INTERVIEW: Monique Idlett-Mosley goes ‘Undercover’ for Discovery series
Photo: Monique Idlett-Mosley is one of the entrepreneurs featured on Undercover Billionaire. Photo courtesy of Discovery / Provided by press site with permission.
Undercover Billionaire returns to Discovery Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. with a challenge that seems almost impossible given the global pandemic. Three successful entrepreneurs bet $1 million that they can go “undercover” in three different cities and start a business with nothing but $100. They need to develop the business and make it a million-dollar outfit within 90 days, according to press notes. Of course, 2020 was a hellish year for businesses, and the prospect of starting a new company from the ground up has never been rougher.
The entrepreneurs include Grant Cardone, Elaine Culotti and Monique Idlett-Mosley. Their adventures are not the first time the network tried out Undercover Billionaire. In fact, the first season star, Glenn Stearns, will be back for Undercover Billionaire: Comeback City, set to premiere at Jan. 6 at 10 p.m.
Idlett-Mosley, according to her biography, is the founder and CEO of Reign Ventures, a technology fund that empowers young entrepreneurs to create their own multimillion-dollar businesses, so it would seem she has a leg up on the competition. Her background includes an executive role at USA Today and Mosley Music Group, in partnership with her now ex-husband Tim “Timbaland” Mosley. For her music role, she assisted the careers of One Republic, Nelly Furtado and Chris Cornell, according to press notes.
Recently Idlett-Mosley talked with Hollywood Soapbox about her acceptance of this new challenge during these COVID-19 times. Here’s what she had to say …
On her initial decision to join the reality series
I had tons of hesitation. This was a thought process for me clearly. Just the challenge itself is a very difficult thing to wrap your head around, but also how it impacts you, meaning my family. I personally have never been without my children, even being on the road touring, all that stuff, our children have always been with us. There was a lot of thought into this but ended up doing it.
On working with the community on this challenge
In the beginning it absolutely was about, can I do the challenge? It quickly became about, no matter what I’m doing, I hope I’m positively impacting Tacoma, and that’s what it became about the whole rest of the time. Can I build something with this community that they would be proud of and that can be there and have an ever-lasting effect? So it became less about the actual number challenge and more about the challenge of creating something amazing with Tacoma.
On how much COVID-19 disrupted her plans
It affected everything. It affected all of us, and we’re still dealing with the side effects of this. And we don’t know for how long, but I think that that’s why this challenge was so special is that most people are feeling overwhelmed with such uncertainty about something that we have never experienced as the word actually. I think that was even more of a drive to try to navigate through the challenge so that I could hopefully inspire someone to keep going, no matter what it looks like.
On the difficulties of opening a business during a pandemic
I think no one has experienced a global pandemic. … And I think the best messaging that comes from this challenge is that a) we cannot do this alone. You don’t have to be in that particular challenge to understand that life is challenging. 2020 has been a huge challenge, but in challenges I always like to see opportunity. And I hope that that’s what someone can relate to when they watch this show, is that 2020 has been a different type of year, but it’s a mindset, too.
On her thoughts on the American dream
For me, the American dream represents for all, so I think as we’re navigating through a new type of consciousness, I believe most of humanity has understood that maybe it hasn’t been for all. And so I like to look at this concept of the American dream: that we’re fighting for equity and equality for all people and for all human beings, all ideas, all of the underdogs. And I think that we have to keep pursuing and pushing toward that objective until it actually is for all. In saying that, I just want people to be encouraged that no matter what the circumstances are, what you’re born into or what your circumstances are currently, that there is something that exists within ourselves individually to make up the decision to keep pushing and to never, ever give up toward whatever it is that you feel like your American dream is for you.
On the difficulties of being ‘undercover’
To be completely honest with you, I’m just a humble human being. I like to sit in that area, so that part of it was not hard for me. I’m out in the communities all the time. I’m not that far removed that I feel like I’m just so different than anyone else. We’re all pursuing the same thing: peace, happiness, want to leave a legacy for our families. So that part was not difficult. That is my natural nature to make myself become a part of a community, so that part wasn’t hard. I think the hardest part was really getting to fall in love with a community and not being able to be honest about who I was.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Undercover Billionaire, featuring Monique Idlett-Mosley, premieres Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. on Discovery. Click here for more information.
