision, if you will.

So something that I just thought up in my head like this would be great.

And then to have support of so many people, sold out crowds, great sponsors, and media coverage, and just creating an opportunity again for people that may not be in other spaces to be able to come and share and fellowship with us is really fun.

- Yeah, I think it is great, and it recognizes certainly the legacy of your family, but also so many really wonderful stories, and the funds really do support a lot of opportunity for people in the community.

- Yeah, so it's the fundraising arm for the R.H.

Boyd Family Endowment Fund.

So through that we give scholarships and grants, and it's been really impactful.

So we've supported students in colleges and universities across the country, as well as local and national nonprofits as well.

So we really want to shift the trajectory of current and future generations and, you know, what better way to do that than have a great party too, right?

(both chuckle) - I love that.

You've spoken a lot about economic empowerment and what a difference that can make for communities, for individuals.

Can you share a little bit about that passion?

- Yeah, absolutely.

Economic empowerment and literacy, it's so important.

Like, we know money's not the most important thing, but it's kind of the most important thing.

Having not just money, but resources.

So understanding how to gain and leverage resources is important.

Being able to, with our work with Citizens Bank, which my great-great-grandfather was also a founder, so we're the oldest Black financial institution in the country and having that right there on Jefferson Street is so important because we've been able to literally help generations with their education, their homes, starting their businesses, just financial literacy and impact as well is so special and near and dear to our hearts.

So, for me, financial opportunities give you options, and I think people really need to understand that you have to take control of your own life.

And by doing that, you have to take control of your own resources and access to resources as well.

So it's a longer like nuanced conversation, right?

But not speaking too much just on the history of that, but we know that certain demographics have been systemically oppressed and not able to have access to money, to capital, to the best interest rates, so on and so forth.

We know what the impact of redlining has done for home ownership and equity.

So being able to combat that is very important.

- Have you ever thought about getting into politics?

- Yes, I will say yes.

I'm not committing.

This is not a campaign.

We're not launching anything.

But I love politics.

I love just, well, it's almost kind of a circus right now, but just it's like I don't want to think of politics as something that's entertaining because that's not what it's intended to do.

It's supposed to help people and take care of our country.

But, again, not getting into much of a political conversation, but we can see in real time the impact of those that are not qualified and should not be in politics on a local, state, and national level.

We see what that's done and the hellscape it's created for so many people.

- So leadership is important to you.

- Absolutely, absolutely.

- I know you've been in through Leadership Nashville, you've had so many awards, you're recognized in Nashville's "30 Under 30" and Nashville Business Journal's top "40 Under 40."

So you're clearly- - I need a 50 under 50 now.

I've kind of aged out of those other group.

- No, no, you never age out.

You never age out of being recognized for good work.

So you're a role model- - [LaDonna] Thank you.

- for a lot of people.

And I've read recently that there seems to be a renaissance for Black women.

Would you agree with that and how do you feel about that?

- Well, I'd say Black women have always been the renaissance, if you will.

We've always had to make a lot out of a little, and certainly now it's a forced renaissance, I think as it always has been, but as we see, the data shows over 700,000 Black women have been pushed out of the workforce in the past 18 months or so intentionally.

And so what they, the collective they thought would break us has just given us another opportunity for entrepreneurship and really creating a future that's more amenable to what we desire, what that looks like.

- Do you have a role model?

- Ooh, do I have a role model?

I have a lot of role models.

That's a great question.

And I don't want to name names per se, but everyone from people that are my immediate circle, to those that are more unattainable, if you will, just that I'm familiar with and have been influenced by and love to see the work that they're doing.

So I have a lot of role models and I kind of have a mosaic of inspiration, if you will.

I take certain attributes from different women, and men too, but mostly the ladies, of what they've done well, maybe what they haven't done well and kind of take what I need, make that little recipe for what I want and how I'm motivated.

Everything from style, to the way I articulate myself, to educational achievements, to just future things that I want to do.

