1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Putting women on these pedestals to destroy them. Things were 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: really vicious. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 2: Actress Sophia Bush rose to fame as the breakout star 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 2: of One Tree Hill. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: He should be so lucky, I am brook Day. 6 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: She built a platform as a fierce activist and launched 7 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,119 Speaker 2: her mega hit podcast, Work in Progress. But behind the fame, 8 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 2: she was carrying more than the world ever knew. 9 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 3: You had the courage to speak out and to take 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 3: on Hollywood. 11 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: The public part was so awful. 12 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 2: Now, alongside her best friend Ya Vats, Sophia opens up 13 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 2: about the pain, the shame, and the power of finally 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: choosing herself. 15 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: I didn't know how to deal with the shame and 16 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: the kind of embarrassment that I'd been wrong and that 17 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: I'd been wrong really publicly. 18 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 4: But that was very hard for me. 19 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: It's her best friend to watch, that's very hard. She's 20 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: the person who's known me for half my life and 21 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: could say, don't you dare forget who you are. Those 22 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: women helped me take off forty years of expectation and 23 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: people pleasing. 24 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: Join hosts Martin Luther King the Third, Andrea Waters, King, 25 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 2: Mark Kilberger, and Craig Kilberger for an Unforgettable conversation about 26 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,559 Speaker 2: owning your truth and the lessons she learned along the way. 27 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:20,919 Speaker 1: I want to speak up, but what I don't want. 28 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 3: Welcome to my legacy. For our new listeners and viewers, 29 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 3: this isn't your typical solo celebrity interview. This is the 30 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 3: show where extraordinary people pull back the curtain and bring 31 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 3: along the one person who's seen their full story unfold, 32 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 3: the highs, the heartbreaks, and the unforgettable life lessons. Today 33 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: we're joined by someone who's never been afraid to speak up, 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 3: show up, and shake things up, actress, activist, investor, and 35 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 3: podcast host Sophia Bush. Sophia, we're honored that you joined 36 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 3: us today, and would you do us the honor to 37 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 3: introduce your plus one, your writer died, the person who 38 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 3: you wanted to bring on this intimate conversation with you today. 39 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: Yes, my goodness, my ride or die. We ride at dawn. 40 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: Best friend and collaborator and work wife and most trusted confidante, 41 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: my guest, my favorite person who's here with me today 42 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: is the one that I call whenever anything enormous is 43 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: happening in the world, Whenever anything you know, perhaps ridiculously 44 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: small or exciting or insane is happening in the four 45 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: walls of my own home. We really go micro to macro. 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: She is truly the most brilliant person that I know, 47 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: someone who will be the first one to take you 48 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: to the best music festival you've ever been to, but 49 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: also is the most brilliant analyst thinker. She can look 50 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 1: at a system and figure out how to make it better. 51 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: She can walk in a room and bring an unmatched vibe. 52 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: She is absolutely not just the most intellectual person I know, 53 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: but I think also the most exceptional person that I 54 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: know who has taught me so much about how to 55 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: live a deep and full life and who I tell 56 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: people all the time, I'm the most blessed in this 57 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: lifetime to call my best friend. And as if she 58 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: could ever do more than all of the amazing things 59 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: that she does as an entrepreneur and an investor and 60 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: an activist and a thought leader, she also gave birth 61 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: to my tiny best friend emotional. She gave birth to 62 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: the most wonderful little boy's name is August, who I 63 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: am immensely grateful and lucky to call my godson. And yeah, 64 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: there's just there's no way I would be in this 65 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: stage of this journey of life had I not been 66 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: walking this path next to her for the last twenty years. 67 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: We are joined today by the incomparable, the amazing Niavats. 68 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 5: What a beautiful. 69 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: It was, like an award for the best introduction of us. 70 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 4: For three minutes in them, We're already cry. 71 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 6: It's gonna be a good I love you. I love 72 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 6: you too, but I do want to turn for a moment. 73 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 6: Because you all met each other in your twenties. I've 74 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 6: met some of my best and deepest and most wonderful 75 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 6: relationships with my best friends, also like at as adults, 76 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 6: and so Sophia, I know that you said that when 77 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 6: you met Nia in your early twenties it was one 78 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 6: of the first friendships that felt truly expansive and grounding. 79 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 6: What made Nia stand out? And what did you need 80 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 6: in a friend at that time in your life? What 81 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 6: could you receive? 82 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: You carry the most powerful presence with you in a room, 83 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: And I think I was so sort of knocked over 84 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: by this woman who is both so self assured and 85 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: also has the kind of confidence that doesn't require her 86 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: to show off her intellect or her taste or her 87 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: deep knowledge. Again on the global markets, or like the 88 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: best music that's come out of the most niche space 89 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: that year. You know, I, for better or worse, I 90 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: can never not sit in a meeting and take notes. 