1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: Morning everybody. It's the j Envy Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the guy. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 2: We are the Breakfast Club. La La Rosa is feeling 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 2: in for Jesson. We got a special guest in the building. 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 2: We have Fawn Weaver. 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:23,280 Speaker 1: Welcome the book. Here you guys, somebody, Okay, here we go, 7 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: there you go four wea Ladies and gentlemen. 8 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 2: New book out now called Love and Whiskey, The Remarkable 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 2: story of Jack Daniel, his Master Distiller Nearest Green and 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: the Improbable Rise. 11 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: Of Uncle Neris. How are you feeling this morning? Dollars? 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 3: This has to be here? 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 4: What do you Why did you call the rise of 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 4: Uncle Nearest improbable? Because when you was up here with 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 4: maybe a couple years ago. 16 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 3: Seven years ago, it's improbable because no black person, no 17 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 3: person of color, and no woman has ever succeeded in 18 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 3: this industry ever, not as a founder. And so it's 19 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 3: improbable because I shouldn't be here, This Uncle Nearest should 20 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 3: not be where it is when you look at it. 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 3: Most come into an industry, and even if you come 22 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 3: into an industry like the whiskey industry where it's ninety five, 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 3: one hundred percent dominated by white men. You come in 24 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 3: and you already know that you're going to have to 25 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 3: play offense and everybody's going to ignore you. Well I 26 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 3: had to come in play defense. I was telling a 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 3: story in the middle of what was then a twenty 28 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 3: four billion dollar company, and I was going right in 29 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 3: the middle of it and saying, I'm going to add 30 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 3: Nearest Green to your story. That put a lot of 31 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 3: arrows at me. Well, really put a lot of grenades 32 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 3: on me. 33 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 4: But it felt like when you all was here telling 34 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 4: the story seven years ago, it was almost like, no, 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 4: Uncle Nears is actually the beginning, yeah, of the story. 36 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: It was like now bringing everybody back home. 37 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: That's what it felt like to me, because people might 38 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: not know what you're talking about because you're seven years 39 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: old with seven years when you came up here. So 40 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: break down what Uncle Nearest is it and explain what 41 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 2: Charlamage is talking about. 42 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 3: It all right, it's got the bottle, So this is 43 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 3: the bottle. So this is Uncle Nearre's premium whiskey. It 44 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,839 Speaker 3: is the most awarded bourbon of the last five years 45 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 3: in a row worldwide. It's about to be six. That 46 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 3: also is improbable because we're coming into an industry that's 47 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 3: been dominated by the same people for hundreds of years, 48 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 3: and it became the fastest growing still is bourbon or 49 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 3: American whiskey in US history. And Uncle Nearest is the 50 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 3: first known African American master distiller. His name is Neares Green. 51 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 3: His legal name was Nathan, but we don't use Nathan 52 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 3: because he didn't use Nathan. Any document on him that 53 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 3: he was involved in post slavery, he didn't use Nathan, 54 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 3: which it was very common if you were given a 55 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 3: name that after you were free, if you didn't like 56 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: the name, you changed the name. So he went by Nearest. 57 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 3: His kids called him Nears, his grand kits called him Nears, 58 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 3: So we call him Nearest Green. But now, when this 59 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 3: came out, it was the first time an African American 60 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 3: was ever commemorated on a spirit bottle. And when we 61 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: opened Nearest Green Distillery, it was the first time ever 62 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 3: that a distillery had been named after an African American. 63 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: Now, seven years ago, you explained it a lot. What 64 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: got you into doing this with people that don't remember 65 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:17,559 Speaker 2: the interview. 66 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 3: When you get yeah, yeah, it really was cementing the 67 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 3: legacy of Nares Green. So my mother's a teetotler, so 68 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 3: she said she really wished he made lemonade, and quite frankly, 69 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 3: if he had made jeans or like Lucille's down in Houston. 70 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:30,959 Speaker 3: I don't know if you all have been down there, 71 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 3: but Lucille's down in Houston. Her family argues, her descendants 72 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 3: argue that Pillsbury is using her recipe, that they reverse 73 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 3: engineered it because she refused to sell it to them, 74 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 3: And so you have those types of stories that have 75 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 3: been in American history forever. Now we actually had a 76 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 3: company that was willing to admit that they're founding that 77 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 3: there was an African American, an enslave man that would 78 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 3: was at least the teacher of Jack Daniel. And then 79 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 3: after that became, after he was free, became the first 80 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 3: master distiller. 81 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 4: Can you break down the whole Jack Daniels of it all? 82 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 4: Everybody knows Jack Daniel, YEA, yeah, down. 83 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: Like why he's. 84 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 3: Because Nearest Green was the teacher of Jack Daniel. He 85 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 3: was a teacher, He was the mentor before this story 86 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 3: came out, before I did the research and brought the 87 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 3: researchers together, Jack Daniels, the company didn't realize that Distillery 88 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 3: number seven ever existed. Their records only went back so far, 89 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 3: and so they're looking at it and looking at their distillery number. 