Building a Cultural Oasis: Bobbi Mullins on Raw Remedies, Community Empowerment, and Natural Hair Care
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This is a Kun V studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
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Good morning, and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya Flanagan, I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me
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here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.
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You Good morning Las Vegas, and welcome to the scoop with me. Tanya Flanagan, something that I don't always get to do is continue a conversation. And this morning I have the privilege of doing that. Oftentimes I talk to really interesting people who we get into these great discussions about things going on in the valley or in their lives, things that are useful to you, I hope, and in some way, impact and enlighten you on a subject you might not otherwise be familiar with, and make you say, hmm, I hadn't thought about that, but this is really great information, and allow you to seek out some of the individuals who spend time with me here on The Show. Well, this week, I am delighted to welcome back Bobby Mullins, she was with me last week. We talked about raw remedies. We talked about the art district. We talked about how beauty and health are tied together, and what she has done to bring just that beauty and health to our Valley through her great business raw remedies, which is a salon downtown in the ice district. So without further ado. Bobby, good morning, and thank you for hanging out with me again.
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Good morning. And thank you, Tony for having me. I was delighted to talk to you last week, so I am excited again this week.
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So for those of you who tuned in last week or even have caught the discussion on a podcast, one of your favorite podcasts, because you can always find the scoop on Spotify, or any podcast that you enjoy listening to, we talked about her journey as a chemist, science major guru, and how she took her passions and transformed it into her purpose and opened a business downtown as one of the few probably black business owners in our downtown area. And she's been a stall worth she's been there for 15 years as part of the arts district, and watched it evolve from a place that we didn't always frequent to a destination that Las Vegas and tourists alike find themselves roaming around every weekend, eating, dining, doing things that are necessary to life, and she's part of the necessary to life component. But yet culture and fun, so Bobby, you're the owner of raw remedies, which sits at Colorado and casino center.
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And how did you when
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you first decided to open this business? What were you thinking? Because for people who are thinking about, I want to own a business or open something, what was that part of the journey like?
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Well, so I am a visionary. And what I vision is I wanted to utilize what I knew as a child in regards to, of course, you know, every little girl grows up, we have to be able to maintain our hair. So somebody in the family knew how to braid or twist or to do hair, and that was me. It was a natural talent. I didn't discover that yet, until I was called into this industry. But what I realized is that coming to the Las Vegas downtown Arts District is that it was going to transition my life to what I what my dream of being was, and that was a that's a philanthropist, it put it's a calling to be able to develop. I've always been a developer in regards to the hair products and the needs for people. And one thing that I realized that we hadn't had, that we needed in regards to culture was an establishment that was cultivated so that we would be able to tap into tourism. That's where the being in the arts district was very important, and it was imperative that we had some representation down there in the arts district. What that meant, and what I've been honored to be able to do was to buy the block. You know, a lot of in our communities, we talk about buying back the block, and I was again, afforded the opportunity to do just that. I am the only male and or female who owns real estate and the air rights to,
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you know, in the arts district. And that is very
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It's astounding.
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Huge. It is astounding. That's huge,
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even to me. So when you when you say you own the black, let's put this in perspective, you own from casino center to give, give us the black, like let me see the square paint the square on the corner, on the corner of casino center in Colorado, which it extends to Third Street. So half of that block, that block would be the there's a their alley that separates there. So I own the east, the, excuse me, the southeast corner of casino center in Colorado, with the intention to be able to extend that to certain Colorado the the owners who showed me the property also on the other side of the block. So my intentions is to expand and buy that side as well. So when you say the other side, on the back side, because you're facing, for folks who come down, I know Finn and feathers, the restaurant spot is across the street, right? Yes, yes. So on the backside, on the backside of where you are now you might acquire,
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so, no, it wouldn't be on the backside. It would actually, it would, it would, it was going to be on Colorado, and it'll extend to third so it's actually along the same property line, okay, from my corner, and then you go to Third Street. So it's going to be the spacing portion of Colorado behind behind our buildings is actually broken up into the city owned parking lot. So it's kind of it's like a rectangular aerial position, if you're looking at it. Dave, looking at it from an aerial position, yep. So it's a longer block than it is wise. The significance to that block is that on casino Center as well as third, you have a bus line that was just brought there a year ago. So it's a major bus line that lets you write off on third in Colorado, and then casino center in Colorado, they created that as a one way. So you have Main Street that that's facing south, and they casino center faces north. So we're like, right in the heart of the of the Arts District, which is really cool. But what's even cooler is that once, once I bring my development there, because I, and we'll probably hit on that, but I'm planning to develop a 10 story building that consists of products and services to be able to tap into the tourism that we have not done yet.
