>> ERIC: OUR NEXT GUEST IS A FAMILIAR FACE, BUT SHE IS USUALLY STANDING ACROSS THE STUDIO BY THE BIG MONITOR.

TONIGHT SHELETTA BRUNDIDGE IS JOINING US AT THE TABLE.

WHEN SHE'S NOT DELIVERING WITTY REMARKS HERE ON "ALMANAC," SHE HEADS UP HER OWN PODCASTING AND PRODUCTION COMPANY, "SHELETTA MAKES ME LAUGH."

BRUNDIDGE WAS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., EARLIER THIS WEEK BEING RECOGNIZED AS A FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION'S ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR.

WHILE IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL, SHE MET WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF MINNESOTA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, HAND-DELIVERING LETTERS TO THEM FROM MINNESOTA BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS.

SHELETTA -- [ Laughter ] THE >> Cathy: YOU TOOK D.C. BY STORM.

>> I DID.

I TOOK OVER D.C.

IT WAS A GREAT TIME.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE SO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE.

WHY THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT MATTER?

TO TAKE AN INTEREST?

>> WELL, I'VE BEEN A BUSINESS OWNER FOR THREER THREE YEARS, AND I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE THE BARRIERS THAT WERE IN PLACE TO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN MAKE A CALL OR TWO AND GET CONNECTED TO SOME PEOPLE.

BUT THERE'S SO MANY, HUNDREDS OF OTHER BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS, WHO ARE CALLING ME, AND SAYING, SHELETTA, CAN YOU HELP ME GET TO THIS PERSON, FIND A BANK, FIND A GRANT OR FORGIVABLE LOANS OR LICENSES?

>> I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT JUST ABOUT ME.

IT IS ABOUT ME A LITTLE BIT.

BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE THE CONCERNS OF HUNDREDS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS.

SO WE HAD A LETTER WRITING EVENT.

AND -- >> Eric: HOW MANY LETTERS WERE WRITTEN?

>> AT LEAST LIKE 102.

AND I MADE COPIES AND I HAND-DELIVERED THEM TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES IN OUR D.C. DELEGATION.

AND I MADE SURE THAT THEY GOT THOSE LETTERS.

SOME OF THEM JUST WANTED TALK -- SOME OF THEM HAD SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR BETTY MECHANIC CAPITOL YUM BECAUSE THOSE BUSINESSES WERE IN THEIR DISTRICT.

AND SOME OF THE BUSINESSES HAVE EVEN GOTTEN CALLS BACK ALREADY.

AND I WAS UST THERE A COUPLE DAYS.

>> Cathy: I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, DO YOU THINK YOU WERE LISTENED TO?

BECAUSE SOMETIMES POLITICIANS LIKE TO HAVE A PHOTO OP, AND THEN THEY FORGET ABOUT IT.

>> YEAH, THIS WAS NOT A PHOTO OP.

I SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY ON BABE SITTERS AND FLIGHTS AND MEALS AND HOTELS FOR THIS TO BE A PHOTO OP.

WE NEED REAL CHANGE.

THESE BUSINESSES WANT TO GO FROM JUST SURVIVING TO THRIVING.

AND WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HELP.

HAD HE CAN DO JUST THAT.

>> Eric: I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE POTENTIAL IS, UPSIDE POTENTIAL FOR GROWING BLACK BUSINESSES AND BLACK BUSINESS WNERS IN MINNESOTA?

>> EXPOSURE.

ONCE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM, ONCE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS-THEY CAN PATRONIZE THEM.

AND EVERY BLACK BUSINESS OWNER WHO WROTE A LETTER, THERE WAS A PURPOSE BEHIND THAT BUSINESS.

ERASING THE DISPARITIES IN ORAL METH CARE.

MENTAL HEALTH.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH.

EMPOWERMENT.

YOGA, HEALTH AND FITNESS.

ALL OF THESE BUSINESS OWNERS NOT ONLY HAD A COMPANY BUT THEY HAVE A MISSION.

AND TO GET BEHIND THAT MISSION AND TO LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE SEEN, YOU'RE HEARD, YOU ARE CELEBRATED, YOUR APPRECIATED.

NOW, HERE'S IN GRANTS, SOME INFRASTRUCTURE, HERE'S SOME ACCESS TO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, HERE'S SOME MENTORING.

>> Cathy: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE TO YOU?

WHEN YOU GOT THERE?

AND BECAUSE YOU'RE WENDING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE HALLS OF CONGRESS.

IT AN BE KIND OF INTIMIDATING.

>> THE BIGGEST SURPRISE WAS JUST HOW DOWN TO EARTH OUR DELEGATION IS.

YOU KNOW, I WALKED IN, BETTY MCCOLLUM CAME OUT, SHE WAS I CAN, OH, HEY, COME IN HERE.

AND SHE JUST HAD ON HER CH COMPREHENSIVE OS DRESS AND COMFORTABLE SLIEWS AND WE SAT IN THERE AND WE LAUGHED AND TALKED, BUT JUST HOW MINNESOTA NICE EVERYBODY REALLY WAS.

HOW THEY ACTUALLY READ THESE LETTERS AND HOW THEY PASSED TELL ALONG TO THEIR STAFF.

THEY HAD THE STAFF IN THERE AS WELL.

AND IF THIS WAS A PHOTO OP, THESE ENTREPRENEURS WOULDN'T ALREADY BE GETTING CALLSES BACK.

AND LOOK FOR SOME ACCOUNTABILITY >> WE'RE GOING TO INVITE THOSE LEGISLATORS AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM TELL US EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

WE WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME REAL CHANGE.

WE WANT TO SEE SOME REAL GROWTH.

WE WANT TO SEE PEOPLE'S BUSINESSES BEING HELPED AND BLESSED IN SOME KIND OF WAY.

YOU KNOW, AND THE ONE THING THAT I NEED THESE BUSINESS OWNERS TO UNDERSTAND IS, THEY'RE HERE FOR US.

WE'RE NOT HERE FOR THEM.

SO THIS IS OPENING THE DOOR TO ACCESS.

SO NOW I GOT ONE BUSINESS OWNER, A.J.

PASHA, HE'S GOING UP FOR AN EVENT IN D.C., AND HE'S GOING TO MEET WITH TINA SMITH.

SHE READ HIS LETTER.

AND SO HE'S ALREADY SET UP THAT APPOINTMENT.

>> Cathy: MAKING CONNECTIONS.

THAT'S GOOD.