90 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 3: I said, no, no, no, you got to take that back. 91 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 3: Old number seven was the actual distillery and Nearest Green 92 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 3: is the only known master distiller for Distillery number seven. 93 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,679 Speaker 3: So when I came to this story, the very first 94 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: thing that I did was by that original property where 95 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 3: Distillery number seven was, where Jack grew up, the three 96 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 3: hundred and thirteen acres above Lynchburg, Tennessee. Because that allowed 97 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 3: me to start piecing the story together and and to 98 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 3: be able to I mean, coming into a story that 99 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 3: is so iconic. Jack Daniels is an ubiquitous brand around 100 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 3: the world, and I was coming in and saying, not 101 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: only was an African American there at the beginning of it, 102 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 3: but Jack treated him fairly. And you're talking about the 103 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 3: south Lynchburg, Tennessee, and for a person to be treated 104 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 3: as an equal that was a black person, that was 105 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 3: unheard of. But here was this this So this is 106 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 3: in the nineteenth century, so everywhere from about fifty six, 107 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 3: eighteen fifty six into until Jack died in nineteen ten. 108 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 3: Because I know what prohibition too, because a lot of 109 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 3: people will hear this story and say, who if he 110 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 3: treated him nicely, why did you have to go back 111 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 3: and say, check out the stillary number seven? But were prohibition, 112 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 3: there were so many different things that happened where they 113 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 3: made it where like after the like with when Harlem 114 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 3: Renaissance came along, and like just the political powers that 115 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 3: black people couldn't say, oh I did that, well in 116 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 3: this instance it was a little different. So in this 117 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 3: instance during prohibition, prohibition was twenty years in our country 118 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 3: nineteen twenty years, but in Tennessee it was thirty. They 119 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 3: started ten years before, so most people don't know that 120 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 3: Jack Daniels moved to the loop. Jack Daniels was in 121 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 3: Saint Louis for ten years, gotcha, and leading up to prohibition. 122 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 3: So on the other side of prohibition, it reopens, but 123 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 3: it's in so much trouble. Jack's nephew is in trouble. 124 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 3: So they eventually had to sell it to another company. 125 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 3: It's under that company's watch, gotcha that the story disappeared, 126 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 3: But under Jack and his descendants they made sure. So 127 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 3: when you look at this photo. The reason why I 128 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 3: started this book with this photo is Jack Daniel didn't 129 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 3: just put a black man to his right in nineteen 130 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 3: oh four, he seated the entire center position of the 131 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 3: photo to the black man. So that was Jack's way 132 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 3: of saying, America's gonna try to write you out. I'm 133 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 3: not gonna allow him to wow. And then his biography 134 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 3: written in nineteen sixty seven, high to the civil rights era, 135 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 3: and you have Nears and his boys mentioned more times 136 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 3: than Jack and Jack's own family. And so you knew 137 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 3: that Jack wanted us to know. So not only was 138 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 3: he here at the beginning, don't ever forget it. And 139 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 3: so that's the reason why the story mattered to me. 140 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,679 Speaker 3: If this was another one of the stories where African 141 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 3: Americans were done wrong and we were like pushed to 142 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 3: the side, this story would have had no interest to me. 143 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 3: We have enough of those stories. Yeah. What interested me 144 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 3: about this story is I felt as though it was 145 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 3: a story that we may have been treated right, and 146 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 3: I wanted to prove it if it was true, because 147 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,239 Speaker 3: if we don't have any hope, like if every story 148 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 3: we hear, we don't have anything to go toward, If 149 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 3: every single story lacks hope, then we just walk around 150 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 3: here thinking, well, it's always been terrible, It's always going 151 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 3: to be terrible. But if every generation we can find 152 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 3: those glimmers of hope that move us forward, then we 153 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 3: know where we're going. 154 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: Well, got you into spirits. 155 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 3: Nares Green so cementing his legacy originally book movie, right, 156 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 3: super simple. But if I were to, well, you all 157 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 3: in this room, you might know. But if I go 158 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 3: in and I have a room, and I have a 159 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 3: thousand people in that room, and I'm talking to them 160 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 3: and I say, how many people saw Hidden Figures? Ninety 161 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 3: nine percent of the room hands up right? If I said, 162 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 3: name for me the three women who were the hidden figures, 163 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 3: played by Taraji p Henson, Otavia Spencer and Janelle Monnet, 164 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 3: you were the first person to ever sot why because. 165 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 4: My daughter wants to be an astronaut. 