Today we’d like to introduce you to L’Sonne Fasho.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Business: As a kid, my family didn’t have it all, but we weren’t bad off. I remember there would be times when I wanted things, and we couldn’t afford them. My desires didn’t change, though. A lack of money and not having enough awakened the hustler’s spirit in me. I used to go out and mow lawns, buy and resell things, take out the trash, sweep Jimmy’s barbershop (NU IMAGE I & II), eventually becoming Tito’s shop (Xclusive Cutz). I remember tie-dying socks and shirts, fundraisers, delivering papers, and distributing flyers. I tried almost anything a kid without a worker’s permit could do to earn money. I saved to buy some of the things I wanted for myself. At that time, if I could get a flip phone with some minutes and a point card for whatever game I was playing, I was straight!
I could spell the word “entrepreneur” before I learned how to spell “independent.” I knew I wanted to create meaningful businesses. I remember getting an Entrepreneur magazine and seeing Gary Vaynerchuk smiling on the front cover. I still have that magazine. Somewhere between 70-85% of people say they want to own a business, but out of all the companies that start, less than half make it to year 5, & less than that will make it to year 10. As an entrepreneur, you’ll have to make calculated risks with the expectation that what you do will eventually be profitable. I wasn’t afraid to take risks, and I haven’t been afraid to fail and retake risks.
Going to college was a massive step for me. When I was in high school, I thought you had to have three things to get to college: 1) Be extremely smart & get scholarships, 2) Be an incredible athlete & get scholarships, or 3) Have a lot of money. I didn’t have any of those. Stepping on campus as a student was surreal for me.
When I selected my major as Business Administration with an Entrepreneurship Emphasis and a Minor in Theatre, I never changed it. I knew that’s what I wanted to do because I wanted to learn more about myself. I would learn business and economics, acting and directing, and discover myself.
My official transcript is insane. I failed so many classes, and I withdrew so many times, but I never took a semester off. I kept going back and registering for the courses. After a certain point, it wasn’t about the education or the people I’d meet anymore. It was just about finishing. I had to. I wanted that for myself. I set my expectations. I began in the Fall of 2016 and finally completed the program for my degree and graduated in Spring, May 6, 2023, from Charleston Southern University.
In college, I formed two businesses. One was an electronic retail (THE SHOP EXPERTS). I took a skill I learned in high school and applied it to this company. We repaired mobile devices and sold electronics and accessories. The second is a personal finance community (Cardiobudget). Our focus is getting people to budget their personal/business finances. In America, only about 40% of people use a monthly budgeting system to keep track of their finances. We’re going to change that. We’re allowing people to create and manage their budgets from anywhere. Whether your goal is to save, eliminate debt, or vacation more often, the Cardiobudget will enable you to make it happen. In short, our purpose is “To predict results.” We want you to see and know where you’re going before you get there.
I recommend buying the planner for anybody who interacts with money. If you don’t have a budgeting plan and are seriously ready to improve your situation, get it now. Even if you have a plan but want it to be better, contact us and purchase our planner online today. “Empower your wallet, conquer your goals.”
(We also have an affiliate program for people who want to earn money partnering with us.)
Music:
The story begins at 15 years old. I was writing, recording, writing again, recording, trying new things, repeating. Hearing songs on the radio was the most significant influence to get involved. Anybody that makes music wants to listen to their song on the radio.
I remember burning CDs & having USB flash drives with music on them. In the beginning, it was Bow Wow, Outkast, & Eminem. A few years pass, and I’m listening to Drake’s Comeback Season on repeat with the flash drive I had connected to my Xbox 360. Then it was Triniti J, PyroThePoet, J. Cole, Kanye West, and Big Sean. The 11 of them had the most significant impact on me to rap. The music I like the most, though, is R&B. I’d wake up in the morning, turn on the TV, and listen to MTV Jams. When I got by a computer, I was on YouTube listening to music and watching videos. I listen to Usher, Tyrese, Omarion, Mario, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Bobby Valentino, T-Pain, Nelly, The Dream, Tank, Trey Songz, and more.
