WEBVTT - Stephen Curry's Right-Hand Man in Hollywood

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to another episode of Strictly Business, the podcast that

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<v Speaker 1>hears from some of the most interesting minds in the

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<v Speaker 1>media world on Varieties co editor in chief Andrew Wallenstein.

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<v Speaker 1>Steph Curry is best known as one of basketball's brightest stars,

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<v Speaker 1>but off the court, he's looking to win a new game,

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<v Speaker 1>the entertainment business. Curry recently signed a deal with Sony

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<v Speaker 1>Pictures Entertainment to produce TV shows, movies, and much more so,

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<v Speaker 1>how does an athlete draw up a playbook to take

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<v Speaker 1>on Team Hollywood. Curry has turned to my next guest,

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<v Speaker 1>to Ron Smith, to figure that out. Smith is one

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<v Speaker 1>of many people I spoke to, including Curry, for the

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<v Speaker 1>Variety cover story we published today about the NBA star,

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<v Speaker 1>so I thought it'd be nice to go a little

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<v Speaker 1>deeper in podcast form with Curry's right hand man in Hollywood.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Ron. Thank you for having me. Now, I

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<v Speaker 1>gotta ask this because people are gonna be curious. How

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<v Speaker 1>involved is Steph Curry in all this? You this is

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<v Speaker 1>your job, so I get that you're gonna be all in,

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<v Speaker 1>but how involved can he be in season or off season?

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<v Speaker 1>Setingly incredibly involves um obviously has his number one priority, right,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's being Steph and Curry and winning NBA championships

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<v Speaker 1>and being the most amazing basketball player he can be.

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<v Speaker 1>And that platform that you know, basketball has given him

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<v Speaker 1>to impact the world is is important to him. I

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<v Speaker 1>think Stephen believes his gift is God given and with

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<v Speaker 1>you know, with that comes with a great responsibility and

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<v Speaker 1>responsibility to take seriously. So when it comes to media,

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<v Speaker 1>I think when you think about the purpose behind it,

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<v Speaker 1>and you think about why Stephen I wanted to get

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<v Speaker 1>into this space and his vision something that's incredibly important

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<v Speaker 1>to him and something he's very involved with. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I'll give you this quick story. You know, we got

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<v Speaker 1>our first script as we started to go down this

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<v Speaker 1>journey and uh, Eric read the script. I read the

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<v Speaker 1>script and Eric Eric is Eric is my partner, he's

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<v Speaker 1>the chief creative officer at Unanimous Media. And we read

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<v Speaker 1>the script and we sent it over to Stephen. The

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<v Speaker 1>very next day. Steff was like, I love this project.

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<v Speaker 1>I read the script. This is why I touched me.

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<v Speaker 1>This is why this is why I think this is

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<v Speaker 1>a Unanimous project, and this is why I think the

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<v Speaker 1>script represents me right. And I was blown away one

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<v Speaker 1>because I didn't even read the script in one day

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<v Speaker 1>two because it was during the NBA season. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sure he read it after practice one day, after

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<v Speaker 1>shoot around in the hotel or or whatever the case

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<v Speaker 1>might be. But he read the script extremely quick. And

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<v Speaker 1>then when you think about his critical thought process against

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<v Speaker 1>the script, it was impressive. It was really impressive. And

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<v Speaker 1>I was it was that that was this was months

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<v Speaker 1>before before Sony and and uh, that's when I know, Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>we're we're in a we're in good shape, and Stephen's

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<v Speaker 1>invested and he's into this thing. You're saying that based

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<v Speaker 1>on the notes that he gave he he he has.

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<v Speaker 1>It sounds kind of like in an eight sense of

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<v Speaker 1>what he is good creative You think about something resonating

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<v Speaker 1>with Stephen and who he is, and when you think

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<v Speaker 1>about his audience and the people he wants to impact,

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<v Speaker 1>he's going to have the best gauge on whether a

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<v Speaker 1>project represents who he is and whether it has the

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<v Speaker 1>right fill to impact people the way he wants to

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<v Speaker 1>impact people. How big are his ambitions? Your ambitions, because

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<v Speaker 1>this could be something like a vanity project. Maybe you

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<v Speaker 1>do a project or two a year, and stuff puts

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<v Speaker 1>his stamp on it, or you are you guys looking

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<v Speaker 1>to do as you look at what Kevin Durant is doing,

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<v Speaker 1>when you look at Lebron is doing, They're building out

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<v Speaker 1>these full slates of content that bear their name. Give

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<v Speaker 1>us a sense of what the ambition is here. The

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<v Speaker 1>ambition is great, uh, and we want to do really

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<v Speaker 1>well in this space and have longevity. I think I'm

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<v Speaker 1>a huge fan of what Kevin is doing with with

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<v Speaker 1>Rich Kleiman. I'm a huge fan of what Lebron is

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<v Speaker 1>doing with Maverick. Those are those are all friends of mine,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm really excited for what they have going on.

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<v Speaker 1>I think Stephen represents a bit of a different athlete,

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<v Speaker 1>and because he's different, the way we'll approach media will

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<v Speaker 1>be different. Hate to kind of hone in once again

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<v Speaker 1>on on the faith piece, but that's such a such

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<v Speaker 1>a different element for an athlete when you're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>film and television, right, Uh, then the the family piece, etcetera.

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<v Speaker 1>I just think we're gonna go about it. We're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>go about this in a way that feels right and

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<v Speaker 1>it's authentic for who Stephen is. And I think Sony understands.

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<v Speaker 1>Sony really understands who Steffen is and and they're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be great partners and helping us kind of execute against

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<v Speaker 1>that vision. What about the decision to make a deal

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<v Speaker 1>with Sony? Walk us through the process and how you

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<v Speaker 1>got to needing to partner with the studio in the

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<v Speaker 1>first place. Yeah, studio is important. Studio is incredibly important. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>Stephan is all about doing things the right way, and

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<v Speaker 1>not only the right way, but he's all about having

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<v Speaker 1>the right partners, right. I think Stephan is someone that

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<v Speaker 1>tries to put good people around him and um he uh,

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<v Speaker 1>he entrusts those people. Uh. And when you think about

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<v Speaker 1>a studio and you think about the expertise, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think about the executives we met with, especially at Sony,

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, you think about their knowledge, you think about

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<v Speaker 1>their experience, you think about how long they've been in

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<v Speaker 1>this industry, and I think most most importantly, think about

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that they really understood what we were trying

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<v Speaker 1>to do. Uh. Sony became absolutely pertinent because they shown

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<v Speaker 1>themselves as as great partners, and I think coming into

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<v Speaker 1>the space, great partners were Um, it was imperative for us, right.

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<v Speaker 1>I think additionally, Um, you know, once again we mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>the faith piece, but faith being such an important silo

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<v Speaker 1>to what we're doing. Um, Sony has the affirm label, right,

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<v Speaker 1>what do they do? Yeah, So you have a myriad

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<v Speaker 1>of of labels at at Sony. You have Columbia Pictures,

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<v Speaker 1>you have Try Start your scream gyms, and you have

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<v Speaker 1>a firm, a firm really specializes in kind of your

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<v Speaker 1>faith faith content, inspirational content, and well really from a

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<v Speaker 1>film perspective, it's it's one of their film labels and

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<v Speaker 1>it uh they they you think about all your favorite

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<v Speaker 1>faith based films. For the most part, a firm probably

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<v Speaker 1>made it right and and that made them even more

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<v Speaker 1>of an attractive partner because uh, because of that element.

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<v Speaker 1>So again to put it in context, faith is just

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<v Speaker 1>on piece of the larger STEPH puzzle when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>to entertainment. But focusing there for a second, is faith

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<v Speaker 1>every bit a challenge as it is an opportunity? Meaning, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>there's a marketplace for that kind of content, and Sony's

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<v Speaker 1>a firm label has proved that. But do there also

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<v Speaker 1>become issues raised by someone being a person of faith

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<v Speaker 1>is a celebrity? Does it become an impediment for some? Uh?

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<v Speaker 1>Just trying to get a sense of how you're navigating

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<v Speaker 1>that it could, right, it could. I think faith, uh, religion,

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<v Speaker 1>the word Jesus. I think it strikes every person in

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<v Speaker 1>in a different form of fashion, right. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's something we're all aware of. But at the same time,

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<v Speaker 1>Stephen is who he is. He doesn't shy away from

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<v Speaker 1>who he is. And I think that's what makes Stephen

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<v Speaker 1>is so amazing. He's so comfortable in his own skin.