166 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: That's why counted in the story. Because he always has 167 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 3: this wealth of information. That's but in a room like that, 168 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 3: nobody can never name. So we all walk into a 169 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 3: movie theater and we walk out remembering the same people 170 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 3: we knew before we went in. And so if we 171 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 3: wanted to make sure that this story one hundred years 172 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: from now, someone wasn't having to uncover it again. Then 173 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 3: we had to do with Johnny Walker, Jim Bean and 174 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 3: Jack Daniel. Why why do we all know who those 175 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 3: people are because we're watching them every time we go 176 00:08:59,040 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 3: into a bar, we see that. 177 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 4: I mean, that's how I feel about Uncle Nears now, 178 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 4: because I'm walking through the airport and i see big 179 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 4: Uncle Nera's signs and I'm just like, oh wow, I 180 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 4: wanted to ask you, like, the fastest growing whiskey in 181 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 4: history US history, right, You've been named on the fours 182 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 4: listen is the richest self made woman in America for 183 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 4: tween twenty four. Uncle Nera's has a one point one 184 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 4: billion dollar valuation. What do you contribute to success? Because 185 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 4: you know, we live in the era of everybody want 186 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 4: to be an entreprene everybody want to be a boss. 187 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 4: You actually did it in a very successful way. What 188 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 4: do you contribute to success? 189 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 3: I contributed it to one real, real simple thing, God, 190 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 3: That's right. So a lot of people they want to 191 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 3: write God out of the story of alcohol because during 192 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 3: Prohibition the Temperance movement decided to tell people that the 193 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,199 Speaker 3: Bible said that alcohol was wrong. Bible never says it. 194 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 3: I would love to go toe for toe to toe 195 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 3: with any pastor that claims it. There is not a 196 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 3: single scripture that it ever says it. What it talks 197 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:04,599 Speaker 3: about is drunkenness. Right, So everything in moderation, including alcohol. 198 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 3: But the foundation of this company, the foundation of Uncle Nears, 199 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 3: it's God. It is doing what we believe we were 200 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 3: purposed to do, which is cement the legacy of Nears Green. 201 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 3: But also to show how you can come, how our group, 202 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 3: women and people of color can come into an industry 203 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 3: that has always locked us out and not only opened 204 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 3: the door, but opened the door for everyone to come 205 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: right behind us. When we came into the industry in 206 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 3: twenty and seventeen, the entire industry about ninety percent of 207 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 3: the alcohol. Six spirit conglomerates they run everything, Diageo, LVMH, Bacardi. 208 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 3: Every time y'all have an alcohol in it, it's mostly 209 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 3: one of those. Well, there were no women. It was 210 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 3: all every single one of them founded by, owned, by 211 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 3: led by white men. When we came in, then Uncle 212 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 3: Nearest began to have such a level of success that 213 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 3: we weren't supposed to. That all their boardrooms, the conversations 214 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 3: were about us as much as it was about their 215 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 3: own company, and they started trying to reverse engineer their success, 216 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 3: and they realized, wait a minute, this country is fifty 217 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 3: percent women. If there are no women in these rooms 218 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 3: where the decisions are being made, we're missing a huge 219 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 3: part of the buying population. So all of a sudden, 220 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 3: three of the women of the six spear conglomber I 221 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 3: mean three of the six spear colombers all had women CEOs. 222 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 3: What was your fight like? Because I used to work 223 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 3: with a Sequila brain and we worked a lot with 224 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 3: the distributors and having that relationship, like the people who 225 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 3: take it to those bars and we see it is important. 226 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 3: What was your fight like in the beginning, just trying 227 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 3: to make distributors like make it where they think it's 228 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 3: important because you were like, you were kind of like 229 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 3: a unicorn in the space. Yeah. So going back to 230 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 3: your question, that's probably the smartest thing that we did 231 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 3: coming out the gate. Number one. I didn't go with 232 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 3: one distributor, the largest distributor in this country asked to 233 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 3: take us national. I said absolutely not. I'll give you 234 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 3: eleven states. And they're like, it's either all or nothing, 235 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 3: and I said, well, that's the easiest decision I've ever made. 236 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 3: It's nothing because nobody puts the baby in the corner. 237 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 3: And I've seen every black brand that come before me 238 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,839 Speaker 3: sit in a corner, and I have to believe it's 239 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 3: catch and Keell, it doesn't make sense. We can't keep 240 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 3: saying that there's not a market for us, And so 241 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 3: then we have to ask the question of if the 242 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 3: buyers want it, if the consumers want it, then why 243 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,839 Speaker 3: don't they get it? And so I determined it was 244 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 3: the distributor tier. So I told the team number one, 245 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 3: I want to be in all fifty states within the 246 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 3: first two years, which we did unheard of. But the 247 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 3: other thing was I built a distributor network of seventeen distributors. 248 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 3: That's so smart. So I could say, hey, California, why 249 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 3: are you being outsold by Georgia New York? Why are 250 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 3: you being outsold by Tennessee DC. Why in the world 251 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 3: are you being outsold by Alabama? Like I can literally 252 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 3: it gets them going. But also, and this goes back 253 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 3: to your question, is I think the smartest thing that 254 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 3: we did, beside having seventeen distributors, where we could do 255 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 3: it that way, As I told the team, if we 256 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 3: do not hit our goals. Distributors cannot be the reason 257 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 3: because everyone complained about distributors. Fifty is going through right now, 258 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 3: puff through his lawsuit. Jay did it with his Everyone 259 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: complains about the distributors. I said, they will not be 260 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 3: the reason we don't succeed. So I went to every 261 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 3: distributor and I said, I have no expectation from you 262 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 3: that except that you will be a high price FedEx. 