So very thankful for the women.

- I love that mosaic image.

I think that's really important for us to think about and as a community as well.

So I'm going to ask you a question because the premise of this show is clean slate.

What would you do with a clean slate?

Either, you know, for yourself, or it could be professionally, personally, or it could be for your community.

- Yeah, so that's the question I'm dreading the most like, what would that look like?

But I've actually had kind of this internal dialogue for as long as I can remember about, you know, the what if and if that even exists.

If we're looking at an alternate universe, like a different plane, if you will, it's like, does that opportunity ever even really exist?

So I don't know.

I think being a person of faith, but also of logic and serendipity and all the things, it's like, you know, did that opportunity exist then or is it something that is to come?

I think that all of us, or many of us are living the life we dreamed of or put into motion 5 or 10 years ago without even realizing it because what you think and how you act and carry yourself on a daily basis is what guides your future.

So when I think back how I exist today, it's like, oh, I thought of this five years ago and just brought it to existence based on where I give my time and my attention, if that makes sense.

- Absolutely.

- Kind of more than what we had bargained for.

- No, I think it's such a great, what a unique answer.

And let me just say that's such a great thought, though, that, you know, you can manifest.

You can actually manifest that when you speak into existence almost.

- Yeah, and I think about that.

I've been very intentional about that as of late.

It's like, okay, what do I want my life to look like in five years or 10 years?

And realizing how fast that time goes, how fast five or 10 years kind of flies by, and it's like, wait a second, that was much faster than I anticipated.

- Right.

- And so what do I need to do today?

So I literally have like notes in my phone.

I have reminders every day like, "You need to do this thing today.

Do this now so that you can reap the benefit or have the discipline when all the things that you've thought about for your alternate life can actually become a reality."

- I love that.

That is great.

So I'm sorry you dreaded the question, but I'm glad you had that answer.

It was just so perfect.

I know family's important to you.

Clearly your business is built with family.

And what do you think your great-great-grandfather would say to you right now?

- That's a good question too.

I've actually thought of that.

First of all, it's like someone born in 1843 kind of being dropped into 2026 would probably like, "What happened?

What is this?"

But we have things that they never would have thought about.

I literally have the world in my hands on an iPhone.

You know, the iPhone I think came out the year I graduated college.

So even transitioning into full or partial adulthood at that point, it's like everything has been different.

So he was a serial entrepreneur, so he had multiple businesses.

I think he would say, you know, grab at everything, kind of see what sticks in terms of entrepreneurial opportunity.

But I think what was most important to him was commitment to the mission of freedom and liberation, which for me is the most important thing is liberation.

It doesn't matter what genre, whether it's publishing or whatever else, it's liberation.

And what that means for myself, for my family, our community, for our people.

What does that look like?

So what would be that call to action now of freedom and liberation and responsibility?

I don't know.

- That's great.

So something, and I'm curious about this, and I don't know what your great-great-grandfather would think about it, but I bet he would be very impressed, is you have an interest in perfumes, right?

- I do, yeah.

- You have two certificates from France in French perfumery?

- Yes.

- Okay, you have to tell me about that.

- Okay, so that's something that, I think even when I was little, you know, you get little cosmetic sets and all the stuff when you're little, and I just always love perfume.

So I think my father used to buy really high end perfumes for my mother, so I would always see that when I was little.

He would give me some too, you know?

So I had all these cool niche perfumes like in junior high and high school.

And I've always loved the idea of how scent and memory are connected physiologically and ideologically, like the idea of redolence.

So a scent triggering a memory of something you've experienced or creating an environment for a perceived experience.

And so like studying the science of that, the connection to actual memory and really when COVID hit and I lost my sense of smell briefly.

I was so thankful it was briefly.

But it's like how your world changes when you don't have that ability to smell something.

- Right.

- So it came back with a vengeance.

I'm glad it came back fully, but that was really scary.

