1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: I'm off my game today. No, you're not. People are 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: going to have to start making better content. I think 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about this for a long time. 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: When you program for everyone, you program for no one. 5 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: I think it's a word purpose driven platform. Like we're 6 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: trying to get to substance. How was that? Are you 7 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: happy with that? This is marketing therapy right now? And 8 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: it really is? What's up on? Laura Currency and I'm 9 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: Alexa Kristen, Welcome back to Atlantia. We don't know what 10 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: episode we're on. I think it's three three three of 11 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: yeh three into I'm so proud of Alexa for coming 12 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: into the studio today. She's like from the star spangled 13 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: banner the Super Bowl pink she had the flu. At 14 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: least you're not spending lozenges out you know what during 15 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: the super Bowl, guess what I was doing sleeping? I 16 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: was asleep and he wants three for three. I'm sick 17 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: three times already. Well, hopefully this is the end. I 18 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: blame it on you. Many people say that I'm contagious, 19 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: so take that as you will. Um, But that said, 20 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, we are kicking it off. So much change 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: is happening in the industry that we will be opening 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: up the I a B Annual Leadership Meeting out in 23 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: Palm Desert, California next week. If you have an already 24 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: booked your ticket, book it, come join us. I think 25 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: that it's going to be a lot of really good conversations, 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: and I think the IB this year is doing something 27 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: different than they've ever done. They're having a lot of 28 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: kind of up and coming brands on stage talking about 29 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: what it means to be a twenty one century brand, 30 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: and they're going to be the ones talking. Well a 31 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 1: lot of I think legacy brands are going to be 32 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: also talking, but in the audience participating right, So we're 33 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: excited to talk to brands like Glossier. We're going to 34 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: see a way out, They're excited to see our girl 35 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: Rachel typograph and action on the knowledge with T Mobile. 36 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: So a lot of exciting conversations and mashups of different 37 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: types of brands on stage, so it'll be definitely an 38 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: interesting dialogue. And now have people like Jet dot Com there, 39 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, Leaver is going to be there, Lo is 40 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: going to be there. So a lot of people representing 41 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: the content space, the entertainment space, the software space, the 42 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: text space. I think it's going to be a really 43 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: interesting conversation and we will bring it all back here 44 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: and talk to you guys about what we learned UM 45 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: and what we think are kind of some of the 46 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: most interesting trends. But one thing I'm really impressed with 47 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: is that Randal Rothenberg and the team over at i 48 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: B has done some killer research around not just what 49 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: it takes to be a century brand and the brand 50 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: side of it and the consumer side of it and 51 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: the branding in the marketing side of it, but really 52 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: like what's the infrastructure that's underpinning this growth in direct 53 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: to consumer brands. And it's a really really interesting piece 54 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: of research that they're going to be publishing at the 55 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: i B Leadership Forum. So one of the big takeaways 56 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: that we are learning is leadership, UM. What it takes 57 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: to obviously not just create Century brand but certainly run one, 58 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: but be a leader of the right, be a leader 59 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: of the twenty yeah right, a visionary that I think 60 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: brings people up. We there's some really awesome quotes from 61 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: our next guest, Roth Martin, who's CEO and founder of Blackbird, 62 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: really a new consultancy out on the field, who is 63 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: combining UM kind of harvesting and maturing leadership like people right, 64 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: and companies and thinking about new ways that established companies 65 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: change the way they create and market and the way 66 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: they show up in market, right, and how they create 67 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: more meaningful ties to their consumers and maybe even open 68 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: up new verticals that they can play in. So interesting conversation, 69 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: and I think that leadership is really at the center 70 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: of it. Yeah, And I think in with the rise 71 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: of so many DTC brands, like some of those we 72 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: just rattled off, whether it's Glossier, Casper Away, all of 73 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: your fan favorites in the podcasting space, so to speak, 74 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: it'll be interesting, um to see how those who have 75 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: had a tremendous trajectory challenging some of the legacy bra 76 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: ends in some of the biggest categories react and adapt 77 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,839 Speaker 1: to sort of what the new leadership and business plan 78 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: or model looks like in and beyond. So with that, 79 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: we're going to talk to CEO and founder of Blackbird, 80 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: Ross Martin. We'll be right back and we're back in 81 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: the studio with Ross Martin, CEO and founder of Blackbird. 