263 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 3: My team will build it. I will be on the 264 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 3: ground every single day. But there will come a day 265 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 3: where I will let you know when I do expect 266 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 3: you to work. But we did all the work for 267 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 3: like the first four and a half years, and the 268 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 3: fifth year, I said, now is the time I need you. 269 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 3: I need you. And so by then we had proved ourselves. 270 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 3: Nobody had us in a corner, nobody could put us 271 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 3: in a corner, and we had proved ourselves to be 272 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 3: valuable enough to them that they would then invest in us. 273 00:13:58,360 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: Wow. 274 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 4: I saw for the book that you interviews some people 275 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 4: that were one hundred and six years old. 276 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 3: Nearess's granddaughter was still alive. 277 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: Wow. 278 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,439 Speaker 3: When nearest his granddaughter was alive, and Jack's great niece 279 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 3: was alive. She died at one oh four and nearest 280 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 3: his granddaughter died at one o eight. Did they drink whiskey? 281 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 3: So here's the deal is. You will find in that 282 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 3: book a lot of the African American elders that I 283 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 3: interviewed were ninety ninety five and so yeah, whiskey might. 284 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: Be the key man. 285 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 4: You know, when you're down South, it's crazy right because 286 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 4: they eat everything they say you're not supposed to eat. 287 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 4: Her South Carolina eat everything you're not supposed to eat. 288 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 4: It's me and they drink kanyak every day or whiskey 289 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 4: every day. 290 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 3: That's me, you know what I'm saying. Bisky every day 291 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 3: every day. But it's a moderation. It's a moderation. Listen, 292 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 3: if you had poorn to glass, I'd be drinking and 293 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 3: it's like ten o'clock in the morning. You no, I'm good. 294 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 3: I'm good. But the thing is is that I don't 295 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 3: ever drink to a point of being tipsy. Got you. 296 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 3: I love to I love it. I love how it 297 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 3: brings inhibitions down. I love how you're able have great conversations. 298 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 3: But the moment I even feel my head buzz, I 299 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 3: will put it down until until it doesn't anymore. So 300 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 3: I don't like tipsy, I don't like drunk, but I 301 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 3: do love I have I have Uncle Nerris every night. 302 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: How were memories. 303 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 3: His grand His granddaughter's memory was not great, but everyone 304 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 3: else's memory was great. And the thing that I love 305 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 3: about being able to capture their interviews both I had 306 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 3: a crew with me so on video and tape tape recording, 307 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 3: and that kind of thing was that so many people 308 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 3: between the time I started the research and the time 309 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 3: that Uncle Nears came out, or at least the distillery opened, 310 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 3: so many of them passed away. And it's almost like 311 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 3: they were just holding on to tell their piece of 312 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 3: this story and then they're like, Okay, I'm done. And 313 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 3: it got to a place where almost every couple of 314 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 3: weeks there was another funeral, and so people held on 315 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 3: and so I got to capture all of their all 316 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: of their words in this book. 317 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: Wow, you know, this story is amazing, but your story 318 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 2: is even more amazing. Where you came from and the 319 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 2: fact that you left home at fifteen, the fact that 320 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 2: you live in homeless shelters, the fact that you decided 321 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 2: to start your own is a real a testament to 322 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 2: who you are. Because your dad was a writer and 323 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: producer from Hotown, and you know you could have stayed there. 324 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: But what made you leave home at fifteen? 325 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 2: And what said this is what I want to do. 326 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: I know you said it was a book project and 327 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 2: you said, you know, this is what it was. But 328 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 2: you didn't get a four hundred million dollar loan or 329 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 2: a million that alone, like Donald Trump, like you did 330 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 2: this from the dirt in the grond. So break down 331 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: your story a little bit, because that's the story. I 332 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 2: don't think people understand because you didn't get a loan. 333 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 2: You didn't say, Dad, let me borrow a couple million, 334 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 2: like you grinded for this. And that's what's really impressing. 335 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 3: Well, they look, people look at my confidence and they 336 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 3: assume that it's because I went to some ivy league, 337 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 3: and this is sort of the assumption, right, And so 338 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 3: when people open up this book and they learn I 339 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 3: left out home at fifteen, it was an ultimatum that 340 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 3: wasn't necessarily it was my choice, but my parents it 341 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 3: was an ultimately. 