91 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: And as we were all leaving this session with these 92 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: you know, incredible climate leaders and folks, she just looked 93 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 1: at me in the you know, in the aisle making 94 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: our way out of the auditorium and said, what is 95 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: the girl from TV doing here taking notes like a 96 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: court reporter? And I was like, well, I actually went 97 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: to journalism school. My notes are very good. If you 98 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: need a copy, you know. I was just trying so 99 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: hard to like figure out why this funny, amazing woman 100 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: was so cool. She was like, yeah, I want a copy. 101 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: And we've been best friends ever since. And I think 102 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: it is that I think we were in I'd be 103 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: remiss not to say, you know, we were in the 104 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: era of the early to mid two thousand where in 105 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: the world of my day job, the media was just 106 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: you know, putting women on these pedestals to destroy them. 107 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: Things were really vicious, the kind of criticism of women, 108 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: the fat shaming of women, the puritanical shaming of women. 109 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: Like it was hard to be out there as a 110 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 1: young woman in media. And then I met this woman 111 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: who is this young executive to brag the youngest ever 112 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: female and youngest ever Black woman executive at Viacom at 113 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: the time. And she was like, not about any of that, 114 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: wanted to talk. You know, all things play and all 115 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: things work. And I was so amazed by her and 116 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: her confidence. And I think as our friendship grew by osmosis, 117 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, if Nia sees me this way, 118 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: I can see me this way. 119 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 6: Okay, Nias your turn. So at that conference when you 120 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,119 Speaker 6: all met, what did you say in Sofia that made 121 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 6: you say, Okay, this is someone that I want to 122 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 6: have in my life. 123 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, as Sopha was mentioning, you know, I was 124 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 4: working in entertainment at the time. I kind of grew 125 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 4: up a little adjacent to it. My uncle Lewis, who's 126 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 4: one of our business partners, has been a president at 127 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 4: Black Entertainment Television for like it's probably thirty eight years now, 128 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 4: and so the business of entertainment and the business of 129 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 4: making stars is something that I was very familiar with 130 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 4: and maybe to some extent like a little cautious of. 131 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 4: And I think what surprised me so much you know, 132 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 4: when I met Sophia is truly how genuinely curious of 133 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 4: a person she is, And it's so refreshing when you 134 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 4: meet people like that, and then also when they're in 135 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 4: a place, in a space where you're not necessarily expecting 136 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 4: them to be. I mean, we started, you know, engaging 137 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 4: in these like cause related spaces very early in our careers, 138 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 4: and that was very you know, much before it was 139 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 4: you know, as in vogue as it is now. For 140 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 4: I think every person with some sort of public facing, 141 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 4: you know, a bit of visibility to be connected to 142 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 4: an issue or a cause. But Sofa was passionately curious 143 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 4: about everything, the environments and how we're interacting with it, 144 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 4: the rights that women have or don't have, and from 145 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 4: the very very like early days, really conscious of her 146 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 4: space in the world as a white woman, and also 147 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 4: what that meant with the privilege of the platform that 148 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 4: she knew that she had. She took it very very 149 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 4: seriously from the moment that I met her, and that 150 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 4: was a demonstrative difference than you know, a lot of 151 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 4: the other sort of young actresses certainly that I came 152 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 4: in contact with on the shows that we had on 153 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 4: our networks. Or that I worked with in some capacity. Also, 154 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 4: what she's weaving out is she raises her hand to talk. 155 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 4: She's excited, she has thoughts, like the way that her 156 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 4: brain works in pross us as information happens in real 157 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 4: time and in such a joyful way that you can 158 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 4: see her becoming more excited by what she's hearing because 159 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 4: she's building on it and has ideas. And that kind 160 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 4: of energy is really contagious. You don't find a lot 161 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 4: of people that, yeah, I'm going to cry now. 162 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: Everybody's going to cry on this shifts. 163 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 4: You just don't meet a lot of people that so 164 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 4: genuinely will then leave the room and want to figure 165 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 4: out how it is they can get involved in what 166 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 4: it is they can do. And so I asked for 167 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 4: a copy of her notes, and we really have been 168 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 4: best friends since then. And you know, I was a 169 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 4: very young executive, and you know that also is is lonely. 170 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 4: I also think, you know, Sophie and I were both 171 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 4: you know, only children, and our sort of like uh 172 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 4: like first version of our nuclear families. My family evolved 173 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:58,239 Speaker 4: in many beautiful ways. But you know, she left Alifornio 174 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 4: when she was very young and moved in North Carolina 175 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 4: and worked on a show and didn't really grow up 176 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 4: in that culture of young Hollywood, and you know, just 177 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 4: some extent like on the show, but just in like 178 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 4: the broader ecosystem, you know. And I worked in fifteen 179 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 4: fifteen Broadway and most of you know, my peers and 180 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 4: people I worked with were much older, and so we 181 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 4: found these shared spaces where we could come together and 182 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 4: we could work on issues, and we could also you know, 183 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 4: have fun because North Carolina and you know, being in 184 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 4: Wilmington was not that far you know from New York, 185 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 4: and so we had opportunities to see each other and 186 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 4: also traveled together, and a lot of our formative years 187 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 4: and experiences were spent bouncing ideas off of one another 188 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 4: and making, you know, mistakes and learning from them and growing. 