82 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: Hi Ross, thanks for coming. I'm so excited to be here. 83 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: I've wanted to come here since you started this podcast. 84 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: I think we were talking about it at the beginning 85 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: and I said, would you come when you come? When 86 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: you I'm all about this, I'm like your biggest fan. 87 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: So Ross, you have had kind of an amazing career 88 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: and I want to talk about Blackbird, but first I 89 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: want to talk about your background. Where did you start? Well, 90 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: I just I have the strangest background for someone who's 91 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: in media. I don't even know how I got here, 92 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: you know, I I think we all feel that way, right, Yeah, Like, 93 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: what did you want to be when you were growing up? Um? 94 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: So I first wanted to be an elevator man in Manhattan. Yeah, 95 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 1: you know, I never really knew what I wanted to 96 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: be when I grew up, and I think that's why 97 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: I've never in my life besides my first job, never 98 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: in my life had a job that anybody had before me. 99 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: Like I've never inherited a job description. Interesting. My first 100 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: job was selling women's shoes, That's it. I didn't even 101 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: know what the funk I was doing. God, yeah, I 102 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: was Albundi, but I was sixteen years old and I sucked, 103 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: Like I don't even think I sold more than five 104 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: pairs in like an entire summer. But regardless, that was 105 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: my first job, and every other job I had since 106 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: then it was a made up job. And the thing 107 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: is I went to school for poetry. So it's like 108 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: that where blackbird came from? Well, it's interesting, you know, 109 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: Alex talked about that, and now he's going to tell 110 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: us the story because it's damn good. Look, there are 111 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: like five origin stories for the name blackbird. So the 112 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: obvious one that everyone who's you know, read any poetry 113 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: before will always say is thirteen Ways of Looking at 114 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: a Blackbird poem by Wallace Stevens. And there's an incredible 115 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: first stanza for that poem, which just so I don't 116 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: get it wrong, and are you going to free? I'm 117 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: not going to free, no, not So the first stanza 118 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: is three lines, rightam, drop a beat on this. Yeah, 119 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: among twenty snowy mountains, the only moving thing was the 120 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: eye of the blackbird. And so what I love about 121 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: that stanza is in three lines, Stevens goes from this huge, wide, 122 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: establishing shot of twenty snowy mountains where your camera, your 123 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: eye is so far back to be able to take 124 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: all of that in right, and then not even two 125 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: lines later, he's all the way in on the single 126 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: eye of a single blackbird on a single snowy mountain. 127 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: And the idea that you could move from one perspective 128 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: all the way down just that little I and be 129 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: so specific or atomic is really a pretty big driving 130 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: force behind Blackbird and what we're trying to do. Like, 131 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: I got it immediately. I love it. You think a 132 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: lot like artist or filmmaker, and you have a little 133 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: bit of background in the entertainment world. I mean that's 134 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: where you really started. After the shoes. I want to tell, 135 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: how do I get from elevator? Man? I went to Yeah, 136 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: so I went to poetry school and I went to 137 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: wash you in St. Louis, and there were five Did 138 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: anyone even know that you could go to graduate school 139 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: for poetry? Yes, you can do that, you guys know. 140 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: So I was the only one that wasn't on scholarship, right, 141 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: and I just I had to work at a bar 142 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: like and I was getting everybody else drunk while I 143 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: was working behind the ball. But the idea of taking 144 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: five poetry classes at the graduate level every semester for 145 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: two years drove me nuts. So I was looking for 146 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: an easy way out, and I took a screenwriting class 147 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: and I wrote a screenplay that was really shitty, but 148 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: it was like the best one that year. So I 149 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: won like the hundred dollar prize from the school. And 150 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: my professor, who is a producer, said, you should do 151 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: this for a living, like you can be a screenwriter. 152 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: I want to introduce you to Spike Lee. And so 153 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: he did, and um, and I met Spike and he 154 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: invited me to come work for the summer. I read 155 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: about five hundred scripts and then after grad school, I 156 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: returned and I was his story editor and my job 157 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: was to find projects for Spike to produce or direct 158 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: that the rest of the Hollywood system was not seeing, 159 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: not betting on. This was like the Blacklist before the Blacklist. Yeah, 160 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: it was. And Spikes, you know, he's an amazing champion 161 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: of talent and voices that just otherwise would never get hurt. 162 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: He doesn't get credit for that because he's so loud, 163 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: but he does a lot of work behind the scenes. 