Unknown Speaker 7:31
That's exciting. So I was wondering what you were seeing, and you started to answer that, like, what did you see coming in the future? Because you've got 15 years under your belt, which is great longevity, and it says you're doing something super well. You have a built client base. People seek you out, and you know what was coming next. And so a 10 story building. So that's a future plan. So in our so in our development, let me just help people understand that we also are on wedding chapel row. So we all know that there's so many wedding chapels that are that consistent in the downtown area. However they're they're not any wedding chapels that cater to what. When I say culture, I mean like island culture or reggae culture or now it's 420 culture. You know, those things that are being welcomed to Las Vegas, and what that looks like is that people who are very eclectic, people who are looking for a different type of experience, and it's more so an island based experience, because when you think of a salon, you think of being pampered, you think of things that are therapeutic. Well, I you know just basically are having the clients that we have. We have we service over 6000 members of Las Vegas, and these are regular clients. I've been able to establish different entities within that. So I'm the co founder of the black Las Vegas Food Festival, which we host,
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and that brings about 10 to 12,000 people. I've also developed a open mic called Soul sessions, which I'm the co founder of soul sessions that ran about seven years up until COVID, that brought about 200 to 300 people. So just creating this vibration was a sense of people who came from Las Vegas and they wanted something to do that was culturally down downtown, they always recommended them to come to our remedies. Well, here's where we were lacking. People wanted a place to stay. So they they're like, you know, where can we go to? You know, have a where we can have a place to stay. We can be entertained and we can get services provided. It just reminded me of a micro Hotel. So my goal was to be able to develop a micro hotel where people could eat, drink, play and stay, and more of like a when I say micro, I'm talking about maybe 75 rooms, a rooftop entertainment. Will have retail at the at the bottom. So it's going to be a.
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Multi Use product project, excuse me, that consists of all these things. And considering that we're on wedding chapel roll, my goal is to be able to target people who are wanting to get married, wanting and that are coming from out of town that just want that, just want that culture, cultural of experience, as well as products and services. I love it. I love all of that. That is so cool. Because when we were talking last week, I was thinking, Hmm, how does she grab and keep like? Because I'm hearing audience the whole entire time, right? So people come, they get these services. They learn about their hair, they learn about themselves, their food nutrition. But I'm feeling like, but if I came, I want to stay, I want to eat, I want to shop, I want to talk, I want to drink, I want to sit, I want to chill. And the word you use just resonated vibration. I'm like, that is exactly what we're talking about, a whole vibe. And so last week, when we were talking, I thought, how do you just get to come down and sit on the couch and have a glass of wine or whatever, a cup of coffee, and sit with your friends and hear cool music, or, I don't know, a book reading or whatever, some spoken word. I just feel like all of this is part of the culture that is raw remedies on what you do in the space that you occupy. So I'm super excited to hear this vision for the 70s.
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You mentioned, you mentioned books. I'm happy to tell you that we also have a bookstore on on I call it. I call law remedies at Campus, because it's, it's what it what it is. It's a there's about six designated buildings that we provide either service from those buildings, and then I also have a courtyard, which holds about two to 300 people comfortably where, where. And it has a has a stage, it has an audience that's catered again to 200 300 people the way that is broken up. It'll kind of remind you of like a tenement yard if you were going to Jamaica or the islands, and you see these group of houses, these group of cottages together. You know that kind of reminds you of like a it's an old school vibration. It's an old school seal. When people say, when they're walking, they say, this reminds me of New Orleans, or it reminds me of the Caribbean, or So again, I'm delighted to welcome analog dope. Which analog dope is a is a black bookstore which hosts a fanatic of books from any any industry that you can think of. It's a super cool bookstore, and it resides right next door to our remedy. So as people are coming to get their hair done in between time, they love to go go next door to shop for books, vinyls, and it also brings culture in that conversation that you were talking about. So we are actually bringing in businesses that are going to be a part of our larger, our larger development as well. Oh, I love it. I do. I think that is so cool. It reminds me of I was recently in Tulsa, and I went to Black Wall Street. And we went to the Fulton bookstore, which is black, predominantly black focused bookstore with all these different cool books. And I got a James Baldwin book while I was in there, and had a cup of coffee, and we sat down and we talked, and then, you know, we walked around and saw some more of the unique stores that are there. And so it just reminds me of that, that feeling, that place of home that you're creating like this sense of home, and people from various ethnic backgrounds can come and find a slice of who they are, discover something about themselves while, you know, hanging out at Raw remedies, the Royal remedies campus, and I just love that about what you're doing.