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<v Speaker 1>And and when you think about our three content silos,

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<v Speaker 1>they are very representative of who Stephen is. Uh. And

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<v Speaker 1>faith is a big part of that. Uh. And while

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<v Speaker 1>it's not going to represent everything we do, is not

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<v Speaker 1>something we're gonna shy away from. And and uh, you're

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<v Speaker 1>you're never ever ever gonna please everybody, right. So I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's something we're aware of. Um. But to be clear,

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<v Speaker 1>you're not what little or how much you do in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of faith based content isn't all going to be

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<v Speaker 1>Some of it might be something that does mention Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>or be something very strictly for faith based market, and

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<v Speaker 1>then there'll be other stuff like you mentioned the movie

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<v Speaker 1>The blind Side, that are sort of you know, religion

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<v Speaker 1>light that's absolutely correct, Okay, I get the plan. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>also curious when you talk about in this announcement things

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<v Speaker 1>like consumer products VR, I mean, is there a real

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<v Speaker 1>the applications that are Currey related in these kind of Oh,

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely absolutely, I think, especially in the VR space, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's some things. Those those types of projects you know,

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<v Speaker 1>well you will definitely, um, they're definitely forthcoming and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>definitely uh chat about. But they're absolutely very relevant and

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<v Speaker 1>authentic applications, especially when you're talking about the VR space

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<v Speaker 1>consumer products as well. Uh. I think what one of

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<v Speaker 1>the things that's so amazing about Sony is they have

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<v Speaker 1>such a robust ecosystem and great teams that work against

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<v Speaker 1>each of those business units, and we definitely plan to

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<v Speaker 1>tap into each of those. And I see the appeal

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<v Speaker 1>of Sony, but also Sony is in the context of

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<v Speaker 1>a broader marketplace of much bigger tech companies that could

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<v Speaker 1>be interested in stuff services, much bigger entertainment companies. Why

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't scale more of a factor in choosing a studio

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<v Speaker 1>partner because you didn't go with scale? Ultimately, yeah, fit

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<v Speaker 1>filing partnership. I would say it's the easiest way to

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<v Speaker 1>answer that question. Um, I met with the executive team

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<v Speaker 1>Eric Maye with the executive team Stephen did as well.

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<v Speaker 1>And that feeling that you have UM executives with the

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<v Speaker 1>expertise and experience that they have, that are really invested

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<v Speaker 1>in what you're doing so important that I think maybe uh,

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<v Speaker 1>not having that same feel at another studio, UM, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I think Sony Sony really shine through in that that department, right.

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<v Speaker 1>I think other studios offered some really you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>think I would say great fits as well. But but

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<v Speaker 1>when you think about Sony and you think about the

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<v Speaker 1>executive team, and you think about UM them really understanding

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<v Speaker 1>what we were trying to do, it was a it

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<v Speaker 1>was a foregone conclusion. How was the process of meeting

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<v Speaker 1>all these different kinds of companies? Uh, you know, were

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<v Speaker 1>you coming into with a very clear idea of what

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<v Speaker 1>you wanted or did you kind of learn some things

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<v Speaker 1>as you went along? No? I think uh definitely had

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<v Speaker 1>a had a clear vision of what we were trying

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<v Speaker 1>to do and where we were trying to go with

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<v Speaker 1>this thing. And I think with that, you know, as

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<v Speaker 1>we went along on that journey, Yeah, we were definitely

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<v Speaker 1>able to hone in kind of further and further on

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<v Speaker 1>kind of what that vision looked like when as you

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<v Speaker 1>learn more, as you meet with more executives, as you

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<v Speaker 1>start to understand, you know, the nuances of the studio system.

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<v Speaker 1>But all in all, we definitely went in with a

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<v Speaker 1>clear vision of what we were trying to do and

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<v Speaker 1>what we needed from a partner. Yes, I grew up

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<v Speaker 1>with Cheel Hills. UM initially went to u U c

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<v Speaker 1>l A. UM ended up leaving U c l A

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<v Speaker 1>and transfer to Howard University and Washington d C. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>They went to grad school at Georgetown from my first

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<v Speaker 1>master's degree, and then I went to Columbia University of

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<v Speaker 1>New York for my second master's degree. That led me

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<v Speaker 1>to Nike. Spent about seven years of Nike doing brand

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<v Speaker 1>management and brand strategy and uh, what does that mean? Absolutely? Um,

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<v Speaker 1>that means essentially that you are UM the kind of

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<v Speaker 1>central steward over the integrated marketing mix. So that's across

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<v Speaker 1>UM advertising, digital marketing, comms, et cetera. And you kind

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<v Speaker 1>of bring that marketing mixed together to execute kind of

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<v Speaker 1>a holistic brand strategy around a product or service. Uh. Well, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I spent seven years of Nike UM and uh, final

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<v Speaker 1>the Nike I got just a unique opportunity UM about

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I was kind of got win that UH,

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<v Speaker 1>President Barack Obama was you know, bringing in some private

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<v Speaker 1>sector town to look at government strategy differently. And luckily

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<v Speaker 1>I was one of the phone calls that was made about,

0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:03.840
<v Speaker 1>UM gaging my interest in a job at the White House. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I had about six or seven interviews when

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<v Speaker 1>I finally went to the White House to interview, and

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<v Speaker 1>I ended up, after about six months of background checks,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a pretty exhaustive process, ended up working out

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<v Speaker 1>at the White House as a Deputy Director of Digital Strategy. UH.

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<v Speaker 1>And again absolutely I knew that was coming. So in

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<v Speaker 1>the Office of Digital Strategy at the White House, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>since an executive office of the president. But you're you're

0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:35.800
<v Speaker 1>essentially UH talking about you know, all your all content,

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<v Speaker 1>all digital media, all social channels at White House dot

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<v Speaker 1>gov excuse me, at White House at potis UM as

0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:46.960
<v Speaker 1>well as White House dot gov UM, and you know,

0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:53.640
<v Speaker 1>anything from UH policy announcements, rollouts, et cetera. I think

0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:56.160
<v Speaker 1>the the mantra of our office was to meet the

0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:59.120
<v Speaker 1>people where they are. UH. President Obama didn't want to

0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:01.000
<v Speaker 1>just speak to his Bay, but he also wanted to

0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:05.240
<v Speaker 1>ensure we were leveraging our digital platforms to communicate and

0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:10.199
<v Speaker 1>message to uh, the entirety of the the US. He

0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:14.559
<v Speaker 1>wanted to make sure he was reaching everybody, and largely

0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:18.680
<v Speaker 1>our office to Digital Strategy was responsible for executing against

0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.160
<v Speaker 1>that that mission and that vision. So how does a

0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:26.760
<v Speaker 1>X shoe guy X DC guy end up in Steph

0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:31.040
<v Speaker 1>Curry's Yeah, for sure. So I think following the White House,

0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:33.040
<v Speaker 1>I really wanted to do something different. I think that

0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.400
<v Speaker 1>was the that was my as a goal of mine

0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:39.520
<v Speaker 1>and uh, you know, naturally you would think you would

0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:42.640
<v Speaker 1>just end up going back to working within the like

0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:49.480
<v Speaker 1>the corporate infrastructure. And I had got wind from uh

0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.120
<v Speaker 1>someone I used to work at Nike with which was

0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:55.840
<v Speaker 1>a close friend of Stephan's name is Bryant Um and

0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:57.840
<v Speaker 1>Briant kind of let me know about some of the

0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:00.200
<v Speaker 1>things stuff and was trying to do across the is.

0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:03.040
<v Speaker 1>You know, it's kind of off court business and brand

0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:06.760
<v Speaker 1>strategy and that there was probably a good fit and

0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:11.560
<v Speaker 1>opportunity there, and that's when the business conversation started with Stephen.

0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:15.640
<v Speaker 1>So you come in to sort of help manage brand.

0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:20.120
<v Speaker 1>Step The question is is when you came in. Was

0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:24.200
<v Speaker 1>media part of that mix? Yeah? I mean media was

0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:29.360
<v Speaker 1>something that you know, you you as a as a

0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:31.920
<v Speaker 1>good steward, has to be thinking about. Right. But um,

0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:36.040
<v Speaker 1>but from from day one we started talking about who

0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:41.520
<v Speaker 1>Stephen is and what he wants to stand for. And um,

0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:45.280
<v Speaker 1>when we started thinking about when Stephan really started to articulate,

0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:48.320
<v Speaker 1>you know, his mission and what he wanted to do,

0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:50.920
<v Speaker 1>and that's where you get to the yeah, I really

0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:53.160
<v Speaker 1>want to inspire as many people as possible. That was

0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:57.840
<v Speaker 1>it was It was clear that that narrative really Uh,

0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:01.160
<v Speaker 1>it always always came through and you hear it enough

0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:03.400
<v Speaker 1>and you're like, okay, how do you how do you

0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:06.480
<v Speaker 1>execute against that vision that he has? Right? And media

0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:10.160
<v Speaker 1>became the clear answer. You know, when you think about

0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.880
<v Speaker 1>touching and reaching as many people as possible, Um, there's

0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:16.800
<v Speaker 1>no better and more effective way to do that thing

0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:21.040
<v Speaker 1>through media. What does he want to touch and reach about? Yeah,

0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:25.080
<v Speaker 1>I mean when you think about inspiration, you think about inspiring. Um.

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.160
<v Speaker 1>Often that can come in a myriad of different forms. Right.

0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.040
<v Speaker 1>That can come in the form of laughter, that can

0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:35.160
<v Speaker 1>come in the form of sometimes it might mean mean tears, right, Um,

0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:37.720
<v Speaker 1>And I think it through kind of different avenues, if

0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:40.920
<v Speaker 1>you will, right, And I think you know media, you

0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:45.800
<v Speaker 1>know that can be filmed, television, digital content, etcetera. So, um,

0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:48.640
<v Speaker 1>it just became it just became the clear vehicle by

0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:52.560
<v Speaker 1>which we were gonna execute against that vision. Got it?

0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:56.200
<v Speaker 1>But was he thinking and were you thinking specifically in

0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:59.760
<v Speaker 1>terms once you decided to do the media thing, what

0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.800
<v Speaker 1>kinds of TV shows, movies aligned with what you saw

0:17:03.920 --> 0:17:09.160
<v Speaker 1>as brand staff? Yeah? Uh one stuff and hates the

0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:12.680
<v Speaker 1>brand staph Moniker thing. I just think he is who

0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.760
<v Speaker 1>he is, right, He is who he is, and he

0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:18.280
<v Speaker 1>is a super authentic person, right, And I think that's

0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:22.280
<v Speaker 1>really shown through in my time really working with him,

0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:26.040
<v Speaker 1>and you know that person people experience and see on

0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:28.680
<v Speaker 1>TV is exactly who he is as a man. He's

0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:33.199
<v Speaker 1>a family man, he loves his children. Uh, he's kind hearted,

0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:36.000
<v Speaker 1>he's just I mean, I sound like a step commercial,

0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:38.480
<v Speaker 1>but that's just that, just is who he is. Start

0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:44.639
<v Speaker 1>thinking about blind side or start thinking about pursuit of happiness, right, Um?

0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:48.520
<v Speaker 1>And I think other like projects you're talking about the

0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.240
<v Speaker 1>kinds of movies that I think sort of have a

0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:55.280
<v Speaker 1>faith element. It's but sort of light, it's not too

0:17:55.320 --> 0:18:00.399
<v Speaker 1>heavy handed. It's not espousing any particular religious religion period.

0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.199
<v Speaker 1>I should say yeah. I think when it comes to

0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.360
<v Speaker 1>the faith piece, right, I think that's always interesting when

0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:07.800
<v Speaker 1>it comes to Stephan and what we're doing with unanimous media, right.

0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.679
<v Speaker 1>I think faith is one silo of the type of

0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:14.879
<v Speaker 1>content we want to touch, one of three. Really, family

0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:18.879
<v Speaker 1>slash kids is one major silo and that can you know,

0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.560
<v Speaker 1>I think if you think this is us, right, faith

0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:28.880
<v Speaker 1>is another major silo. Uh. And then the sports themes

0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:31.920
<v Speaker 1>is kind of tertiary, but it's it's it's also another silo, right.

