We had the good fortune of connecting with Pima Mbwana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pima, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
“Who Moved My Cheese” By Spencer Johnson. The reason I like this book is because it’s a quick read that always reminds the reader to be like Sniff and Scurry characters in the story instead of Hem and Haw characters. Sniff and Scurry are using each other’s talents to sniff out the cheese and scurry over to get it. The term “Cheese” is being used as a metaphor for aspects of enrichment in one’s life. In the story Hem and Haw characters find a deposit of cheese sitting there on a path and eat it all. Once the cheese was all eaten Hem and Haw started to argue with each other instead of finding more cheese. Sniff and Scurry character traits are to use each other’s talents to sniff out “cheese” and scurry over to get it. It’s an endless pursuit of honing in on what you want and taking action to go get it. Hem and Haw character traits are to get lazy once both find some “cheese” and don’t take any steps to sustain that “cheese”.

What I do for a profession is summed up in the characteristics of Sniff and Scurry. My company Pima Mbwana Brands LLC (PM Brands LLC) is a Venture Incubator, Think Tank for the advertising / marketing department and a Strategic Partner in ventures. PM (Pima Mbwana) Brands LLC is a Brand Advising Company. It advises companies typically in the category of consumer packaged goods. PM Brands stands for Pima Mbwana Brands. I work remotely with founders to navigate business operation decisions guiding them through: -Ideation -Prototyping -Product Development -Go to market strategy -Validation -Revenue generation -Scalability -Exit Strategies.

The impact of this book on my career and the way I look at life is tremendous. My business partners and I all have the attitude of Sniff and Scurry. With this outlook that’s how businesses grow and are sustainable. This is also life too. Utilize other people’s talents to reach your next achievement. Everyone needs help in life. If you are helpful and have a great attitude you will win with others around you. If one has an attitude like Hem and Haw, one will be miserable and many people will not like to work with you because you complain.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
PM (Pima Mbwana) Brands LLC is a Brand Advising Company. It advises companies typically in the category of consumer packaged goods. PM Brands stands for Pima Mbwana Brands. I work remotely with founders to navigate business operation decisions guiding them through: -Ideation -Prototyping -Product Development -Go to market strategy -Validation -Revenue generation -Scalability -Exit Strategies. I take equity in companies in exchange for creating the blueprint of the business communication plan. I make a customized communication plan in regards to the story of the founder and why that individual created this business. I’m a strategic partner so the success of the founder is the success of my business. That’s what set’s me apart from others.

I was fortunate enough to find Joshua Esnard and The Cut Buddy LLC from a Facebook Post I made in 2015 when I was looking for work. Joshua has known me for more than a decade and saw my post and responded. This is the power of your network. One’s network is one’s net worth. We built The Cut Buddy LLC to be an essential business deemed by Amazon during the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020, Forbes 75 Black Businesses to support in 2020 and most importantly continuing to offer confidence and self-esteem through grooming for the billions of people on this earth.

What I want the world to know is that I utilized my network to position myself to do what I love for a living. It’s always about who’s on the journey with you and not the reward. I was rejected from many opportunities; however, it redirected me to connect with the opportunities that have enriched my life from a monetary to non-monetary level. The ventures and products my business partners and I bring to life never existed before. We find solutions to peoples everyday problems with our unique products and services. I work as a Venture Mentor for Arizona State University Venture Devils Program. I encourage anyone in the Arizona region with a business idea to reach out to the Venture Devils Program at Arizona State University for help in their’ business endeavor.

Lastly, I volunteer my time with a company called Nepris INC. sharing my story with elementary all the way to high school classrooms about entrepreneurship. The newest brands to look out for in the market are Oak & Berry LLC | A Sustainable Pet Supply Manufacture and Frost N Ember Creations LLC | A Leather Craft Store. These brands can be found on Etsy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out my business partners at The Cut Buddy LLC, Frost N Ember Creations LLC and Oak & Berry LLC. Thank you for believing in me and wanting to take this journey of entrepreneurship together. It’s always about who’s on the journey with you and not the reward. Shout out also goes to my childhood friends that are in my adult life. It’s great to know, “we can get by with a little help from our friends.” I’m always rooting for you!

Website: www.thecutbuddy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecutbuddy/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pimambwana/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecutbuddy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecutbuddy/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErAuRpCB2urc-KOjk-EqpQ
Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Oaknberry?listing_id=835813601&ref=shop_overview_header https://www.etsy.com/shop/FrostnEmberCreations Nepris Links: https://youtu.be/lbMo8Y-LiC8 https://player.vimeo.com/external/188252293.hd.mp4?s=ec78319708dc4624909f5d0f12cd2341c8f8d83e&profile_id=174 https://youtu.be/NUOEjKd1QCk https://vimeo.com/user18699858/review/331811070/9da44752c5 https://vimeo.com/user18699858/review/380480771/f57aa01de9 https://vimeo.com/user18699858/review/371060848/ec30758d03 https://vimeo.com/user18699858/review/371061082/d936bbc351

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.