189 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 6: As the mother of an only child, that also it 190 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 6: warms my heart. And so to hear that you are 191 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 6: both only children and that you know, like you also 192 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 6: have made this family together early early on. I think 193 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 6: sometimes as parents of only children we kind of worry, 194 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 6: but so it really is wonderful as the mother of 195 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 6: an only child also to know that you all have 196 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,680 Speaker 6: found your forever family in each other. 197 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think that you make a family as well, 198 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 4: and we have done that with the people around us. 199 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 4: And you know, even my nuclear family evolved our you know, 200 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 4: nuclear families have have been built and shifted in different ways. 201 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 4: And you know, I think when you have a really 202 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 4: good center and there's like love and strength and you know, 203 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 4: humility in that space, you know you have longevity. As well. 204 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 3: As listened to you do that beautiful tribute, I was 205 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 3: struck by how you spoke of how you both met 206 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 3: through activism. You gave this beautiful tribut about Sophia's commitment 207 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 3: to activism, and it's one of the parts Sophia, I 208 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 3: think a lot of our listeners and viewers admire about 209 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 3: you because of course, you know, of course people know 210 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 3: you as the breakout star from One Tree Hill. But 211 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 3: what a lot of people also know and to think 212 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 3: admire was the fact that although it was a hit 213 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 3: behind the scenes, you had the courage along with seventeen 214 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 3: others who spoke out against the toxic culture, and you 215 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 3: had the courage to speak out and to take on 216 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 3: Hollywood in that way. When you look at your own 217 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 3: activism and specifically that experience, what did that teach you 218 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 3: about courage about speaking up about frankly, the true price 219 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 3: sometimes you have to pay for holding true to your beliefs, 220 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 3: just as it could not have been easy at that time. 221 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, ah, you know, so many things pop into my head, 222 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: and to your point, it certainly wasn't easy. I think 223 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: you realize, and you know it's not that it's unique, unfortunately, 224 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: but when you begin sharing stories with people around you, 225 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: which I think I knew how to do when it 226 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: was time for those stories to be shared in community, 227 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: because we had done it in so many other places. 228 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: You know. We had worked on the front lines with 229 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: folks trying to ring the alarm bell about climate. We 230 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: had worked on human rights issues, water access issues around 231 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 1: the world, you know, and so I think when it 232 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: was time, in an odd way, to turn that energy 233 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: inward and then to my immediate circle of co workers, 234 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: when me too became I won't say became. You know, 235 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: it had been happening and growing, you know, thanks to 236 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: Toronto Burke and her activism and her beginning, you know, 237 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: the rallying cry in the first place. But when the 238 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: pot boiled over, as you will, in twenty seventeen, it 239 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: was really interesting because it was the reason I had 240 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: left my most recent job at the time because we'd 241 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: hit a point where it was, well, either you have 242 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: to continue to shrink yourself and you should be so 243 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: grateful to have the job in the first place, or 244 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: you're going to say this is unacceptable, and to prove 245 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: that point, leave the room and again I will I 246 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: will say that I think I knew how to do 247 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: that because of my friendship with Nia and the group 248 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: of women around us. I had finally been taught to 249 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: trust myself enough to say, even for me, not just 250 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: for the world, but even for me, if one door closes, 251 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: another will open, or I'll open another one. I can 252 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: actually close this door and send that signal, you know. 253 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: I mean it was the spring of twenty seventeen that 254 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: I closed that door, and then the summer of twenty 255 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: seventeen that this global door you know, got kicked down. 256 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: And what was so interesting to me about it was 257 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: I'd had a singular experience on my recent job, my 258 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: first and longest you know, nine seasons of One Tree Hill. 259 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: All of us women had had the whole spectrum of 260 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: this experience, and there was so much fear and also 261 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: relief in our community and in our community at large 262 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: about finally people don't have to keep secrets, and finally 263 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: people don't have to pay compliments to people who don't 264 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: deserve them, and finally, what's it going to look like? 265 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: And the fear came from so many people on our 266 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: show certainly, and I would imagine in the ecosystem saying 267 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: I want to speak up, but what I don't want 268 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: is to have to tell the world exactly what happened 269 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: to me. And it was the decade of the decade 270 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: plus of Nia and I's friendship, our larger ecosystem of 271 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: women and all these people we had built these activist 272 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: circles with, and that we'd done all of this community 273 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: organizing and civic engagement work with where I said, I 274 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: got all the girls together and said, guy, I think 275 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: I know the way we do this. We do it together. 