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Were you ever scared before you started to move in this direction? Or did you come from a family of entrepreneurs, because sometimes things are taught and they're just in our blood, and we have sort of a blueprint and a map of how to get there. So your beginnings, how did that come? Yeah, so, well, I wouldn't say that. So I was raised to be fearless. Let's say that for people who know my mom in the community, she's done a lot of activism work in the Las Vegas community, along with my with my step dad, Cordell Stokes, who was into politic and which, you know, I'm delighted to say that his his father, Cordell, so I'm sorry Carl Stokes, which was the first black mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, and then also,
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excuse me, Congressman Louis Stokes, who was a congressman. He was, he was, I was raised as his niece and Carl's granddaughter. So when I was younger, I used to sit and listen to their conversation in regards to certain political agendas, but also this community, community advocacy and what was needed in the community. And so what I realized that exactly what my vision is played a part to what my journey was going to be. I remember that when, when back in the 60s and the 70s, when you had a beauty salon or a bar.
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Barber a barbering salon. That's where the community went to be able to exchange dialog in regards to what was needed in the community, who they were voting for, you know, who was actually perfectly wanting to build the community so that that was a place of home for certain people, because everybody didn't have TV, everybody didn't have the luxury of being in places where these conversations could exist. But if you went to that local barber shop, or you went to that beauty supply, that beauty salon, excuse me, that's where you got your information from, right? So that's what that that's where I like to hone in the purpose of life. This salon is in the arts district and where it is. So I would say that my early childhood, I was, I was kind of mentored to be, you know, this, this person who was going to change lives, and I was never scared to do that. I've always had a rebellious streak to me, considering I was born in January and as an Aquarius. And so what that means is, you know, Independence being fierce, I never went along with the crowd. I've always kind of stood alone. But though I stood alone, I always contributed to the to the bigger picture. I'm a team player, so I feel like, okay, if I play on the team, what am I going to bring to the team? You know? So when I got started, and I'll tell you a little bit about my early childhood. I went to Crenshaw High School, and I'm from Los Angeles, California. Crenshaw High School is all has always been a popular school nationwide. And so when you when you play for and I play basketball, when you play for a school like that, you they're the image you have to keep up, you know, and fear is not one of them. So I've always, humbly, you know, knew that I had to make a difference, because people were watching. We were we were national champions, we were state champions, and then we became national champions. And that afforded me to to have my selected choice of college, which was a HBCU. I've always wanted to go to HBCU. At the time, Alcorn State was a Slack champion in that division. So that was that's where I ended up going. I ended up going to Mississippi small school in the south, but they had a great basketball program at the time, and also the late Steve McNair went there. So when you talk about legacy and leaving things high, I've always sustain that, that culture just based on my ancestors and just as a kid, listening, always asking questions, always listening and challenging people, which helped me challenge myself to say, You know what I am going to be, Black Wall Street. I know that Black Wall Street once existed. A lot of people don't. But whatever I do in this life, I'm going to ensure that if and when I do this, that people are going to know all these wonderful things that have happened in our past. So when you mentioned Black Wall Street, for instance, and I'm going to go back to the political side of it, if you drive in the alley of of one, through the alley of one of one of the sides, which will be the west side of law remys You'll see that there's a slogan that says, unbought and unbought. And next to her slogan, there's a big picture of Shirley Chisholm, which is one of my idols, and so and then next is Shirley Chisholm. There's my face that says, The saga must the her father must continue, so I'm just doing what people before me did that didn't get the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. And that's I'm just, I'm a stain of that. You know, this this dream and this vision is bigger than me, but it started early on as a as a child, and again, fear was not one of those things that live in my household, my mother, she's always taught me to be fearless, and she's always taught me to challenge myself, and so with her unique personality,
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and you know, my destiny to be this child that always wanted to do the right thing. This is what you have. This is this is the outcome.