342 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: Why did you have to leave? Why did they want you? 343 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,439 Speaker 3: What was the ultimately strict Christian household? And I just 344 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 3: wasn't a child where you could say do it my way, 345 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 3: and I wouldn't question it. I questioned everything. I got 346 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 3: kicked out of the ninth grade because my teacher told 347 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 3: my parents. My English teacher told my parents that she 348 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 3: didn't know what kind of day she was going to 349 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 3: have in her classroom till I walked through the door. Now, 350 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,239 Speaker 3: mind you, I was not a popular kid ever. I 351 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 3: was never a popular kid growing up, but somehow I 352 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 3: will did some level of influence even with people who 353 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 3: I wasn't in the popular crowd. Never was. But according 354 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 3: to my teacher, if I had questions, and I think 355 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 3: what it was is is if the topic we were 356 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,720 Speaker 3: talking about, I was challenging it and she didn't have 357 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 3: an answer, it made her uncomfortable. So then she felt 358 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 3: like she lost control of the room. That's really what 359 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 3: that was about. But my parents felt the same way. 360 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 3: So they would say they're authoritarian. That's normal for African American, 361 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 3: especially our parents, our parents, and so they would just 362 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 3: say this is what it is, and I'd go, but 363 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:13,959 Speaker 3: why is it what it is? 364 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: And how are you talking back? 365 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, to them, but to me, it was a 366 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 3: it was a question, right. 367 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: Legitimate question. 368 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,479 Speaker 3: It was a legitimate question. And if I hadn't been 369 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,360 Speaker 3: asking that those questions about the Bible then. I don't 370 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 3: think I would know what kind of front to backwards 371 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 3: now because I dove in myself because they couldn't answer 372 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 3: the questions for me. But they were the Christian leaders. 373 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 3: And so it was our way or the highway, and 374 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 3: I chose the highway. So that was fifteen. I moved 375 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 3: to Jordan Down's, I moved to Watt's home in the 376 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 3: Grape Street Cryps, and I was dating a guy from 377 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 3: Nicholson Gardens. And I think when I think back of 378 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 3: my me growing up, I remember, and that was a 379 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 3: bloody war. I mean we're talking about this was the nineties, 380 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 3: the bloods and the Cryps. It wasn't you know? It 381 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 3: was great saying what Kendrick did and I ruined all 382 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: the rest of it. I was like, that's amazing because 383 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 3: all of them would have shot that place up when 384 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 3: I was coming up and Watts and so I would 385 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 3: go back and forth between Jordan Downs and Nickoson Gardens, 386 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 3: no issues, like I never once felt like I was unsafe. 387 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 3: I was very comfortable in those environments, which helps me 388 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 3: in the liquor industry. By the way, you to walk in, 389 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 3: and so I go there. It's super cutthroat. But also 390 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 3: the current liquor industry was essentially founded by the mob, 391 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 3: so there's a lot of mob elements that are still 392 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 3: a part of the industry to this day. And so 393 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 3: that was, you know, being in Watts, and then I 394 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,439 Speaker 3: was there. I was super comfortable at Jordan Down's. And 395 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 3: then I went to a hip hop concert. They called 396 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 3: it rapped in, But I went to a rap concert 397 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 3: and there was a DJ, and there was a guy 398 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 3: who's rapping, just local Watts rapper, and I'm in the 399 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 3: crowd right in the kind of front middle. And I 400 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 3: will never forget it to this day. Is he literally 401 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,400 Speaker 3: tells the DJ, stop the music. Stop the music. DJ 402 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,760 Speaker 3: cuts the music, and he looks at me and he 403 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 3: points at me, and he says, we have a half breed. 404 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: In the house, said me every morning. 405 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 3: But ahead, yeah, I've seen all the lights kin jokes. 406 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 3: It's so many of them. It's half breathed. 407 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: I might bring that back. 408 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 3: No no, no, don't bring back to do not bring 409 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 3: back to Havre on my account. But for the first time, 410 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 3: when all those eyes turned to me, I felt unsafe. 411 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 3: So I left home because I didn't fit in there. 412 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 3: I felt like I fit in and Jordan Down's and 413 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 3: that happened, and I was like, oh, I'm not safe here. 414 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 3: So I spent the next pretty almost three years living 415 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 3: in homeless shelters. I spent my eighteenth birthday at Covenant House. 416 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 3: I think y'all have one here in New York. Amazing organization, 417 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 3: but that was that was my kind of my upbringing. 418 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 3: The thing that's great about Covenant Houses you'd go out, 419 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 3: you work. I had four jobs, and you give them 420 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,639 Speaker 3: your paychecks and it goes into an escro account. And 421 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 3: when you had a certain amount of money, you use 422 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 3: that money you go and get your own place. So 423 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 3: Covenant House allowed me to build the foundation of being 424 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 3: able to live on my own. And once I was 425 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 3: able to do that, it was kind of off to 426 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 3: the races. But I also still didn't know what I 427 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 3: was doing. I mean, I was still a kid, so 428 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 3: I didn't feel like a kid, but I was still 429 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,159 Speaker 3: a kid. And I got to twenty years old and 430 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: I was like, this life is hard, and do I 431 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 3: really want to do this for the next twenty years? 432 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 3: And I decided no, and I tried to commit suicide, 433 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 3: not once, but twice, and I remember, yeah, absolutely, I'm 434 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 3: grateful I survived. But the second time, I was laying 435 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 3: in the bed and the doctors were around me, and 436 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 3: at that time, they would put a tube down your 437 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 3: nose and they would pump charcoal into your stomach to 438 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 3: absorb the impurities. It's the same thing we do to filter, 439 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 3: that exact same thing, and so they would put in 440 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 3: to absorb the pure impurities. But I remember laying there 441 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 3: and thinking, Okay, I've tried to take myself out twice 442 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 3: and I wasn't able to do it. So I came 443 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 3: to two conclusions. Number One, I was here for a purpose. 