276 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: We can explain from this issue all the way to 277 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: this extreme issue. We have been through this. And it 278 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: was the most amazing thing because I got to bring, 279 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: you know, small often local, basement organizing work to this large, 280 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: very public entertainment world, and me and my friends from 281 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: this show got to protect each other and people got 282 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: to know this happened to someone and this happened to someone, 283 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: and this happened to someone, but they couldn't assign it 284 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: to whom. And in a way, it let us talk 285 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: about the system, because sexism and sexual violence and sexual 286 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: harassment is systemic. Racism and oppression and redlining and financial inequity, 287 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: those are systemic issues, and in our own way, I 288 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: feel like we got to stand up for ourselves and 289 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 1: call out a system instead of have to re traumatize 290 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: ourselves specifically. 291 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 4: And I was. 292 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: Really proud of us, and I was so proud of 293 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: everyone who had the conversation, and particularly proud of how 294 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: women in entertainment said, we can garner the spotlight and 295 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: who will we turn it onto? So how do we 296 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: support the women in the NWSL and their fight for equality. 297 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 1: How do we support women in academia and signal boost 298 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: their stories of what they've been subjected to in higher education? 299 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: How do we support women in the medical field, from 300 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: nurses to surgeons who go through this too but don't 301 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: get millions of eyeballs on their personal Instagram pages. And 302 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: so it was very inspiring to me the way that 303 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: whole movement kept recentering community rather than any one person's 304 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: story and I think it was something that felt familiar 305 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: and right to me because of the decade of work 306 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: around the world I had done next to this woman. 307 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 6: So that prepared you in a way like that, all 308 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 6: of that work that you all did together, when the 309 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 6: time came and it was your moment to use your 310 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 6: voice in your feel all of that that preparation, it 311 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 6: seems like it came full circle coming up. Sophia opens 312 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 6: up about the pain, the shame, and the power of 313 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 6: finally choosing herself. 314 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 2: That's next. 315 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 3: Now back to my legacy. 316 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 5: Nia. 317 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:35,719 Speaker 7: You are extremely gifted. You work across media, strategy, finance, 318 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 7: and you're bringing those expertise to your investment work with Sophia. 319 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 7: What's a project that you're most proud of of your 320 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 7: collective partnership and why is economic empowerment become such a 321 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 7: driving force of your passion and your work. 322 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 4: It's interesting. I was speaking at a conference yesterday and 323 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 4: we're talking about falalures, and I think that for me, 324 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 4: probably for us, these are learning opportunities and experiences. It's 325 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 4: hard to classify them not as like a failure, but 326 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 4: to me, I still think that one of the most 327 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 4: rewarding things that we did was with our business partner, 328 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 4: Katie Cockrell, when we were you know, in Detroit building out. 329 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 4: One of our first brick and mortar businesses was a 330 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,680 Speaker 4: salon in store called Detroit Blows and it was kind 331 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 4: of an inclusive take on like a dry bar sort 332 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 4: of esque model that was really thinking about not only 333 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 4: how do we make a space where women, people of 334 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 4: all ethnicities and hair types can have consistent service. Can 335 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 4: that service be non toxic? Can we make it feel beautiful? 336 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 4: And can it be generative in a way that a 337 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 4: portion of those profits get funneled into our affiliated nonprofit 338 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 4: and make micro grants to women entrepreneurs and grants to 339 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 4: organizations that help women either enter or re enter the workforce. 340 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 4: Can you take something that seems like, seemingly like superficial 341 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 4: and make it feel holistic and whole and nurturing in 342 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 4: a way that people are not expecting. And so it 343 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:23,919 Speaker 4: became our little trojan horse for a conversation about identity politics, 344 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 4: for a conversation about representation and beauty, for a conversation 345 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 4: about community development, who gets to be investors and who 346 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 4: gets to be invested in And unfortunately, during COVID, we 347 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 4: made the decision to sunset that business, and I think, 348 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 4: you know, it's one of the things I'm most proud 349 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 4: of that we've done together, because again, it was it 350 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 4: was one of those things we just didn't have to do, 351 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 4: but we just didn't know who else was going to 352 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 4: do it, and so the three of us did it. 353 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 4: And when we first you know, started to play around 354 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 4: with this idea, and then Katie and I were here 355 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 4: in the market. You know, my mom helped, you know, 356 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 4: she was so instrumental with that business, helping with our 357 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 4: business plan and operations and getting us open. And I 358 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 4: said to Sof like, is this crazy? Do you think 359 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 4: that we should do this? And that we should do 360 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 4: it in Detroit? Just like we actually we absolutely have to, 361 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 4: you know, and I'm going to be the first check 362 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,120 Speaker 4: in and We're just going to build it. And we did, 363 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,479 Speaker 4: and to just will something into existence that has the 364 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 4: physicality of a space. It was a humbling experience, but 365 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 4: a beautiful experience. But it really was you know, when 366 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 4: we decided to close the business, it was catalytic for 367 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 4: us in terms of what we had to do next. 368 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 