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Well, I know your mother. I know your mother well, and I know she is super proud of you, and she is one of your biggest cheerleaders. And whenever I see her, she always has something great to tell me about, what is going on in the space of what you were doing. And speaking of all that you have done, the accolades that you have listed, the well deserved accolades, and I just I am enjoying. I've always it's like how you see someone and you don't know as much as you maybe should know. So I'm grateful that you are part of this man on the street, this two part man on the street segment last week and this week, and that I'm getting an opportunity to learn. But one of the things that is happening as you share with me that you are the African American Trailblazer award recipient, and it's going to happen first part of next year, on January 23 the city of Las Vegas is recognizing you with this African American Trailblazer award for all that you have done. Are doing, and we know that you're going to continue.
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To do great things. Congratulations on receiving this honor.
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Thank you so much. Oh, wow, I was now, that's interesting. I was nervous about that. But when it comes to awards, I kind of clam up because it's like, you know what? It's not over yet. So don't give it to me too soon, but when it when I'm when I'm selected, or I'm I'm acknowledged, it always feels, it always feels like I'm on the right path. So I love it, because you are young, and one of the things that I love to see is young people encouraged and applauded and recognized for the work that they do, because people in our generation do work really hard, and we wait a lot of times until people are older to thank them for their contributions. And it's one of the things that
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Commissioner Larry weekly used to say when he was a commissioner. He even says, Now, give people. People say it all the time, giving people their roses and their flowers while they're alive. And I think that is awesome as a young person, that the city is recognizing you for the great work that you are doing, that you have done, and I just think that's wonderful, because too often it doesn't happen that young people get recognized and the light is shine on them and we see what they're doing. So congratulations to you for receiving this African American Trailblazer award, and it's going to take place at the City Council meeting on January 23 which also will be your birthday. My birthday, yes, so, yeah,
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no, I know I sound pretty young, but I am going to be 40 something. You still young, because I have you be by a few years. I'm not going to say a lot of years. I'm going to say a few years, a few years, yes, but that decade is really technically behind me, but you are still young. And I think the great thing about that, my niece is going to be right there with you, getting into the 40 club on january 3. So she's going to come a few days before you, and it's, it's the time when I said to her, you're young, and she has, now, you know, all these ideas of blossoming in her, of the businesses and opportunities and ways she wants to use the skill set that she has to she's a social worker, to work in the mental health field and all these spaces, and then she's got this new passion about security boards, but to do these new things. And I think it is just awesome as a black woman to watch you do what you're doing, and in that space pour into others. You mentioned in the last show that you were a basketball coach and the people who work with you were a part of your team when you were coaching basketball. And I think that it is so awesome to hear that you brought people along with you on this journey and continue to cultivate them and pour into them this sense of responsibility to give back to the community.
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So tip my hat to you for that. Yeah,
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thank you for that. That's what it's about it's about leaving that legacy. You know, you you are as strong as your weakest link, and we don't have any weak links on our team. So that's one thing when you're coaching, that you you instill in people. And these people that work with me, that continues to work continuously work with me. They've been there for 12, we see 12 and 13 years. And so it's not very many small businesses that you'll find these days where, where people have, you know, 10 years there at the business, and all women working together in space. Oh, man, that's, that's, that's a beautiful thing that we typically get. It's a beautiful and the last week, we almost ran out of time, and you did your social media handles really quickly. I want to make sure that this week we dropped them in a little early. So please share with people, because I know there are people out there who want to know more about you, or those who might be looking and considering doing locks or looking for a healthier
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way to manage their hair, just to embrace some aspect of their personality that they've been afraid to explore, and you are talking about it in a way that is so loving and wonderful that they're like, You know what I'm ready to take my lock journey, or whatever it might be, in embracing
Unknown Speaker 24:15
what God gave me. So how do people find you or see you know what's what's going on, and keep up with events you guys might have coming up.
