Every great business begins with someone asking a simple question: "There has to be a better way."

In this episode of Issue Zero, Trystanne Cunningham and Seneca Connor sit down with entrepreneur Carla Truitt, founder of Eight Royale, to explore the story behind building a luxury brand from the ground up. From sketching her first ideas between board meetings and red carpets to navigating manufacturers, bootstrapping her business, and building a brand rooted in purpose, Carla shares what it really takes to create something that lasts.

Together, they unpack the realities of entrepreneurship that rarely make the headlines, from funding challenges and finding the right partners to why collaboration, community, and consistency matter more than perfection. Because every meaningful brand begins long before it becomes visible.

1. The moment Carla realized women deserved a better solution
2. Building Eight Royale from one simple idea
3. Finding manufacturers who believe in your vision
4. Bootstrapping a business without outside funding
5. Why consistency matters more than having all the answers
6. Collaboration over competition
7. Creating a legacy that empowers women
8. Why purpose has always been at the center of Eight Royale

Whether you're building your first product or your next chapter, this episode is a reminder that every meaningful business begins with someone willing to solve a real problem.

Listen to Issue Zero.

Some of the most meaningful things we create begin with one simple decision: to start.

In Episode 1 of Issue Zero, Trystanne Cunningham and Seneca Connor are joined by Tony and Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, producer, and bestselling author Amber Ruffin for an honest conversation on creativity, visibility, resilience, and the audacity required to build without waiting for permission.

After gracing the cover of Cunningham’s TrooRa Magazine The Womb Issue ’26 (available now), Ruffin reflects on the path that has shaped her work across Broadway, late-night television, publishing, and performance. She speaks with candor about navigating identity, advocating for women’s health, claiming space in rooms not designed with her in mind, and learning to ask for more with clarity and conviction.

Together, they explore the power of creating opportunities where none exist, the importance of representation, and the ways our most meaningful work often grows from the experiences that have shaped us most.

In this episode:

• Amber Ruffin's journey across comedy, television, Broadway, and publishing
• Why creators shouldn't wait for permission to pursue bold ideas
• The power of asking for what you deserve
• Black excellence, visibility, and creating authentic representation
• The realities of women's health, fibroids, endometriosis, and motherhood
• Creating impact beyond traditional definitions of success
• Why storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for change

Whether you're building a creative career, navigating life's unexpected challenges, or learning to trust your own voice, this conversation is a reminder that your story, and how you choose to tell it, matters.

Every meaningful platform starts long before anyone is watching.

In the very first episode of Issue Zero, creator Trystanne Cunningham and co-host Seneca Connor sit down for an honest conversation about the experiences that shaped them long before entrepreneurship entered the picture.

From immigration and identity to grief, resilience, motherhood, creativity, and building businesses from the ground up, they explore what it really means to create with intention in a world where visibility isn't equally distributed.

Together, they unpack why they believe storytelling matters, why representation is more than a buzzword, and why Issue Zero was created. Not just as another podcast, but as a platform designed to amplify founders, creatives, and underrepresented voices through meaningful conversation.

This episode is the foundation for everything to come.

In this episode:

Why Issue Zero exists

• The stories that shaped Trystanne and Seneca before entrepreneurship
• Building businesses through uncertainty, setbacks, and resilience
• The relationship between identity, visibility, and opportunity
• Why ownership and representation matter now more than ever
• What listeners can expect from Season One
• Meet the founders, creatives, and change makers joining future episodes

Whether you're building a business, navigating your own identity, or simply looking for conversations rooted in purpose, this is where the story begins.

This is Issue Zero.