164 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: And I got to do a lot of that work 165 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: at a really young age. And well I should tell you, 166 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: um that, just so nobody thinks I have good taste 167 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: at all. The first script I read for Spike completely rejected. 168 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: In fact, I fell asleep in the middle. It was 169 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: a boxing movie. I fell asleep in the middle of 170 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: the fight scene as I was reading it, and I 171 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: was like, this is horrible, and I told him, don't 172 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: even read it. I'll pass. So I passed to the 173 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: agent and then the movie got made with Russell Crowe 174 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: Cinderella Man Academy Award, produced by my now friend Brian Grazer. 175 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: But anyway, it was a great first real job in 176 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: the industry and reading, you know, having the kind of 177 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 1: access to Spike in his community was just outstanding. So 178 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: how do you take that and start applying it to 179 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: what you did Viacom and now starting your own thing 180 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: at Blackbird. Right, So, look, I don't think you work 181 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: for a company. I think you work for people. And 182 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: you know, I wanted to work for Spike because he's 183 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: a visionary and he's so human. He makes gigantic successful 184 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: films and also big mistakes and in every movie he 185 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: has triumphs and he has you know, just big errors 186 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: that just make part of the movie suck. And I 187 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: loved that. Um, well, you talk a lot about leadership. 188 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: You put a lot of color behind leadership, like what 189 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: is a good leader? You've been doing that for a 190 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 1: long time, you know. I just believe cultures everything you had. 191 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: Linda Yakuarino recently on the podcast and UM, she talked 192 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: about it. She talked about, like, over the last five years, 193 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: what's made the difference for her organization, And she talks 194 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: about leadership and culture and she's right. And you you 195 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: walk into any company today, you know in thirty seconds 196 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: if they've got it or if they don't. You can 197 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: feel it, you can smell it, you can taste it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 198 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: So now you started Blackbird. Yeah, so when I left 199 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: five Com last summer, I started two different things at 200 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: the same time, probably out of fear of failure. But 201 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: one of them is Blackbird, which is a brand strategy 202 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: and business innovation firm, and the other is Lunch Partners, 203 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: which is a venture capital fund. So two very different things. Um, 204 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: And why anybody thinks that a poet should be running 205 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: a venture capital fund, I have no idea why anyone 206 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: agrees to that, but it has happened. We are underway, 207 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: and that is the super exciting element of my daily 208 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: life and it's connected to I mean, as it connected 209 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: to Blackbird. Is that totally separate from Blackbird. They're not connected, 210 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: but they end up being symbiotic. You know, I learned 211 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: so much about early stage startup companies in all different 212 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: industries from Launch Partners. I mean, in the first two 213 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: months we looked at seventy five deals and the kind 214 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: of people you meet are just sort of outside my 215 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: everyday sphere and a lot of people I know, jack 216 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: shit about that world. And the people we are meeting 217 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: and learning from our extraordinary and they're the next generation 218 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: of great business leaders. Yeah, you know, it's interesting. We've 219 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 1: had Pierced Fox on here from PSFK was a writer. 220 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: We've had you who's a poet. We talked with Sara Fisher. 221 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: Last episode we took sales skills and translated to journalism. 222 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: I think we're really starting to see this sort of 223 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: tri anxient fluid thing happening in our industry where people 224 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: are taking their skill sets and feeling them into passions. 225 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: And it's it's really fascinating to see you take the 226 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: commercial side, but then also what I assume the business 227 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: of Blackbird being your passion. So that's exactly right, Laura. 228 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: And I feel like, once you get what you're great 229 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: at and you understand kind of what you suck at, 230 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: you can do anything with that now, right, Look at Peers. 231 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: I mean, he's a massive success story. You know, Sarah 232 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: at Axios is someone you would say, like, well, if 233 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 1: you look at her career, her trajectory, you would never 234 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: put her in the position she's in right now, right, 235 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: And yet she's massively successful and influential. And when she 236 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: was on your podcast, she did feel like a force 237 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: in the industry totally. So I feel like once you 238 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: know you're true north, once you understand your purpose and 239 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: your identity and you get your values down, like, you 240 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: can do whatever you want with that. And that is 241 00:12:55,720 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: exactly what Blackbird's doing for big businesses and little business is. 242 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: But most of them have never been forced to ask 243 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: those existential questions about themselves, and all of a sudden, 244 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: because of the forces in every industry, they have no 245 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: choice but to ask those questions, right, why does my 246 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: brand even exist? And I mean, you guys are struggling 247 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: with those questions every single episode, and you can really 248 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: tell um who's thought about it and who has not. 249 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: And I listened to some of your guests. Let's listen 250 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: to every episode, and some have really thought about these issues, 251 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: and others just seem to have avoided them. It's interesting. 