0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:34.640
<v Speaker 1>I think there are times when two of those silos

0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:37.000
<v Speaker 1>or three of those silos might come together in the

0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.639
<v Speaker 1>form of one project, and there's times that those silos

0:18:39.680 --> 0:18:42.200
<v Speaker 1>will stand alone and in some of the projects we're

0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:45.480
<v Speaker 1>working on. But uh, but faith is is one silo,

0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.919
<v Speaker 1>a major and important one, but it's but it's one silo.

0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:53.159
<v Speaker 1>You're basically saying you're going after these three areas in

0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:57.480
<v Speaker 1>terms of doing TV, movies, other things. What I'm curious

0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:01.840
<v Speaker 1>about is in terms of what Steph could do on

0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:04.960
<v Speaker 1>social media, and the guy had such a massive reach,

0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:08.400
<v Speaker 1>does that become a critical piece in in helping the content,

0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:13.199
<v Speaker 1>come out and get the biggest audience man social media,

0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.840
<v Speaker 1>I think is following understands who he is, and I

0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:23.160
<v Speaker 1>think he impacts his following. I think it's also kind

0:19:23.200 --> 0:19:25.400
<v Speaker 1>of a different day and age, right, And everybody talks

0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:28.439
<v Speaker 1>about this, and you hear this narrative quite often. But

0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:31.960
<v Speaker 1>I think when you when you consider Stephen and consider

0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:36.520
<v Speaker 1>the modern day athlete and their ability to really connect

0:19:36.600 --> 0:19:39.960
<v Speaker 1>one to one with their audience in an authentic way,

0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:42.600
<v Speaker 1>it's going to become extremely pertinent when you talk about

0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:45.879
<v Speaker 1>some of these projects and and how we're delivering them

0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:50.679
<v Speaker 1>to his audience. I think the other thing is, because

0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:56.280
<v Speaker 1>of social media, your audience also has um how do

0:19:56.320 --> 0:20:00.760
<v Speaker 1>I put this? They just sift through content. Uh, you

0:20:00.760 --> 0:20:03.200
<v Speaker 1>know in a very effective minute. Right, You watch a

0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:07.960
<v Speaker 1>you know, said, random person on Instagram, and they know

0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:10.399
<v Speaker 1>whether they like what they're seeing or don't like what

0:20:10.440 --> 0:20:14.240
<v Speaker 1>they're seeing, uh, extremely quickly. You know, with a double

0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:16.680
<v Speaker 1>tap and a swipe up, you're you're you're off to

0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:21.119
<v Speaker 1>the races in your social feed. And Uh, for that reason,

0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:22.920
<v Speaker 1>I think when you think about our silos and staying

0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:25.040
<v Speaker 1>in authentic to our silos and authentic to who Stephen

0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:29.320
<v Speaker 1>is our audience is gonna be able to sift through

0:20:29.320 --> 0:20:32.280
<v Speaker 1>that very quickly. So I think it's important that we

0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:37.680
<v Speaker 1>remain um authentic and and um set on what we're doing.

0:20:38.200 --> 0:20:41.199
<v Speaker 1>I made a comparison earlier to other basketball players with

0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:44.639
<v Speaker 1>What'stap's doing. I mean, am I limiting him in that sense?

0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:46.960
<v Speaker 1>Am I limiting all these players? Is what we're seeing

0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:49.679
<v Speaker 1>now in terms of this trend in the NBA and

0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:52.600
<v Speaker 1>perhaps in other leagues, kind of a short sided way

0:20:52.600 --> 0:20:55.719
<v Speaker 1>of looking at it. I don't personally, I don't look

0:20:55.760 --> 0:21:02.080
<v Speaker 1>at it as a trend. Stephen has a platform, and

0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:06.400
<v Speaker 1>Stephane getting into media is really expanding that platform. It's

0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:11.840
<v Speaker 1>another method, an effective method of reaching the masses, reaching

0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:19.920
<v Speaker 1>abroad audience, and delivering stories and messages to that audience

0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.240
<v Speaker 1>in the form of media, in the form of films

0:21:23.320 --> 0:21:25.520
<v Speaker 1>and the form of television and the form of digital content.