Unknown Speaker 24:23
Sure, yeah, so if you, if you're on Facebook, you're just going to look up raw remedies on Facebook, on Instagram, we're at Raw remedies. And then our website is raw remedies. Ld.com,
Unknown Speaker 24:37
and you can also Google us at Raw remedies to find all of the other avenues of how to reach us from there, you know, we're easy to find. If you are looking for, you know, something different, something sustainable, and you just have, you know, general questions about your hair or your hair journey, or you know, things that are going on, you will be more more. You know, more than.
Unknown Speaker 25:00
Happy to be able to guide you in the right direction. And I know this week, we jumped into the story behind how you became the business owner that you are, and we probably didn't share that much with those who might be tuning in for the first time in this last week's show of what raw remedies is. So I want to make sure people who might be tuning in for the first time this we get a quick recap
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about raw remedies, what you do and what you provide there. So, yeah, so, so raw remedies is a natural hair care space and boutique. What I mean by spaces, it's a it's a place that you can come and get your natural hair services, whether it's locks or twists. You can come and get natural hair products that is created by myself and formulated by myself. You can also get skin care products there. I also mentioned that the home of the analog book bookstore, the analog dope bookstore, is also on our campus as well. So if you're looking for a great read in any genre that you can think of, if you're also a person that likes the mythical vinyls, that's a place that that's a place where you can come and get those materials royal remedies. Is also a courtyard where we host events. So we are the home to the black Las Vegas food festival. We are also the home to the Las Vegas soul session, and then we also are at private venue. So if you're listening to host any type of cultural event, or, you know, poetic event, or birthday event, realness, any type, we are a space that offers those type of cultural avenues for people as well. I love that. I hadn't thought about that, but yes, I could definitely see and just had a thought pop in my head that, oh, the next time I plan an event, I want to bring it down and see if I can do it at Raw remedies, folks, it is in the heart of the art district, and so what better place to find yourself hanging out, getting a little bit of culture, getting some beauty tips, beautifying yourself, and Just relaxing and chilling and learning something that you otherwise wouldn't know. Do you also offer classes? Can people? Are there any classes that go on where people can actually come in and and learn about Well, so, plant based COVID? Yeah, so pre COVID, we did in person classes. I'm actually developing an online course, you know, for beginning, for beginners, and also for other stylists who are interested in carrying our product line as well, because I do sell the products to cosmetologists as well and other stylists. So what I would say is, right now, I'm doing a case by case, if you're interested in learning, it'll be a one on one session, and it'll be something that I would be able to reserve from you if you do reach out to rob Remy. But also, in the future, in the near future, do look for online classes and then, you know, online workshops that will be able to help manage those types of things as well. Okay? And I know our clock is ticking down, I have one personal question before the clock picks out. And we talked a lot about locks and braids and things like that. Say a person wears just a natural you see a lot of women do the twist out and the natural styles. We're probably going to run out of time. I'm going to have to ask you this question off the air, Bobby because we are going to tick out. But I want to also make sure that women who just might wear natural hair wet it, curl it up, twist it out. Your products will service them as well.
Unknown Speaker 28:24
Yes, they will our our products are specifically for natural hair care and that, that locked twist, that's loose natural hair. And then also people who have you have chemicals in their hair, currents, relaxers, who are also trying to transition into going natural. Our products are work of their hair as well, all to all types of hair and all nationalities of people. It works for everyone here. That is wonderful to know. I have thoroughly enjoyed having the time to spend with you for these last couple of weeks, last Sunday and this Sunday as well. Las Vegas listeners, I hope you have just enjoyed meeting Bobby Mullins. And if you are downtown, and when you are downtown, because I know you're going to go, please stop by and find your way to raw remnants at the corner of Colorado and casino Center. Thank you again for tuning in, Bobby. Thank you for being here.
Unknown Speaker 29:13
Thank you so much for having me. We will look forward to here. I look forward to talking with you again next week, right here on K, U, N, V, 91.5,
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jazz and more. Stay safe, stay well and happy. Thanksgiving. I
Unknown Speaker 29:31
want to thank you for tuning in to the scoop with me. Tonya Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me. I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle, T, a n, y, A F, l, a n, a G, A N. You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan, and if you have a thought, an opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to tanya.flanagan@unlv.edu
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Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week. You.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai