1. **State the problem:** Find the equation of the line with slope $m = -\frac{5}{4}$ passing through the point $(-8, -6)$ in the form $y = mx + b$. 2. **Recall the slope-intercept form:** The equation of a line is $y = mx + b$, where $m$ is the slope and $b$ is the y-intercept. 3. **Use the point-slope form to find $b$:** Substitute $m = -\frac{5}{4}$ and the point $(-8, -6)$ into $y = mx + b$: $$-6 = -\frac{5}{4} \times (-8) + b$$ 4. **Calculate the product:** $$-6 = -\frac{5}{4} \times (-8) + b = \frac{40}{4} + b = 10 + b$$ 5. **Solve for $b$:** $$-6 = 10 + b$$ Subtract 10 from both sides: $$-6 - 10 = b$$ $$b = -16$$ 6. **Write the final equation:** $$y = -\frac{5}{4}x - 16$$ This is the equation of the line in slope-intercept form.