4: So we went on to work with the first Women's 369 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 4: bank in Chicago, which is the first commercially chartered bank 370 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 4: in the country that focuses on reducing the gender lending 371 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 4: gap for women's owned businesses because we know that those 372 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 4: businesses receive sixteen percent of commercial loans, like relative to 373 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 4: you know, to mail business businesses better run by men. 374 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 6: And black women receive even less than that. 375 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 4: Absolutely, absolutely, And you know, we were in Detroit, keynoting 376 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 4: of Forbes Under thirty conference the year before we actually 377 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 4: closed the salon, and we were supposed to be on 378 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 4: stage really talking about this business that we built in 379 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,479 Speaker 4: Detroit and how we're getting ready to prepare for the 380 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 4: next you know, fundraising ground where we're going to expand 381 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,679 Speaker 4: into other markets. But again back to the data and 382 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 4: these stories we just couldn't put down. We started to 383 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 4: dive in and realized that yes, women owned businesses receive 384 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 4: you know, a much smaller share, you know than other businesses. 385 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 4: But when I tried to ask what the funding levels 386 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 4: were at that year for black owned businesses, they told 387 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 4: me that they were going to start reporting that data 388 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 4: and the next survey, but it was statistically insignificant, so 389 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 4: it wasn't reporting and the current data that we were seeing. 390 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 4: I was like, statistically insignificant and what this must have 391 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 4: been yeah, oh yeah, yeah, twenty nineteen. 392 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: So yeah, because he noted the conference planning to start 393 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: our rais and then when the pandemic began, that's what 394 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: led to us having to sunset the business. And so 395 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:27,479 Speaker 1: it was a real whiplash and statistically insignificant. I remember 396 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: watching Na's face like we heard that, and I went oh. 397 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: I immediately looked at her and thought, isn't it surreal 398 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: that we own a business in this majority black city 399 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: founded by three women, two of whom are women of color, 400 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: and the women of color in the room were just 401 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: told they are statistically insignificant. And then we were like, 402 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: get the matches. We're lightning on front. 403 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 4: And I think even also that that women general partners 404 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,159 Speaker 4: you know at venture capital firms that they were only 405 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 4: you know, represented of ten percent of you know that 406 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 4: investment leadership and firms across the country. I think right 407 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 4: now it might be closer to thirteen. It vacillates between 408 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 4: ten and thirteen percent. But we thought, is okay, this 409 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 4: feels like a fixable problem. It's probably we stands to 410 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 4: reason we might have more investment in women know own businesses. 411 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,239 Speaker 4: Certainly you know, women of color. I would expect as 412 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 4: well if we had more women investors and also investors 413 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,400 Speaker 4: that were women of color. And so what was interesting, 414 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,360 Speaker 4: and it's a very sort of long wind in response 415 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 4: to the initial question. 416 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:36,479 Speaker 8: But that project really became a catalyst for, you know, 417 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 8: our involvement with the bank and you know, and debt 418 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 8: strategies and ways that we can support and capitalize businesses. 419 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,679 Speaker 4: And it really brought us back home to what we 420 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 4: had always been doing, which is making these angel investments. 421 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 4: But it led to us formalizing our venture capital strategy 422 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 4: and kind of bringing it into this main firm that 423 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 4: my dad had been brunning and the my uncle is 424 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 4: a part of as well. And so now we have 425 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,880 Speaker 4: this family business that is you know, based in Detroit 426 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 4: in Atlanta that in very you know, is very deeply 427 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 4: connected to this business that we had in Detroit, this 428 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 4: brick and mortar you know, business that we weren't expecting 429 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 4: or really set out to build, and that had some success, 430 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 4: but as it had to transition and evolve into something different, 431 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 4: it very much you know, had all of the markers 432 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 4: of what would come next. And so that's the beautiful 433 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 4: thing about you know about the. 434 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 6: Journey statistically and significant. And then when you think when 435 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 6: you think about like all of the the black owned businesses, 436 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 6: and in particular the black owned female businesses. My sisters 437 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 6: have a bakery here in Atlanta that they've owned for 438 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 6: over ten years. 439 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 7: Can we do a shameless plug with the bakery's name, 440 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 7: It's CG Bakery, and. 441 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 6: Like we do this ship and they are they really 442 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 6: are fantastic. 443 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 7: I'm biased, but they really what's your favorite thing that 444 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 7: they bake their cupcakes? The cupcakes. 