252 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: Do you think it's a sign of the times that 253 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: people and brands and companies are starting to think like 254 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: this or do you think there are other you know, 255 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: kind of forcing functions that are happening that we don't see. Look, 256 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: I think that um I make a distinction. Blackbird has 257 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 1: been very successful in its first eight months, making the 258 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 1: distinction between operating systems and belief systems, which do you 259 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: gravitate towards. You cannot have one without the other. To 260 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: run as successful business today, where you may have multiple 261 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: operating systems, as most of my clients do, to do 262 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: that effectively without a belief system is nearly impossible. And 263 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: I learned that from Seth Farbman, who's the CMO of Spotify, 264 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: and he was a gap and he didn't look, that's 265 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: a brilliant, brilliant guy. And when I was at Viacom 266 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: that we had three my last three years there were 267 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: really chaotic and confusing, and what we needed was true 268 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: north and an understanding of who we were as a company. 269 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: Thousands and thousands of people who needed to understand, even 270 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: if it wasn't communicated externally yet, what Viacom was about 271 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: and what it stood for and what you were part 272 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: of and why these brands are all in the same portfolio. 273 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: And Seth really gave me the language to understand how 274 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: to go about doing that. Um, what is the idea 275 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: of a belief system, which you know, to some people 276 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: just sounds fancy, like a fancy word for brand architecture. Well, 277 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: we all do positioning, sure, um. But the more I 278 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: thought about what Seth was challenging me to do at Viacom, 279 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: the more we began the hard work of the methodology 280 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: itself and trying to understand how do you surface the 281 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: key insights and derive or distill from them the brand 282 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: idea that is irrefutable, and that is four things, big, simple, useful, 283 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: and true. If it's not all for, it won't be successful. 284 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: And we've gone to work doing that. We've done ten 285 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: belief systems in the last eight months at Blackbird, and 286 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: they're accompanied by the question that comes right after, which is, well, 287 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: now that we know who we are, what do we 288 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: do with that? How do you land the plane? And 289 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: that's all about execution and about living your brand and 290 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: such an interesting skill set though, because it's most people 291 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: have to one or the other. And I think what 292 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: makes certain people special and Beth compact this law is 293 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: like being able to see the you know, the whole field. 294 00:15:54,880 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: And then very Blackbird pointed yeah, and that and Linda 295 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: have been, you know, masterful at that and both have 296 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: taught me quite a bit about this. You know. I 297 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: think you asked about context, like why does this matter now? Um, 298 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: I had a gut feeling that this would matter in 299 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: the world, and I went on that and bet on 300 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: myself and my team to launch Blackbird. Two of my 301 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: favorite people sat down to collide worlds. Two of my 302 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: favorite worlds, politics and hip hop. So Van Jones, Alex 303 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: and I are obsessed with the episodes Fantastic She sat 304 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: down with jay Z and one of the things that 305 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: I pulled out of it that it gets the heart 306 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: of what you're talking about is a difference between a 307 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: job and purpose and they're not they're not mutually exclusive. Um, 308 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: and I think what you're saying is what a lot 309 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: of the entrepreneurs in our business are finding. You know, 310 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: you talked about Sarah Fisher. It's like, what are you 311 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: really good at? Go chase that down. And the problem 312 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: is though that I think it gets really foofi really 313 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: quickly and kind of ephemeral, and people are like purpose 314 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: and values, like oh that sounds offt and often it 315 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: sounds like an HR exercise and you're like okay, you know, 316 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: and for some people that's all it will ever be, 317 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: but not for Jay Z. And the thing about Jay 318 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: is Jay is the prototypical business leader of today and tomorrow. 319 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,919 Speaker 1: He doesn't have a job. He has a portfolio career. 