The music we listen to has a significant influence on our values and our personalities. I always listened to what moved me. The songs that motivate me and get me in a better mood. Eventually, my friends and I made music, and that became a new source of my motivation. There’s been some great experiences and some dark ones, and the music helped keep me afloat. I make what I want to hear, and that’s pretty much what it is.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some great people, which I’ll continue to do. Most recently, MPR Riche Rich, PBE Pluto, Shani Shanell, Dro Kenji, KobeKo, ZayyDeyy, DBD Wayne/Wideneck, TooDope ForRehab, and others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been smooth… A few potholes, dirt roads, maintenance issues, and a couple of car accidents, but it’s part of the journey fasho.
The biggest struggle for me was my mental health issues. Having those breaks altered the trajectory of what I’d be doing in my life. Many people will tell you you can do anything, and that’s only true to a certain extent. Some things won’t happen. However, when I focused on the things I could do rather than the things I couldn’t, more opportunities presented themselves.
Knowing it’s people out there like ye that are experiencing the same things makes it manageable. I didn’t realize how important my mind was until I lost it. I didn’t know how powerful I was until I took it back. Taking it back was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
Imagine being tied up and held hostage in the back seat of your car while the car recklessly drives itself… What do you do? Who do you call? How do you survive? Imagine the lowest physical and emotional point of your life and then being dragged even deeper under the water… Where is this light in all that darkness? Why continue living? Why pray?
How do you believe in yourself when in reality, you don’t? When you see that no one is coming to save you, how do you protect yourself? I struggled, and it changed me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I spent years studying business, and now I’m building a new company (Cardiobudget). I’m good at budgeting, so I’m helping people with that.
I get active, so I’m in the gym a lot, working out almost every day. I used to be very skinny. When I walk into the gym now, my body looks better than 95% of the people 100% of the time, & I like those stats.
Training in martial arts allowed me to travel nationwide and to different countries for competitions and camps. It’s something I’ll continue doing til I’m old and gone.
I’m proud of what I started and finished (college, sports, songs, competitions, acts, health goals). Everything that I stayed resilient with and never gave up on is what reminds me that I’m a hard mf.
I get stuff done, but now I also maintain peace of mind. I do my best not to major in minor things and minor in major things anymore. I’ve learned to major in major things and minor in minor things. I know what my values are. I know what’s important to me.
People have known me for the season that they met me. Very few know me in totality.
Some people know J’Ki. Some people know L’Sonne Fasho and a group of people know Carmichael. The fast food industry never pronounces my name right, so now they know me as Bob. Those are just names, though. Some people remember me as the guy who fixed their phone, others as the university mascot. Some recognize me because of the car I drove, and others for the places I worked. Some remember me as their wingman or brother, others as an enemy. Some people remember me as their leader, and others as their best/worst student. Hell, some people think I’m crazy, and that’s ok. I want people to remember me for the way I chose to live.
Maybe what sets me apart from others is my vision & resilience. I have heart, and I have grit. L’Sonne Fasho is a warrior.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The pandemic forced people to get creative. In the business world, we have seen many changes and innovations. As a country, we were persistent. Experiencing this as an adult was much different than the 2008 Housing Crisis & the Attack on 9/11 when I was still a child.
Make the time to spend with the people you love and do the things you want to do. We don’t know when the world is going to shut down again. COVID happened on a global level. I think it’s a blessing to have survived it.
Pricing:
- $15/Month or a $495 lifetime purchase price
- $350 – Budgeting Consultation (4 Month Plan) – Includes Cardiobudget Planner & Weekly/Biweekly Meetings
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Cardiobudget.com | www.lsonnefasho.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsonnefasho/
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/lsonnefasho
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/lsonnefasho
- Youtube: www.YouTube.com/@lsonnefasho
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/lsonnefasho