445 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 6: C eg keg Bakery, comfecier, eclectic, gourmet. It's the whole 446 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 6: idea of bringing together Southern and French and just like 447 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 6: the best fresh ingredients. So if you order strawberry cupcakes 448 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 6: from there, like they're gonna have fresh strawberries, you know, 449 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 6: cut up in there. And our daughter works there sometimes 450 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,360 Speaker 6: after school and she loves the lemon bars. I mean, 451 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 6: everything is really great. And they've done this, you know, 452 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 6: without any type of financial backing, because when you go 453 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:45,399 Speaker 6: and you you know, go to a bank, you know, 454 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 6: you know, and black women trying to get business loans 455 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 6: is almost impossible. And then when you really understand though 456 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 6: the creativeness, then that goes into building a business. Without that, 457 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 6: we we actually are probably better bets because of the 458 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 6: fact that we are so creative, we have to think 459 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 6: outside of the box when it comes to marketing and 460 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 6: all of the different pieces. It just it boggles my 461 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 6: mind because of that strength and intelligence and creativitness that 462 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 6: we actually are a better statistical bet when it comes 463 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 6: to businesses. And then, so you're helping lead the first black, 464 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 6: majority women led venture capital firm in Michigan. And what 465 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 6: do you think are some of the biggest barriers still 466 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 6: holding women back and how can we overcome them? 467 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 4: I really think it's access to capital. We know that, 468 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 4: you know in Michigan, you know especially it can take 469 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 4: founders twenty four to forty eight months longer to raise 470 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 4: that first five hundred thousand dollars. And we know that 471 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 4: the numbers that the time is longer for women, for 472 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 4: people of color. And so the biggest barrier in many 473 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 4: respects is how quickly people can get their ideas funded. 474 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 4: And for us, that's why it was so important for 475 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 4: us to be early stage investors. I mean, we started 476 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 4: as angels, but we still in our strategy invest pre 477 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 4: seed to Series A and we do a lot in 478 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 4: the preceed and seed stage, because we know that if 479 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 4: we can make an investment in a founder and we 480 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 4: can work with them on a milestone, on a goal 481 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 4: that feels achievable even with a small amount of money, 482 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 4: we have seen, like you know, in our portfolio, we're 483 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 4: small amounts of money at the right time and mentorship 484 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 4: support resources, like the belief that we have in our 485 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 4: founders has led them to go on to raise millions 486 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 4: of dollars and you know, run very successful businesses and 487 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 4: sometimes you just need people to really see you in 488 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 4: your vision and to support you with capital. But you know, 489 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 4: also so with some of the platform resources that we 490 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 4: wrap around our founders as well. But it does require 491 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 4: a deep setted belief that people of color, women, underrepresented 492 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 4: founders from underrepresented communities have a better chance at solving 493 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 4: problems for those communities. It does require the belief that 494 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:27,719 Speaker 4: the diversity of perspective can create an innovation that others 495 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 4: might be missing. And so for us, you know, we 496 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 4: believe that there's a tremendous amount of value that can 497 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 4: be captured, you know, in these markets and with these founders. 498 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: It's one of those things where I think it's actually 499 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: a way to tear down this false binary that you 500 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: either do well in the world or you do good. 501 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: This idea that there's folks who care about people in 502 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: planet and then there's folks who care about profit. And 503 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: I think one of our favorite it things to talk about, 504 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: and we learned this from our activism and our community organizing, 505 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 1: is there are actually many places where the math and 506 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: the morals meet. We know that companies with diversity of 507 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: leadership across race and gender and background have better outcomes 508 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: fiscally in their quarterly and annual returns. So the idea 509 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: that the truth rather that more ideas in the room 510 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: means that you will create a better product or outcome 511 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:37,239 Speaker 1: for your company is exciting and for us when we 512 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: think about some of the folks who might have a 513 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: harder time fundraising, we want to go to those folks. 514 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: Some of the geographies that have a harder time fundraising, 515 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: we want to be there because it really reminds us 516 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: something that was core to our activism that we realized 517 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,959 Speaker 1: was core to our fiscal strategy. Is that old archbis 518 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: to two adage you're gonna pull people out of the 519 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: river for so long before you're gonna walk upstream and 520 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: figure out who's pushing them in. The financial inequity that 521 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 1: harms so many communities also harms the GDP of America. 522 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: So if more people are doing better and making more money, 523 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: the whole country's doing better. It's not actually a you 524 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: versus me and us versus them thing. It's say, let's 525 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: build a bigger, more successful and sustainable economy. And we 526 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: understand that by nature of being upstream, we can support 527 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: more people. And that feels exciting to us because the 528 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: more of us there are in the rooms, and the 529 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: more companies that might have been overlooked that we can 530 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: actually invest in, the more investors in the future won't 531 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: overlook those folks. And so it's where the math and 532 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 1: the morals really me. 533 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 7: We love it if you could share this episode with 534 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 7: someone who you admire, someone who shows up for you, 535 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 7: who cares about you, who lives their legacy every day. 536 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 7: We'll be back in a moment. 537 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 6: Now back to my legacy, Sophia. 538 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 5: What's one thing you and NIA do together that is 539 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 5: absolutely nothing to do with your business but really feels 540 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 5: your souls. 