320 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: I don't believe as I look at you two that 321 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: in the next three years, three years from now, I 322 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: don't think either one of you will have a job. 323 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: I think you're five right. I think you're gonna have 324 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: a portfolio career. And I think that portfolio career is 325 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: going to express your purpose, your values, and your capability, 326 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: and it's going to be how you, you know, live 327 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: your brand in the world. Hello, this actually is exactly 328 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: the architecture for brands as well. So click because that's 329 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: the thing. And I want to ask before we go there, 330 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: I want to ask one question. Everyone talks about brands 331 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: finding their purpose now right. I actually am convinced that 332 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: there are going to be brands that can't they can't 333 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: find their purpose and then will effectively disappear. Well, if 334 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: you don't find it, it's very obvious what happens is 335 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: that top line growth doesn't happen. And you know, so 336 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: you look at the financial engineering that's going on in 337 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: the short termism that you guys talk about frequently on Atlantia, 338 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: and you know that's what happens when you don't know 339 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: who you are. Are you working with big public brands? Yes, 340 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: and are there receiving this message from Blackbird and they're 341 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: embracing it. We're not calling them, they're calling us. And 342 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: I don't mean to say that in any kind of 343 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: egotistical way. I mean that there is a sense of urgency. 344 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: And we are called by boards, we are called by 345 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,239 Speaker 1: c e O s, and we're called by cmos and 346 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 1: when that phone rings, it's you know, it may not 347 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: start out um with a question about purpose and identity. 348 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: It may not start out with the I heard you 349 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: do belief systems and belief system playbooks that will transform 350 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 1: my business. But doesn't happen like that. It usually starts 351 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: with a like a problem with our product, there's something 352 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 1: wrong with our marketing. We need to be direct to consumer, right, 353 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: one of those kinds of things. Right, And you you 354 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: get about seven minutes in and it's very clear what's 355 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: going on. Are you working on executive kind of image 356 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: stuff as well? I mean, does that become part of this. 357 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: We just started what's called Blackbird Leaders and that's because, um, 358 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: I just believe in betting on people like that's everything. 359 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: And it became very clear to us that during the 360 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: kind of work that we do with big companies and 361 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 1: medium and small companies, but doing the work we do 362 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: on brand strategy and belief systems, that's the same kind 363 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 1: of work that tomorrow's leaders are beginning to do on 364 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: themselves today. And that's a remarkable place to get invited into. 365 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: When someone trusts you enough to say, hey, listen, I 366 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: want to make a bet on myself and I think 367 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: you can help me be better. I think you can 368 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: help me realize what I'm meant to do. You brought 369 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: up jay Z before. May I be so bold. I 370 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: think we're kind of copying jay Z here, except as 371 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: jay Z is signing athletes to Rock Nation, we are 372 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: signing business athletes, superstars of tomorrow. We're signing them now. 373 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to be already gold in my next life, 374 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,679 Speaker 1: so we should talk about this. So we're developing. We've 375 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: already signed our first two. We are developing their talent, 376 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: we are supporting them, we are positioning them. Hello, that 377 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: was an exclusive right, it was blackbird Leaders. I think 378 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting when you start talking about where people are 379 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,680 Speaker 1: betting on or recruiting from in the world of athletes 380 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: in sport. Right, it's very easy to wrap your head 381 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: around that in terms of placing bets to pull in 382 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: your quarterback, Right, you know what you need? Why is 383 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: business in the world we're playing in any different Just 384 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 1: like you're talking about with brands, there are leaders and 385 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: people who are out there in the sunshine, but aren't 386 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: really doing those things, doing the work, doing the work. Yea. 387 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: So those people have already approached us and we say no, 388 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: And how so how do you vet do you know 389 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: who they are? These are the people who are the 390 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: CMO of themselves? How do you do blackbird leaders in 391 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: a meaningful way so that you are truly making it 392 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: about someone who has the talent right to get on 393 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: the court and lead a freaking team and actually grow 394 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: the next generation. Well it's interesting, alexas so as you 395 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: As you were speaking and the audience can't see this, 396 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: but I'll paint the picture. You were making a triangle 397 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: with the tips of your fingers together. You were going 398 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: like this with your hands, and um, that is what 399 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: I would say. I used to be that. I used 400 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: to be someone who felt that there's only room for 401 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: one at the top and that I was gonna have 402 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: to beat a lot of people to get to a 403 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: position of authority and to feel like I've achieved anything. 