0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:32.040
<v Speaker 1>I understand why people could reference it as a trend,

0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:39.199
<v Speaker 1>but all in all, this is another Yeah, another mechanism

0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:43.400
<v Speaker 1>was just you know, leveraging and using his platform too

0:21:45.280 --> 0:21:50.520
<v Speaker 1>to execute against his purpose. You describe the sports pillar

0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:54.639
<v Speaker 1>of what he's doing earlier tertiary, which almost surprises me

0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:57.520
<v Speaker 1>because I would think it's staff. He's an athlete. It's

0:21:57.520 --> 0:22:01.040
<v Speaker 1>the easiest, quickest way for the audience to understand content

0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:07.160
<v Speaker 1>of a sports nature coming from him. Sports is important.

0:22:07.480 --> 0:22:10.600
<v Speaker 1>I think it's who he is, It's what he's known for.

0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:14.840
<v Speaker 1>And we will find some very interesting sports stories to tell,

0:22:15.119 --> 0:22:22.840
<v Speaker 1>and that's going to be important. But uh, family, slash,

0:22:22.920 --> 0:22:26.320
<v Speaker 1>kids and faith, I would say, is our is our focus,

0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:30.760
<v Speaker 1>especially right now. We'll tell some sports stories, for sure,

0:22:31.040 --> 0:22:33.920
<v Speaker 1>but we want to do them in a way that's uh,

0:22:34.200 --> 0:22:42.480
<v Speaker 1>that feels feels elevated, feels different, and feels purposeful. In

0:22:42.640 --> 0:22:46.320
<v Speaker 1>terms of that word purpose, I want to make sure

0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:49.480
<v Speaker 1>I understand, I mean I understand that in the you

0:22:49.520 --> 0:22:54.159
<v Speaker 1>know the phrase that Rick Warren popular way back. Uh

0:22:54.400 --> 0:22:56.480
<v Speaker 1>do you mean it strictly in that term or is

0:22:56.520 --> 0:23:00.800
<v Speaker 1>it purpose in a more general way? I somewhere between,

0:23:00.800 --> 0:23:03.280
<v Speaker 1>but more and in the broader sense, right, I think

0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:08.720
<v Speaker 1>Stephan knows what he stands for. And with that being said,

0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:15.080
<v Speaker 1>we're going to take that which is I can't say that,

0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:18.320
<v Speaker 1>can't say enough right, inspiring as many people as possible.

0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:22.320
<v Speaker 1>That's really the kind of the purpose driven statement, and

0:23:22.359 --> 0:23:26.960
<v Speaker 1>that should permeate everything we do. Also in terms of permeating.

0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:32.199
<v Speaker 1>I'm curious, do you feel that the content that's going

0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:34.040
<v Speaker 1>to come from this is just going to be a

0:23:34.040 --> 0:23:36.840
<v Speaker 1>manifestation of whose staff is, or that the content will

0:23:36.880 --> 0:23:40.960
<v Speaker 1>come in some degree to redefine people's understanding of whose

0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:43.040
<v Speaker 1>staff is. It might be a bit of the ladder,

0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:46.240
<v Speaker 1>but I wouldn't say the former is untrue either. Steps

0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:49.800
<v Speaker 1>audience probably has a varied view of who Stephen is,

0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:53.359
<v Speaker 1>you know, depending on maybe where you live, depending on

0:23:53.680 --> 0:24:00.119
<v Speaker 1>your age, depending on a myriad of factors. And for

0:24:00.280 --> 0:24:05.119
<v Speaker 1>some some of this content might might illustrate aside, you

0:24:05.160 --> 0:24:08.679
<v Speaker 1>might not be as familiar with um, and for others

0:24:08.680 --> 0:24:11.160
<v Speaker 1>it might be right on pointment, exactly what you expect.

0:24:11.600 --> 0:24:14.000
<v Speaker 1>Got it? Well, darn Thanks for coming in and talking

0:24:14.040 --> 0:24:20.639
<v Speaker 1>with me. Very much appreciative. This has been another episode

0:24:20.640 --> 0:24:23.600
<v Speaker 1>of Strictly Business. Tune in next week for another helping

0:24:23.680 --> 0:24:27.560
<v Speaker 1>of scintillating conversation with media movers and shakers, and please

0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:31.480
<v Speaker 1>make sure you subscribe to the podcast to hear future episodes.

0:24:31.960 --> 0:24:34.800
<v Speaker 1>Also leave a review in Apple podcast let us know

0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:36.840
<v Speaker 1>how we're doing. M