We recently connected with Theo Edwards-Butler and have shared our conversation below.

Theo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I [Theo Edwards-Butler] created The Modern Green Book after graduating from Samford University. Originally I was creating a listing for myself because that summer I was going on tour with Missoula Children’s Theatre and wanted a way to find interesting Black Businesses and vlog about it while I was on tour. Unfortunately the pandemic happened, I graduated with no prospects of a job and a list of Black Businesses that I didn’t know how I was going to support. I love history and I found myself during quarantine watching a lot of documentaries and period dramas and remembered the Green Book (I learned about it in High School). I began doing research, I watched the movie, I read articles and books and decide that by reimagining the original, I could continue my list of businesses for others all while supporting them at the same time, and so The Modern Green Book was born, to support, celebrate and uplift Black Owned Businesses and creatives while grounding ourselves in the rich history of the Negro Motorist Green Book.

Theo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Theo Edwards-Butler. I am a singer, actor, and activist. From a young age, I was surrounded by entrepreneurs and people giving back by creating spaces and programming for the underserved. Growing up, my grandfather owned a farm, and I remember going almost every weekend to “help,” I was not very good, but I do remember gathering the chicken eggs, my grandma and I washing them, and we would sell them to members of the church and their neighbors. This was probably my first taste of business ownership. I came up with the name “Butler Browns,” designed labels, and it became something I loved to do.

As I got older, I got more and more into theatre and singing, and I didn’t have as much time for the egg business, so I turned my efforts toward the arts. Being in the arts, I got to go to many events and parties, especially parties with a purpose, so for my 16th Birthday, I decided to curate my own party with a purpose and started “Art for Art’s Sake.” The first event was a cabaret show that raised money for a local arts organization, Arts Reach. They go into underserved communities, predominantly Black, and provide them with arts education. From there, I was able to host one more event before graduating high school, raising a total amount of $3500.00 for Arts reach and the Kentucky Shakespeare Theatre’s education program.

I went to Samford University for college, and while there, my passion for entrepreneurship began to grow again. I was active in our school’s Black Student Union and connected with numerous Black Businesses through that organization, and I also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. My perspectives changed. I still loved theatre, and I still love to sing, but I felt my skills and talents shined when I was able to connect with and help Black businesses and my community.

Once I started TheMGB, everything just clicked. I can now help Black owned brands and creatives by connecting them to consumers. Our quarterly and annual publications celebrate them by sharing their stories. Our affordable social media marketing services support them by helping businesses build their digital legacies, and with our new grant program, opening after Christmas, we will uplift them by assisting with funding needs so they can continue to build better for our communities.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is a beast, I am not going to lie and say it’s easy. I am a firm believer in authentic and organic, meaning trial and error. When I started TheMGB, I was determined to grow and fast because I believed in my mission. I really started with being consistent, I knew that I have to post on a frequency that would keep TheMGB in the forefront of my audiences mind. So it started with 3-5 times a week to pretty much ever day and I may skip a day or two. Then I focused on content because I started in the middle of the pandemic and it was easy for me to sit down and plan, so I had a lot of fun and creative content to work with. It also help that during that time everyone was looking for how to support Black Owned, so that helped. At the end of the day trial and error, consistency and creativity is what helped me get to where our social media is now and will continue to work going forward.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Since the marketing agency side of the business is new and growing, the best thing has been word of mouth. Many companies we work with are connected with businesses of similar sizes and mindsets, meaning for me they are ready to take that next step and have a solid product or service. As we go into the new year, we are taking the time to build so we can widen our reach, creating social platforms for the agency and streamlining our onboarding process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moderngreenbook.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/themoderngreenbook
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/themoderngreenbook
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/themoderngreenbook
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/moderngreenbook
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFqVgRl3xpaXOJitBbhKdQ

Image Credits
Camille Womack Xavier McClure-Moore Kennedy Weeks (Books Designer)