541 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I come, I come back to music. You know, 542 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: we used to joke in our twenties that we could 543 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: be like at a concert, dancing on top of the 544 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: speakers on a Saturday night and running a board meeting 545 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: on a Monday morning. That is still true. I think 546 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: then I was like, I was like, what's going to 547 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: happen when we're in our forties? And now I'm like, 548 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: we're in our forties, we got kids, and we're still 549 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: so fun. And I love that. You know, it's it's 550 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: impossible for us not to be deep and nerdy about 551 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: every single thing. And you know, now instead of just 552 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 1: sending news articles, we're literally trading white for biotech companies. 553 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: I mean we are we are deeply as you said earlier, 554 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: n we're deeply curious people and we take our careers 555 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: very seriously, but we remember to have fun. And you know, 556 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: it might not be Friday and Saturday night anymore. We're busy, 557 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: but like we're still having a good time. And I 558 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: love that. I know, I can say like, oh my god, 559 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: did you know this? This concert's happening in Chicago in 560 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: two weeks? Should we go? And her She's always like, yeah, 561 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: what night. We say yes before we even know when, 562 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: And I love that. I love that we haven't lost that. 563 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 6: Well, let me tell you, even when you get into 564 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 6: your fifties, you still won't. They're still fun to be had. 565 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 6: And yeah, when you get a group of moms together 566 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 6: and good friends, you know, and you know you get 567 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 6: all everything done during the day. But it is a 568 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 6: lot of fun to be had when we all get together, Sophia. 569 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 6: And now I want to turn to a deep, fully 570 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 6: personal essay that you wrote in Glamour last April about 571 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 6: your coming out journey. And I want to read something 572 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 6: that you wrote because I thought that it was just so, 573 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 6: so very powerful. So I want to quote your exact words, 574 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 6: which is I finally feel like I can breathe. I 575 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,319 Speaker 6: don't think I don't think I can explain how profound 576 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 6: that is. I feel like I was wearing a weighted 577 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 6: vest for who knows how long I hadn't realized how 578 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 6: heavy it was until I finally just put it down. 579 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 6: That kind of clarity doesn't usually come without heartbreak. So 580 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 6: what was the turning point for you? 581 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 1: If I may, You know, it's interesting how bite sized 582 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: the world wants to make your life or your experience 583 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: and says when you are a public person. And I 584 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: understand why the totality of a life, you know, someone's 585 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: journey is it's not clickbait material and so you won't 586 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: expect this. But the reason this really relates back to 587 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: Nia and our friendship is because there was so much 588 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,960 Speaker 1: public fascination about well, what is she? How does she identify? 589 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:28,279 Speaker 3: Is? 590 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: Explain? Explain, explain, and they wanted to make it about 591 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 1: this coming out, you know, and part of me and 592 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,360 Speaker 1: part of Neia were like, has nobody been paying attention 593 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: to like anything I've ever said since I've been on TV, 594 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: or all the all the people I've kissed since I've 595 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: been on TV? Like what are we doing? So there 596 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,280 Speaker 1: was humor in it, certainly there there was absolutely given 597 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:57,439 Speaker 1: again this this rising fear mongering. There was a real 598 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: importance I understood for saying the words and saying them 599 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 1: in a way where they could be both hopefully inspiring 600 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: or freeing to someone else, but also to say all 601 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: of us deserve to take up space and deserve to 602 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:17,600 Speaker 1: have a full spectrum of rights. But the thing that 603 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: people didn't see behind the scenes was the journey to 604 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,320 Speaker 1: get there. And the vest wasn't just about identity. The 605 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: vest was about society. The vest was about the expectation 606 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:38,040 Speaker 1: on women, the exhausting demand to be small, but not 607 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,400 Speaker 1: so small, to no matter what you do, you have 608 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,279 Speaker 1: a career, How dare you not have kids? You have kids? 609 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: How dare you not have a career? You wait to 610 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 1: consider getting married. You're a crone. You got married young. 611 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: You must have been dumb and you didn't know what 612 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: you were doing. It's just we can't quite get it right. 613 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 1: And what I had to come to terms with was 614 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: that I'd carried certain traumas rather than push them back 615 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: on the people who'd given them to me, I'd tried 616 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:15,920 Speaker 1: to make everybody happy. I'd lost my individual way, maybe 617 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: in a way because I'd prioritized community so much that 618 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: I finally said, well, I guess it's time, and I 619 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: guess it's time I do the thing everybody tells me 620 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: to do, and I'll make the list and check the boxes. 621 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: And everybody says, once you've done it, you'll be happy. 622 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: And I checked all the boxes and I really wasn't happy. 623 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 1: And I didn't know how to say that to anyone 624 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: but Nia, and I didn't know how to say when 625 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,239 Speaker 1: people said, well, why did you get married and why 626 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 1: did you do this? I didn't know I would go 627 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:55,480 Speaker 1: through the next step, the family building stuff by myself. 