404 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: And then you know, I sort have learned to open 405 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: it up the other way, right, to say like, actually, 406 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm more successful the more open I am. Actually, the 407 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: more people I can support and empower, the more powerful 408 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: I will feel and I will the more rewarded I 409 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: will be. And I think that's what Blackbird Leaders is 410 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: all about. It's about turning the triangle upside down or 411 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: inverting it, opening up and understanding that your job, when 412 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: you become successful is to create opportunities for other people 413 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: to grow, not to try to beat anybody. Yeah, I'm 414 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: not compete. I'm competing with myself every day myself if 415 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: I could give a sports analogy. Right, So it's interesting stuff. 416 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: Curry and the Warriors, right, And nobody thought, or at 417 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: least I didn't, that Kevin Durant would go to play 418 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 1: with the Warriors, right, because he's an appointed leader. He's 419 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: kind of the tip of the spear. But when you 420 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: to your point, you start stop thinking about yourself and 421 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: you start thinking about the purpose. And the vision is 422 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,160 Speaker 1: to win an NBA championship. Now you're comfortable playing number 423 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: two or side by side? You know, given the choice, 424 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: do you want to do you want to win the 425 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: m v P or do you want to win the championship? Right, 426 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: it's like that's right. Blackbird Leaders bets on people who 427 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: are going to win champions that's the name of the show. 428 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,640 Speaker 1: What type of the clients are you working with? So 429 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: it began with media, like the first month, phone calls 430 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: from media companies going like we really could publishers, no, 431 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: most networks, UM and social media companies as well. But thankfully, 432 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: because I've spent a really long time and that part 433 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: of business, we've diversified quite a bit. So we're working 434 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: with a huge PR firm, We're working with an architecture firm, 435 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: we're working in higher education, and we're working with an 436 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: energy company, and those are all, you know, so different 437 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 1: from one another that, as we were talking about earlier today, 438 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: after I leave here, I'm work with five different clients 439 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 1: the rest of today. And if that doesn't keep you 440 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: fresh on your toes and excited, I don't know what does. 441 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: Every half hour is going to be different for the 442 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: rest of the day. So people they're calling you because 443 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: it's it's a different, differentiated offering in the market. Right. 444 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: You're talking about brand strategy, which is something that has 445 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: traditionally sat within creative agencies. I think if Boston Consulting 446 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: Group and IDEO had a baby, they would look a 447 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: little bit like Blackbird. Interesting. There's nobody really doing it 448 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: the way we do it. What I would say is 449 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: most of our clients need support finding the best way 450 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: to express their power and their potential internally and externally. 451 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: They're having some things in the way um and they 452 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: need to clear it out, or they've reached an inflection 453 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: point and step change is right there. They see it. 454 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: They need help getting there. But this is really about 455 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: business impact, and what we do is not foofy. It's 456 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: like real change, and we're putting real points on the board. 457 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: We're also allowing brands to go back to the way 458 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: earlier point. Right, You're letting brands completely diversify what they 459 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 1: do and probably how they do it. That's right. I 460 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: think that's kind of been my career, especially at Viacom. 461 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 1: So this is new products. This is thinking about i 462 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: P in a different way. This is thinking about right 463 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: all of those things. If you know who you are, 464 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: you know very quickly what you could become. So do 465 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: you see yourself getting into the execution game or just 466 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: super high level right now kind of building out operational. 467 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: We're in the execution game a little bit. I did 468 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: make a pledge to myself when we launched Blackbird to 469 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 1: not make anything. I've already broken that a couple of times. 470 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 1: We've made some stuff for people. But um one of 471 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: our investors is an awesome production company in Los Angeles, 472 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:48,920 Speaker 1: one of the best creative shops I've ever worked with 473 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: there called Stunt Creative, and Stunt makes a lot of 474 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: stuff for our clients, So it's great to have access 475 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: to them. UM, And when we decided to take on investment. 