Daily Inspiration: The Steve Harvey Morning Show
Daily Inspiration: The Steve Harvey Morning Show

Business Tips: He inspires small business owners and creatives to pursue their passions despite obstacles.

July 18, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 1994, Yaya Mohammed tasted homemade ice cream from a woman selling cups for a dollar out of a white bucket in Avalon Park, Chicago. He had never tasted anything like it. He spent the next six years trying to recreate that single experience. He had no recipe, no family tradition of making ice cream, and no business training. He just kept experimenting on his fraternity brothers and family until he got it right. Today, Shah Michelle’s Ice Cream draws lines around the block in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood, and Mohammed credits none of his success to a business plan.

The six-year experiment with no blueprint

Mohammed’s journey did not begin with a business license or a mentor. After earning a master’s degree in sociology and working as a director of foster care, he made ice cream on the side—first from his kitchen, then from the trunk of his car during Chicago winters. He rented a small room in the back of a beauty salon, then another small space from a friend. He bought used equipment and had a brother put up a sign. “I didn’t even have a business license,” he says. “I just believed. I didn’t think about it long enough to change my mind.”

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:47) **Introduction & Guest Welcome** - Host Rashawn McDonald introduces Yaya Mohammed, founder of Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream, a Chicago-based business born from a childhood taste memory.
  • 2 (05:17) **From Sociology Degree to Ice Cream** - Yaya details his educational background (B.A. and M.A. in Sociology) and the detour before committing to the business.
  • 3 (10:18) **Balancing a Full-Time Job & a Dream** - Yaya worked as a foster care director while selling ice cream out of the trunk of his car and running a shop at night.
  • 4 (14:17) **The Secret Sauce: Service Over Food** - Yaya explains that the number one priority is how the staff makes customers feel, not the ice cream itself.
  • 5 (16:34) **Building a Brand Through People** - How Yaya’s focus on service creates a pipeline for young employees to grow into other careers.
  • 6 (23:47) **Community Anchor: Starting in an Underserved Area** - Yaya opened his first location two blocks from where he grew up, in a high-crime, underserved Chicago neighborhood.
  • 7 (27:56) **Pivot After Tragedy: Dedication to His Sister** - After his sister Shawn was killed in a car accident, Yaya paused the business for two to three years.

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Show Notes

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Yahya Muhammad.

Topic: Entrepreneurship, legacy, and community impact through his ice cream business, Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream

Yahya Muhammad shares his journey from tasting unforgettable homemade ice cream as a child to founding one of Chicago’s most beloved ice cream brands. His story is one of perseverance, cultural pride, and community service, rooted in faith and inspired by family and fraternity.

🎯 Purpose of the Interview

  1. Highlight Yahya’s entrepreneurial journey and the founding of Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream.
  2. Inspire small business owners and creatives to pursue their passions despite obstacles.
  3. Showcase the importance of community engagement and mentorship.
  4. Celebrate Black excellence and cultural legacy through food and service.

🔑 Key Takeaways 🍨 The Origin Story

  • Inspired by a woman selling homemade ice cream in Avalon Park, Chicago.
  • Spent six years perfecting his own recipe.
  • First flavor: Honey Cinnamon Graham Cracker

“I had no idea it would take about six years to learn how to make it.”

🎓 Education & Influence

  • Holds a Master’s in Sociology from Western Illinois University.
  • Influenced by teachings of Elijah Muhammad and Minister Louis Farrakhan.
  • Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, which instilled discipline and perseverance.

“I learned principles… immutable principles that I’ve been striving to apply.”

🚗 From Trunk to Storefront

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Daily Inspiration: The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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