You know Danny Davis sent me a text #Impact
Deja called she remembers being in court with you
I attended court with Trump in Chicago #Dirkesen
#LOL
Long before I understood entrepreneurship, hospitality, real estate, politics, entertainment, or business, I was a little girl sitting on my grandmother Debbie's porch, watching, listening, absorbing everything around me.
I lived a somewhat separate life because my grandmother was extremely guarded about me. I slept in her bed until I became a teenager. Looking back, I realize how much of the world I experienced simply by listening to the adults around me.
I remember conversations that most children probably wouldn't have understood. I remember Debbie talking about Al Green and the infamous grits incident. I remember conversations involving Diana Ross and Rhonda, Gordy's daughter, including one particularly heated argument where Debbie was cursing her out. Eventually, Diana Ross was replaced in those conversations by Jean Terrell.
I even remember going to Gold's Boxing Gym to watch Ernie Terrell, Jean's brother, train for boxing events.
Those memories are part of the strange and wonderful education I received without realizing I was being educated.
And then there were Debbie's stories about her travels.
She would come home from wherever she had been, excited to tell me where she went, what she saw, who she met, and what she experienced. Some of my fondest memories involve hearing her talk about her visits with Donald Trump. She would tell me where they went, what they did, and how much fun she had.
I remember that world.
I remember being fascinated by people who built businesses, owned properties, entertained people, traveled, created opportunities, and lived lives bigger than the neighborhood around them.
I don't idolize any man.
What I do recognize is influence.
Norman Lear helped Americans see interracial relationships and Black families differently through The Jeffersons. Then came Diana Carroll in Dynasty, and something about seeing a Black woman in that world changed my perspective.
Representation matters.
Sometimes seeing someone in a place you never imagined yourself being gives you permission to imagine yourself there too.
I've always been a reader, too. If the records were still available, you could probably find my name in the Maywood Library checkout history. I checked out The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump more than once.
Not because I wanted to become somebody else.
Because I was fascinated by business.
My desire to work in hospitality didn't come from a delusional dream. My desire to own real estate, operate restaurants, build businesses, create multiple streams of income, travel, entertain, and eventually own Sunday's Bed & Breakfast has been developing since I was a child.
My grandmother's front porch was my first store.
Debbie gave me $25 in supplies.
I doubled the money.
Then I doubled it again.
That little girl was already an entrepreneur.
I just didn't have the vocabulary for it yet.
I was raised around people, including people who were sometimes jealous of the favor they believed I received. But that wasn't my fault.
I was taught to mind my own business.
I was not raised to walk in somebody else's path.
I have my own path.
And I'm finally walking it.
THE PROPERTY
I came to Las Vegas with a very specific vision, and one property in particular captured my attention: 2801 Pinto.
Allen Sides acquired the property, made improvements, and has continued to hold it at a price I believe deserves serious analysis. I've seen it discussed around a $5 million asking price and a valuation around $3 million, while the property has also been marketed for lease at a very high figure.
To me, the question isn't simply, "Can I buy this property?"
The question is:
Can I build a business ecosystem around the property that makes the investment make sense?
That's the part people sometimes miss about how my mind works.
I'm not looking at a building.
I'm looking at hospitality.
Entertainment.
Food and beverage.
Events.
Private experiences.
Lodging.
Real estate.
Business formation.
Notary services.
Marketing.
And multiple revenue channels operating together.
If structured correctly, I can envision a property becoming more than real estate. It could become an operating business with several complementary income streams.
But I also understand that vision isn't enough.
The numbers have to work.
The acquisition price has to make sense.
The debt structure has to make sense.
The projected revenue has to support the investment.
And the investor has to understand the strategy.
That's where I am now.
C.A.V. ENTERPRISES LLC
C.A.V. Enterprises LLC is established.
Five of my DBAs are registered.
Now I'm focused on building the infrastructure.
I need grants.
I need loans.
I need business funding.
I need strategic investors.
And I need people who understand what I'm trying to build—not simply people who look at one business idea and fail to see the ecosystem.
My long-term goal is ambitious.
I want to participate in creating 100 new businesses over the next two years through business formation, education, consulting, and entrepreneurship.
My notary services are Nevada-based.
My business formation services can serve clients across all 50 states.
That's a completely different opportunity.
I want to help people stop saying, "One day I'm going to start a business," and actually learn how to form one, structure one, market one, and operate one.
And yes, I want to create passive income streams before I start aggressively acquiring additional real estate.
My vision is eventually six Vegas properties.
But real estate comes after the foundation.
First, build the businesses.
Then build the cash flow.
Then acquire the assets.
That's the strategy.
THE SMALL BUSINESS FORMATION CHALLENGE
I wish I could find an investor who would understand the vision behind a Small Business Formation Challenge.
Imagine helping 100 people create legitimate businesses over the next two years.
Imagine providing formation assistance, education, resources, mentorship, branding guidance, and access to the tools necessary to get started.
That's the kind of entrepreneurship I want to promote.