444 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 3: I didn't know what it was, but I was going 445 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 3: to figure it out and I was going to live 446 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 3: my life that way. The second thing was if I 447 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,679 Speaker 3: couldn't take me out, nobody could take me out. So 448 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 3: when you see me walk into rooms, especially in this 449 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:31,199 Speaker 3: industry where historically we have done two things, either we 450 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 3: shrink or we complain, and I walked into every single 451 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 3: room and had every conversation with people in this industry, 452 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 3: and they're looking at me like you have not earned 453 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 3: your stripes to be able to have a toe to 454 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 3: toe conversation with me, and I'm like, I earned my 455 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 3: stripes when I didn't die. Beyonce talked about that in 456 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 3: DQ when she shot at you out. First of all, 457 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 3: how did you feel about that when she shout it you? Yeah, 458 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 3: people have been tagging me when her whiskey came out 459 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 3: last week. I think I was in London and doing 460 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 3: literally because Love and Whiskey dropped in London and I 461 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,479 Speaker 3: was doing non stop interviews and so people are tagging 462 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 3: me with Beyonce situation. And from what I understand from 463 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 3: my husband, I have a really beautiful gift at home 464 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 3: with her whiskey in it when I get back home, 465 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 3: So I'm super excited about that. She gave you guys 466 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 3: a really good shout out and talked about how good 467 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 3: it was. Yeah, all that, but she also like literally 468 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 3: the next question after they asked her about like just 469 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 3: navigating business and industry, and she talks about how like 470 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 3: when it comes to brands, women have always had to 471 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 3: kind of be forced into the face of the brand, 472 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 3: but you never like the strategy, the planner and the 473 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,719 Speaker 3: like the boss of the CEO. So to hear you 474 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 3: say that is in line with like she really identifies 475 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 3: with your story. Oh no, absolutely, and she's the queen, 476 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 3: so you know, we kind of all bow down there. 477 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 4: There's a few things I got to go back to, 478 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 4: at least why did he call you a heavy? 479 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 3: Just the crazy part is is at that time it 480 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 3: sounds funny now, but at that time is when black 481 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 3: people we thought we had enough natural SPF where we 482 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,360 Speaker 3: didn't have to wear it. So I was dang near 483 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 3: your complexion at that time. But it was the eyes 484 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 3: because because I would literally sit in the sun to 485 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 3: get my skin darker because I love that. My eyes 486 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 3: were so bright, the darker my skin was, and so 487 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 3: my skin was actually much darker complexion, but my eyes 488 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 3: were bright green when when my skin was darker. 489 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 4: And the second question, you mentioned niggas and gardens, right, yeah, 490 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 4: and you know the niggas and gardens. Did you when 491 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 4: you were launching Uncle Nearyth, did you reach out to 492 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 4: anybody there, like like a top. 493 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,360 Speaker 1: Dog or a j Rock? 494 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 4: You know those people had capital like when you No. 495 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 3: So when I began, first of all, I was there, 496 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 3: but I like in high school, I wasn't popular, so 497 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 3: nobody would know, nobody would know who I am. And 498 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 3: and but when I began, she. 499 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: Was probably out of it, but she was out of 500 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: there before before all that. 501 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 3: So you're talking. I mean, we're talking about ninety four, 502 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 3: ninety so I would have been there around it's gotta 503 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 3: be ninety two, right. She was there in ninety two. 504 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 2: Definitely, but they didn't have to label successful like they did. 505 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 2: She was probably around one time talking about. 506 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 3: That, but the connection let me let me let me 507 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 3: tell you I had I had no, I wouldn't have 508 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 3: known like I literally, but I can tell you this. 509 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 3: For my Seed series, every black person I pitched turned 510 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 3: it down. For series A, every black person except for uh, 511 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,400 Speaker 3: there's I only have one Devin Johnson, which is mav 512 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 3: and Lebron's COO. Yeah, only person, only black person. Series B. 513 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 3: I think maybe I picked up maybe one or two. 514 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 3: But unfortunately for US, we tend not to believe in 515 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 3: US and so we won't invest in US until we've 516 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 3: already succeeded. And one of the most frustrating things for 517 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 3: me is the only reason I even have African American 518 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 3: investors in Uncle Nearst is in one of the series, 519 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 3: I gave us a two month head start, get through 520 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 3: all the paperwork, look at before I before I opened 521 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 3: it up to everybody else. It's the only and I'm 522 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 3: so grateful I have incredible investors that I was able 523 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 3: to go to them and say, listen, y'all are white, 524 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 3: and I actually want my community to also make money 525 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,400 Speaker 3: off of this. So do you mind standing down on 526 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 3: this next investor around and allowing them so they had 527 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,399 Speaker 3: such a head start, still didn't take the majority of 528 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 3: the round. 