476 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: When you're a s this is business like Blackbird. You 477 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: don't normally take on any kind of investment you don't 478 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 1: really need to. We wanted to because the two strategic 479 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: investors in our company offer us a way to sort 480 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: of differentiate our offering and just really make us unique, 481 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 1: right the other So can you talk about that because 482 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: it's something that people have asked us about on the show, 483 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: but our listeners have asked us about the VC world 484 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: in particular and as a services business. Can you talk 485 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: about how did you pitch yourself in that regard? And 486 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 1: then some people that we've met talk about the advisors 487 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: you bring on should not just be um people that 488 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: didn't give your money and go away. They should have 489 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: pictually be help you grow and build your your business. Right, 490 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: So I can answer it personally, I'm not a good 491 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: example because, to be honest, we didn't go out and 492 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 1: pitch Blackbird UM. Two companies came to us and said, 493 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: you're a fucking moron for not starting this. What are 494 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,439 Speaker 1: you waiting for? And sometimes I think it takes that 495 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: kind of pressure from people who know what you can do, 496 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: because something inside me was just not starting and you know, uh, 497 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: they de risked the launch of Blackbird for me. But 498 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: when it comes to investing, you know, I'm astounded by 499 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 1: the variety in the quality of pitches that we get 500 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: for the VC fund for Launch Partners. I mean, we 501 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 1: have seen the most complex, compelling UM presentations that you know, 502 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: I just don't have any heart. Yeah on paper, you know, 503 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: I think the bankers would go, fuck yeah, let's put 504 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: our money on that. UM, my group of LPs would not. 505 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: And yet the opposite is also true, right, So we 506 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: see we see some entrepreneurs that have come at us 507 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: that are all hard right and UM, they clearly don't 508 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: have the operational chops to grow the business the way 509 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: it really deserves. So, you know, and r LP group 510 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: is very u nique. It's UM. Everyone who's in this 511 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: group with me is a CMO or a CEO, So 512 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,959 Speaker 1: they are all leaders, most of them big name people 513 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,679 Speaker 1: who are killing it in their companies UM, and are 514 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: investing as a group with Lunch Partners so that they 515 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,919 Speaker 1: can take advantage of pattern recognition through deal flow, that 516 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: they can have a mechanism for doing diligence in the 517 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: companies that they're going to invest in, and that they 518 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 1: can activate both their network and their skill sets as 519 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: you're sort of alluding to Laura to put what they're 520 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: great at to work for the companies that we invest in. Right. 521 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: That's the thing about venture investing. If it's just your money, 522 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: dumb money you can find anywhere, dumb moneys everywhere, but 523 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: smart money that wants to work hard behind the cash, 524 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: behind the capital to make your brand and business successful. 525 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: That's the kind of investor that the entrepreneurs who seek 526 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: us out want. So when entrepreneurs and other vcs come 527 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: to us and invite us into a round, usually it's 528 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: seed or early A. The hope is that we will 529 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: not just feel that through diligence, this is a smart bet, 530 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: but that it's a heart bet. To write that your 531 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:17,719 Speaker 1: heart is in it, and that the LPs in our 532 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: group believe in this entrepreneur and his or her team, 533 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: believe in the brand and the vision and the business 534 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: and want to go do things to make it successful. 535 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: That's why our fund exists. And I think also one 536 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: thing I'm really proud of about the Fund and Blackbird 537 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: is that these are the two of the most diverse 538 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: groups you will ever see. I mean, it is a 539 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: group of that was the most important thing about really 540 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: reaching out to a group of limited partners for lunch 541 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: partners was to say, like, we want a diversity of thought, 542 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: we want a diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, background, age, 543 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: and we got it. And that's the most exciting thing. 544 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 1: So when a pitch comes to us, we can channel 545 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: check across us five six different dimensions within twenty four 546 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: hours and make a decision. Yeah, okay, what would you kill, 547 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: rath Martin, What would you kill? What would you buy? 548 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: What would you do yourself? Right now? I would totally 549 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: kill a cheeseburger. What's your favorite cheeseburger? And where's it from? 550 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: This is gonna some weird It's in l A. Why 551 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: is that weird? No, it's a place called Father's Office. 552 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: You've been there. We've been there a million times. Yeah. 553 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: The great thing about is you can't alter it, like 554 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,479 Speaker 1: it's just you can't be like, no, I don't want 555 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: any pickles, Monica. Yeah, so it is what it is, 556 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: and that you don't get a choice. Thing about that 557 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 1: I really like. We've packed in there. Man's really hard 558 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: to I know, you gotta go at the off hour. Yeah, okay, 559 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: I love it. What would you buy? Not a burger? 