Not just talking about wealth.
Creating businesses.
Not just talking about ownership.
Creating owners.
Not just talking about multiple streams of income.
Building them.
I'M REPRESENTING ME, MYSELF & I
I've never been more focused in my life.
I'm representing me, myself, and I.
I've already planned additional beauty services, including eyelashes and nails. And yes, I have a reason to dress pretty for business meetings, signings, conferences, networking events, and closings.
I didn't attend law school.
I know that.
I also plan to finish my degree.
I'm not pretending to be something I'm not.
I'm building toward what I want to become.
And I want to travel.
I want to cruise.
I want to scuba dive.
I want to snorkel.
I want to see the world.
I want to travel like Debbie traveled.
I want to experience life instead of spending my entire life explaining myself to people who already decided who they think I am.
TO THE PERSON WHOSE WORDS MEANT SOMETHING TO ME
I want to say thank you for your words.
You knew I would be watching the floor.
I was listening.
I was watching.
And honestly, I couldn't take my eyes off the babies.
I miss being a mom.
But every child wants to pull me in a different direction, and watching those little ones reminded me of how much I love children and how much motherhood shaped me.
Then that little boy came onto the stage.
For a moment, I didn't see a president.
I saw a human reaction.
I saw someone chasing a little boy who was trying to run off the stage.
And that moment touched something in me.
It was human.
It was funny.
It was genuine.
And it did something good for my soul.
For a moment, I stopped thinking about the people who didn't believe in me.
I remembered the people who did.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for the encouragement.
Thank you for the words that gave me confidence.
I attended private schools. I traveled with Debbie when I could. I was given opportunities and experiences that I will never take for granted.
Those experiences helped shape me.
And I am grateful.
For clarity, when I describe that relationship, I am not describing a sexual relationship. I describe it as a relationship that, in my mind, has always felt more like the kind of affection, admiration, and familiarity one might have for a grandfather or an elder who made an impression on your life.
People can interpret things however they want.
I know what they mean to me.
CHICAGO DIDN'T GET THE LAST WORD
I know my appearance and my story have caused conversation in Chicago.
There are people who have tried to define me, control the narrative around me, or make me feel ashamed of relationships and experiences that are meaningful to me.
I'm done with that.
They did me a favor.
Because sometimes rejection is redirection.
Sometimes being pushed out of one room forces you to build your own room.
And that's exactly what I'm doing.
I don't need to walk through somebody else's door anymore.
I'm building my own.
I NEVER KNEW DR. KING
I never knew Dr. King.
Respectfully, I do understand the importance of the people and movements that helped open doors for the generations that followed him.
I don't claim experiences I didn't have.
But I do recognize history.
And I recognize the responsibility that comes with having opportunities that previous generations fought to create.
I'm also healing from people who attempted to use family relationships, children, or old relationships to control my life.
I don't want to spend the rest of my life talking about Scottie Pippen.
I have said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't believe my life should be defined by a relationship that other people insist on discussing.
There isn't even a picture of us together that tells the story people keep trying to tell.
I moved on.
My life moved on.
And I'm moving forward.
ABOUT LEADERSHIP
I have strong opinions about leadership, international affairs, government spending, foreign policy, and America's role in the world.
I believe countries should be held accountable for how they use resources, and I believe taxpayers deserve responsible stewardship of their money.
I also believe leadership requires understanding the difference between a bold vision and a financially sustainable plan.
If a project costs $850 million and you have only $2 million available, you have a financing problem.
If a campaign raises $1 billion but ends with $20 million in debt, that's a financial problem too.
The lesson is simple:
The vision can be enormous, but the numbers still have to work.
That's how I look at business.
That's how I look at real estate.
That's how I look at C.A.V. Enterprises LLC.
Dream big.
Then build the financial model.
MY NEXT CHAPTER
I have two years left on the chapter I'm watching unfold.
After that?
I'm ready for my island.
I'm also owed my sabbatical to Italy.
I want to visit the major cathedrals.
I want to experience the history.
I want to sit quietly, reflect, pray, and enjoy Mass in Rome.
I want to travel.
I want to build.
I want to invest.
I want to create.
I want to help other people become entrepreneurs.
And yes, I want to make some serious money while I'm doing it.
I listened to your speech one time.
That was all I needed.
Now I'm getting back to work.
I'm working on my website.
I'm building C.A.V. Enterprises.
I'm building my businesses.
I'm building my future.
And that endorsement?
It was awesome for my confidence.
So thank you.
But don't go around bragging about having a Black-looking granddaughter.
I'm not anybody's trophy.
I'm not anybody's political prop.
I'm not anybody's possession.
I'm simply Chyvette.
And I love people for who they are to me.
I've always been a geek.
I've always been an entrepreneur.
I've always been a dreamer.
I've always been watching.
I've always been listening.
And now?
I'm finally building.
The little girl on Debbie's front porch had a vision long before she had a business plan.
She just needed time to grow into it.
Welcome to the next chapter.