529 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 4: I wish you thought we had money back then. 530 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: Do you think that. 531 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 2: People didn't invest because they didn't believe or at the time, 532 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 2: quote unquote, whiskey wasn't as popular. 533 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 3: Oh no, whiskey was at its height when this came out. 534 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,199 Speaker 3: So it wasn't It wasn't whiskey. It was that you 535 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 3: have a woman in an industry in which never succeeded, 536 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 3: a black person, an industry in which never succeeded, not 537 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 3: as founder and CEO. And then you have a person 538 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: who knew nothing about this industry that was about to 539 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 3: go toe to toe with a twenty four billion dollar 540 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 3: heavyweight in the industry. And so it was such a 541 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 3: huge risk. But also I think that a lot of 542 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 3: times we just don't believe in us. So if I 543 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 3: had been If I had had this exact same story, 544 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 3: had this exact same brand, My business plan was fifty 545 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,880 Speaker 3: pages deep. The swat analysis was no joke. I think 546 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 3: if that had landed on desks and it wasn't a 547 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 3: black woman, there's a really good shot that black people 548 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,120 Speaker 3: would have invested. And that's the crazy part. But because 549 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,119 Speaker 3: we're so new to business, we're so new to succeeding 550 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 3: in business, and because we're first generation money and so 551 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 3: we feel more comfortable in the things we can see 552 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 3: in our garage than we do in a portfolio that 553 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 3: is completely on paper. 554 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 2: Always say a lot of times we look at I 555 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 2: don't want to say low hanging fruit, but a lot 556 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 2: of times we invest in what we can see. 557 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: Right, you always see people investing. It was the everywhere. Yeah, 558 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: but Crown Royal. 559 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 3: But you don't understand it really whiskey. Let's talk about that. 560 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 3: That is vodka that is colored and flavored? 561 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 4: You think it? 562 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 3: Ask me, has that sat in a barrel? Is it? 563 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 3: Because it's so saturating now like it's everywhere that it? 564 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 3: Did it start out as a whisky? What are you 565 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 3: are you talking about? Crown Row? Yeah? I don't know. 566 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 3: I can tell you what it is now. We're taking 567 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 3: flavored and colored vodka is what we're having right now. 568 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 3: Those in that purple bag. 569 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 2: Any of these celebrities, especially the ones that you named earlier, 570 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 2: reached out to you for advice because you've you've conquered you, 571 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 2: you're working you, you you put your foot in these 572 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 2: people's asses where they're having a bunch of problems, whether 573 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 2: it's a Diddy back then or a Ja or a 574 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 2: fifty or Kevin Hard or everybody else that has their 575 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 2: own liquor snoop, Has anybody ever reached out to you 576 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: for advice or help? 577 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 3: So none of those, uh, the people who have reached 578 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 3: in to me are generally those who want to start 579 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 3: a brand, and their response is always when I say why, 580 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 3: it's always Clooney And I'm like, okay, so what is 581 00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 3: you know about the Cloney deal? And that's it. They 582 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 3: don't know. They don't know why that one worked, why 583 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 3: that was one out of like easily ninety nine percent 584 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 3: plus celebrity brands fail easily in this industry, And everyone 585 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 3: keeps pointing to that one, and I'm like, if you're 586 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 3: going to point to you have to know why he succeeded. 587 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 3: It wasn't just his celebrity and just kind of So 588 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 3: I usually spend the whole conversation breaking down for them 589 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 3: why that customer goes actually succeeded, And by the time 590 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 3: we get to the end of the call, I usually 591 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 3: don't see them come out because they don't want to 592 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 3: do It's a lot of foot Like when I used 593 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 3: to be in the market, I used to always see 594 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 3: you in all of my accounts, and I always wondered, like, 595 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 3: how did you get It's hard to get an account. 596 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 3: I was in those accounts. Yeah you were, and you were. 597 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 3: People don't understand there's a business. And when you sit 598 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 3: at the bar, you front and center at the bar, 599 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 3: people can see you. That means your people are out 600 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 3: there doing the work. Absolutely, it's a lot of work. 601 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 3: It's a lot of work. Yeah, this is not a 602 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 3: this is not posted on social media and hold up 603 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 3: your bottle, hold up your glass, and you think that. 604 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 3: I mean, if you're a big celebrity, a really big celebrity, 605 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 3: that will allow you to have a great launch. But 606 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 3: the work is not in the launch. The work is 607 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,240 Speaker 3: how you grow it after the launch. And that's where 608 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 3: almost all of them fail. 609 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 4: Did Beyonce they reach out? 610 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 3: No, well years years years, not Beyonce. Let me say that, 611 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 3: not Beyonce. Ye. 612 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 4: I couldn't tell because the way I mean, the way 613 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:35,239 Speaker 4: she shout it out, I couldn't tell if she had 614 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 4: spoke to y'all prior to launching her brand or not. 615 