Show Notes

What if the thing that’s been with you since childhood—the thing you do so naturally you don’t even think about it—is the key to your financial freedom? For Dr. AJ Austin, that thing was grants. She grew up watching her mom win them, benefit from them, and prioritize education like a lifeline. Today, she teaches Black women how to win business grants and has turned her legacy into a six-figure coaching empire. This is her story—and her powerful reminder that we all have something we can monetize.

From the Front Porch to Forbes-Worthy Impact

Dr. AJ’s story starts like so many others: a single Black mom doing everything to give her children more. “My mom was resourceful,” she says. “We were always reading, always learning, always applying for something.” By age nine, Dr. AJ had already been featured on CNN for her grant work.

But it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she realized she could turn those decades of personal grant wins into a business. She applied for a $1,000 business grant, won it, and quickly saw the opportunity. “That first win lit the fire,” she shares. “I had all this knowledge—I had to teach it.”

Monetizing the Undervalued Skills Black Women Already Have

So many of us underestimate our own brilliance. Dr. AJ calls this “sitting on a gold mine.” She reminds us that the very thing you’ve been doing for free—at church, for family, in your 9–5—could be the exact skill that pays you.

And she’s not alone. Dielle Charron, host of the Women of Color Sales Show, echoes that truth: “I’ve never met a woman of color who didn’t have something to monetize.”

Building a Movement Without White Supremacy or Burnout

Inside her mentorship program at BlackWomenInGrants.com, Dr. AJ teaches her students how to navigate grants with ease and integrity. But she also models a deeper shift—doing it all without sacrificing identity, peace, or purpose.

With over 664 mentees and $320,000 in client grant wins in just a few months, her impact is undeniable.

Why Representation in Coaching Matters

One of the most emotional moments in the interview is Dr. AJ’s gratitude for finally finding a coaching container led by and for Black women. “I didn’t know what it was like to feel safe in a program,” she shares. “Being able to say the quiet part out loud changed everything.”

She names her experience in Everything Full Time as transformational—not just for the revenue she’s brought in, but for the healing that’s come from being seen.

Powerful Takeaway:

You already have something you can monetize. The challenge isn’t in finding it—it’s in giving yourself permission to charge for it. Just like Dr. AJ did, you can take what’s always been true about you and turn it into liberation for yourself and your community.

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