But then even studying how people that lost it, I don't remember the word for the loss of scent right now, but when it comes to me, I will say that.

But even for people that lost certain senses like smelling citrus would help bring it back.

It's like, why is that?

That's interesting science.

It's a fascinating idea, the connection between your nose and your brain.

And I even attended two medical conferences or events last week talking about the importance in people that have Alzheimer's, for example, or other neurological deficiencies, like just the connection to sense of smell, hearing loss, et cetera.

So taking all of those senses very seriously.

But anyway, perfumery allowed me to not only indulge my love of shopping and buying things that are nice and pretty and fun, but trying to understand the chemistry behind it as well.

So to France, I went and pursued two certificates.

First of all, to become a nose, it's over a seven-year educational program.

You have to be able to identify thousands of just raw materials or scent combinations, just simple smells.

I'm not a formally trained nose by any stretch of the measure, but I was able to take courses at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, and that was just a fascinating experience.

I got to use a little bit of my French skills.

- Wow.

- But yeah, to be able to have all these raw materials and just really understand the chemistry behind them and what just one drop of something, how it completely changes a formulation is fascinating.

And it's like, okay, that has nuances in all areas of life, but to learn how to actually make a fragrance is fantastic.

Like from seed like of a plant or whatever, to a final bottle in someone's hand is just a fascinating process and how much it takes to make something.

Like, you know, thousands of flowers going into one bottle.

- Wow.

- Wow, yeah.

- It really is mind boggling.

And is that an area you see yourself getting into from a business standpoint someday?

- I've thought about it, but I like the hobby of it versus like the business responsibility of it.

- Right.

- Right?

- Yeah, it's like art.

It is art.

It's the art of perfumery, but it's like a painter, a writer, a poet.

It's not something that you can force.

You have to be in that creative mindset, if you will, to be able to create something that you really love, especially if it's a hobby and just a passion.

So I don't know, maybe in the future that's something to consider, but right now I enjoy experiencing new perfumes and learning about new niche houses.

I like to blend as well.

I have my own raw material, so actually creating it and understanding those very little measurements and little drops of things, how that changes the formula.

- Do you have a signature for you?

Is there a signature fragrance?

- No, actually, no, I do not have a signature because I don't like to smell the same twice.

- Oh.

- I never like that.

It's always something fresh and brand new every day, different.

I like to combine, so I'll do a lot of combinations.

And yeah, it's like, you know, "Whoa, what is that?"

Everyone's like, "What are you wearing?

What is that smell?"

I literally can't tell you because it's so much stuff.

It's all the things from what I put in my hair and lotions and all the things.

Like, my counter is just full of stuff.

- I love that.

Well, we're going to run out of time, sadly.

This is so much fun.

I do want to ask you, you're very active.

You do yoga, you hike, you travel.

- I need to get back into my yoga practice.

- Do you?

Okay.

- Yes, I loved it.

And it's like I need to just focus on that more because it was very grounding and peaceful, and I need a little bit more of that.

- Well, what is next for you?

- What is next for me?

I don't know.

It's literally whatever I wake up and decide.

I like that freedom and flexibility of adventure and being able to say, "All right, I'm going to this place today.

I'm doing this thing today."

Whether it's going to a perfumery, going antiquing, going to somewhere on the other side of the planet, whatever it might be.

I just feel like whatever journey I'm on, it comes to me through my creative state, and I'm really excited to see what that is.

- Well, me too, LaDonna.

Thank you so much for taking this time.

♪ I've thrown away my compass, done with the chart ♪ ♪ I'm tired of spinning around ♪ ♪ Looking for direction ♪ - Right now, what's the most exciting thing for you in your world?

- This year at R.H.

Boyd, we are celebrating our 130th anniversary.

So going back to your question about what would my great-great-grandfather think, he probably didn't think it would go 130 years, I would imagine, because I would say many of the social concerns that he founded the business for probably thought there'd be resolution by now.

And because there's not, the work still continues.

(gentle music)