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 3: But I can say this, and it's and it's because 616 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,960 Speaker 3: the person who reached into me had me sign an NDA. 617 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 3: That's why I possed. But it was. It was quite 618 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 3: a few years ago, and I gave my advice on it. 619 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 3: I said, these are the things that will need to 620 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 3: happen if it's going to succeed. And and I said, 621 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 3: and by the way, I'm around, so any person in 622 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 3: this industry who was a woman or personal color will 623 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 3: tell you if they reach out to me, I give 624 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 3: them all the keys. Everything that I know, I share 625 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 3: freely because it's not mine to keep. It's not mine 626 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 3: to hold. If the information came to me and it's 627 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 3: going to help you succeed, I'm going to give it 628 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 3: to you. But you better still do the work right. 629 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 3: And so I told them this was probably about four 630 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 3: years ago. I told them, as you're working on this project, 631 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 3: feel free to reach out to me at any time 632 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 3: and I will share with you whatever I know. And 633 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 3: I didn't hear anything, so. 634 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: Woww man, you got a story. 635 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: That's why you got a book for congratulations on everything. 636 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 3: Is one point one B. 637 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: I need to I want to taste whiskey. 638 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 4: I'm not gonna lie, all right, And I've never thought 639 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 4: about drinking it before because whenever I think whiskey, I 640 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 4: think cowboys. 641 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 3: Yeah right yeah. 642 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 4: But then when y'all got Uncle Neir's, I was definitely 643 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 4: appreciative of it and supportive of it, but I just 644 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 4: never hasted it, like. 645 00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 3: Really, it took your time. Let me tell you so, 646 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 3: I personally I love to drink a neat but it 647 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 3: just depends. That's with no ice snow. But a lot 648 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 3: of people will put it on a single cube. A 649 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 3: lot of people will fashion a cocktail. Old fashion is I. 650 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 1: Was gonna say with meat, but it does old fashionation everything. 651 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 3: But because there are certain liquors, you drink it when 652 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 3: you're eating. Say he look at him, he just goes 653 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 3: to the So here's the thing. So here's the thing. 654 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 3: I when I did research and I learned how oysters 655 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 3: gave us freedom being able to. I determined I was 656 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 3: going to find oysters that I like. Now I still 657 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 3: don't like most oysters, but I found like two varieties 658 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 3: that I like. Because it was so important to pulling 659 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 3: us out of poverty. So was whiskey so unlike cotton, 660 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 3: unlike tobacco. This was such a highly skilled job that 661 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 3: you're talking about. Nearest Green immediately following the Civil War 662 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 3: had more money than his white neighbors. It's because he 663 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 3: was a distiller. And when you're looking at uncle nearest 664 00:32:57,720 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 3: near St Green, so I should say this, and then 665 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 3: I know y'all have to wrap the only difference between 666 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 3: Kentucky bourbon and which every single person on a bottle. 667 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 3: I don't care who it is, white, male, founded, or 668 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 3: led owned all of that. But the only difference between 669 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 3: Kentucky bourbon and tennessee whiskey. Number one. This takes longer 670 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 3: to make, it's more expensive to make. But it's the 671 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 3: process that Nearest Green tot jack. It's the process of 672 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 3: taking a traditional bourbon, distill it, running it through sugar, maple, 673 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 3: charcoal before it goes into the barrel to purify it. 674 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 3: Same thing that was pumped into my stomach, except that 675 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 3: wasn't sugar maple, but you know, same thing charcoal, and 676 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 3: so that happens beforehand, it goes into the barrel. That 677 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 3: process was brought here by the Africans. Wow, that came 678 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 3: with us. And so when we're talking about spirit brands 679 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 3: in America, if African Americans are going to drink anything, 680 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 3: our roots are in whiskey and not Crown Royal Canadian vodka. 681 00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 3: But like legit whiskey. 682 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: And people drink I drink old fashion. 683 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 3: Whiskey is bourbon. It's legally it is bourbon. The only 684 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 3: thing is is we have to do an extra step. 685 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 3: So since we have to pay for that extra step, 686 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 3: we like to make sure people know it's also legally 687 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:16,760 Speaker 3: Tennessee whiskey, but this is bourbon. 688 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 1: Wow. Well, thank you for for everything. 689 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 4: Congratulations again whiskey. Uncle Near's everything that's right. You are 690 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 4: very very inspiring and so many differently and it's not 691 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 4: and to me, it's not because of the one point 692 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 4: one billion evaluation. It's just because you had a dream 693 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 4: and you did not give up on your dream, and 694 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 4: it's a dream connected to the ancestors. Because of you, 695 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 4: Uncle Near's story will continue to be told. Yes, that's incredible. 696 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 4: I feel like that's what we're here to do. 697 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 3: Yes, because it is. We're not here to be reservoirs. 698 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 3: We're here to be rivers. And my life is a river. 699 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: Forn weave of ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much 700 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: for joining us. 701 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 3: Thank you dj V. 702 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wait to add up 703 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: to her in the morning. The Breakfast Club, MHM.