560 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: You know? I would I would buy more Amazon stuck? Well, 561 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: is that such a bummer to say? No? I mean 562 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: everyone's saying, Okay, I'm gonna change it up. I would 563 00:30:54,320 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: buy Atlantia. I would buy Atlantia so fine. I would 564 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: buy more real estate in Maine, because have real estate Maine, 565 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: I do. I bought a house there last year, and um, 566 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: I'm fixing it up. My wife is fixing it up. 567 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: And uh. But I think, like with global warming, like 568 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: that's going to be Miami. So I'm banking on Maine. 569 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: Is like the new Miami? Are you building bunkers? I 570 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: feel like yeah, I feel we're getting like we're getting 571 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: ready for that, stashing it with the world's greatest collection 572 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: of poetry and chburgers and leaders. Um, all right, So 573 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: what would you do yourself that you're not already doing? 574 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: I mean I really would d I y the next 575 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: generation of great business leaders. That's what I want to build. 576 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: That's what you're doing, and that's what that's what we're 577 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: gonna put Forbes out of business under thirty. Like, is 578 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: there going to be like a Blackbird ten? It's a 579 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: good question. No. I think I'll let them keep giving 580 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: out the awards and the recognition, but I'll get people, 581 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: you know, to the place where they're recognized for their 582 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: eavements on their potential and where Forbes is calling them. 583 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: Imagine if you did an episode like at the end 584 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: of the year and it's like the ten people you 585 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: don't know you've never heard of? Yeah, well that was 586 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: actually what I mean. The Atlanta has people that are notable, yes, 587 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: but then you have people who maybe you haven't heard of, 588 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: and most likely you haven't heard of before you go. 589 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: What would be your advice to the next gen of 590 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 1: who you hope to become blackbird leaders who are out 591 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: there today? I'll give you my um, mom's and my dad's. Okay, 592 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: So my mom woke me up every morning and said 593 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: the same three words, today's the day every morning. Now 594 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: to some people that might seem annoying, annoying or burdensome. 595 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: To me, it just sort of got me out of 596 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: bed and I felt like I could do anything. And 597 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: when your mom gives you that, you know you can. 598 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: So I want to give that to other people. And 599 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: the other is the last two words that my dad 600 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: said to me before he died. Be there m hm. 601 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: And he meant it in every way possible, be there 602 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: for other people, um be there for opportunities, and have 603 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: the confidence to bet on yourself when it matters. And 604 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: so those are my two things, and those two are 605 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,240 Speaker 1: the most important in informing my own system of belief, 606 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: the idea that today's the day and you have to 607 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: be there. Knowing you for the last couple of years, 608 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: I would say that those things are very true. You 609 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: you live that out. Thank you live that out, Ross Martin. 610 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: Where can people find you at Ross Martin one or 611 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: why do you just email me Ross dot Martin at 612 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: blackbird Global dot com, Ross Martin. We will be hearing 613 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: a lot more from you. Thank you so much, Thank you, 614 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: rus Thank you guys. You know I love about rath Martin. You. 615 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: I love that he said he basically was a shoe salesman, 616 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: name is sixteen years old and then never ever had 617 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 1: a job that anyone else ever had after that. And 618 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: I love that. I think I'm an aspire to do 619 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: that salesman. No, alright, no, I think I've passed more 620 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 1: on the consumer side. I do love the idea that 621 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: he talked about future leaders being overseers of portfolios. I 622 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: think that's interesting and I think it's something that you know, 623 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: so many people come up through UM high school and 624 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: college and they go on to post collegiate you know, 625 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: degrees and think about these linear trap paths that that 626 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: that they need to go down and just start broadening 627 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: and thinking through the vein of being an entrepreneur and 628 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: ownership of your own portfolio is very interesting. That means 629 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: my board of directors is only going to get bigger. 630 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: That's right. I agree, And I also think that at 631 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 1: the end of the day, he said, you don't go, 632 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: you know, basically work for a job to go work 633 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: for a leader like you follow the leader, and I 634 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: think that's right. So with that, big thanks to Ross Martin, 635 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: Cameron Drew's our producer. Thank you for getting me my 636 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: tea this week and telling me I don't found an 637 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: easily love you camp, our friends and family appanaply thank 638 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: you to any Bowers and Matt Turk. If we don't 639 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 1: see you in Palm Desert, we will be back in 640 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,680 Speaker 1: two weeks. Also, stay tuned because at Landy events are 641 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 1: coming your way. Full disclosure, our opinions are our own.