628 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: I didn't know until it happened to me. And I 629 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: didn't know how to say that, know how to deal 630 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,879 Speaker 1: with the shame and the kind of embarrassment that I'd 631 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: been wrong and that I'd been wrong really publicly. And 632 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: I called my best friend and she if I may, 633 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: I'm just making sure I'm allowed to say the thing, 634 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:20,880 Speaker 1: but she said me too. And we both knew what 635 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:22,839 Speaker 1: was going on, obviously with each other. We talk one 636 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,920 Speaker 1: hundred times a day. But when I said I think 637 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,280 Speaker 1: I have to be done and in her own life 638 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,879 Speaker 1: and in her own world with her own young son, 639 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:37,439 Speaker 1: she said, I do too. I can't. I would never 640 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,399 Speaker 1: wish for someone else to be heartbroken, but to have 641 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:46,120 Speaker 1: my best friend in the world having her version of 642 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:48,919 Speaker 1: the same experience, and both of us saying we got 643 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: to like, we got to put it down and we 644 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: got to try to make a new way in the 645 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 1: most profound way. I knew I wasn't crazy. I knew 646 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: I wasn't doing something rash. I knew I'd literally exhausted 647 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: every option, I'd gone to, every therapy, I'd done every 648 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,280 Speaker 1: bit of the homework, and I had to just say 649 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:16,280 Speaker 1: it's okay to change your mind, it's okay to learn something, 650 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: and based on that learning, make a new decision for 651 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: your future. And so everybody wanted to make it about, 652 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: you know, the next person in my life. Because the 653 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: next person in my life was a woman. Plenty of 654 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,319 Speaker 1: people were shocked. It wasn't nea by the way. I 655 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: was like, I was like, she is my wife, Just 656 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: not like that. 657 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,239 Speaker 4: But you know what, I think what. 658 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 1: People didn't understand was that the journey started again in 659 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,000 Speaker 1: a community of women. And there were two of us, 660 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,239 Speaker 1: and then there was a best friend from college, and 661 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,920 Speaker 1: then there was a woman I would eventually fall in 662 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 1: love with. And then there was another friend, you know, 663 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 1: dealing with will I stay or will I go because 664 00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:00,040 Speaker 1: of addiction in her family with her husband, and the 665 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: community of women who who didn't go really bad timing, 666 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: you know, you just had this whole big thing. They 667 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,400 Speaker 1: didn't lean out and critique. They leaned in and said 668 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 1: it's okay. Those women helped me take off forty years 669 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 1: of expectation and people pleasing and just trying to do 670 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 1: it right because it hadn't felt right ever, no matter 671 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:28,880 Speaker 1: how hard. I tried, and it was yes about stepping 672 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 1: into that portion of my identity in a way, but 673 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: what it really was in totality was a homecoming and 674 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,360 Speaker 1: a learning to honor myself. And I learned how to 675 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: honor myself watching the strongest woman that I know and 676 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: a group of the most impressive women we love honor themselves. 677 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:56,040 Speaker 1: I had the courage of that conviction because of what 678 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: I was being shown in both love and example by 679 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 1: the women in my life. 680 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,920 Speaker 3: Nia, As I'm listening to Sophia speak, and it's so 681 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:10,319 Speaker 3: clear to the deep connection that you have as this 682 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 3: friendship that's so deep. What was the hardest part for you, Nia, 683 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:22,279 Speaker 3: watching Sophia go through this incredibly challenging journey to reach her. 684 00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:29,359 Speaker 4: Truth, not not catching it soon enough. And I think 685 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 4: that when hearing the stories about you know, whether it's 686 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,880 Speaker 4: you know her one of her shows and she was 687 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,319 Speaker 4: in Chicago, or the show and she was in North Carolina, 688 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,319 Speaker 4: and this theme that because we're so strong, we just 689 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:48,880 Speaker 4: hold so much and it really does eventually bubble to 690 00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 4: the surface. And the hardest part for me was feeling 691 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,880 Speaker 4: like I wish that I had been there, because I 692 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:01,200 Speaker 4: also was going through something and maybe didn't have as 693 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:04,959 Speaker 4: much sort of emotional space as I normally do. There's 694 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,560 Speaker 4: always been this beautiful kind of give and take, and 695 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,240 Speaker 4: I think we were both going through something similar, feeling, 696 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 4: you know, something similar, and it's hard when you realize 697 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 4: that what someone's saying to you is also forcing you 698 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 4: to confront something in yourself. And while we were able 699 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:29,799 Speaker 4: to be there and support one another, I think it 700 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 4: was just a lot of sadness that we're two women 701 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:37,439 Speaker 4: that often, you know, again, have to carry so much, 702 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:43,040 Speaker 4: and being strong is not the prize always. Sometimes it's 703 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 4: being open and honest and soft and allowing yourself to 704 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:49,919 Speaker 4: fall apart to rebuild in different ways, and I think 705 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 4: that's the most beautiful thing that has come from this. 706 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 4: But you always want to protect the people that you 707 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:58,279 Speaker 4: love and you never want to see them suffer. And 708 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,799 Speaker 4: you know, Sophie lives in the public eye, and I've 709 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,600 Speaker 4: never really had to contend with the type of public 710 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:10,000 Speaker 4: pressure in perception and people's thoughts and feelings about what 711 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,920 Speaker 4: you're doing and seeing how that affects someone, and so. 712 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,319 Speaker 9: I know that was so hard for her that that 713 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 9: was very hard for me. It's her best friend to watch. 714 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:23,480 Speaker 9: That was very hard. I wish I could have taken 715 00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:24,160 Speaker 9: that part away. 716 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 7: Wow, I love you, I. 717 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 4: Love you both. 718 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,719 Speaker 1: You know what what I will say is we were 719 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:40,240 Speaker 1: we were together on that journey. You know I am. 720 00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: The public part was so awful and so largely mistaken. 721 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:56,200 Speaker 1: I got to continually come back as I was being 722 00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:01,520 Speaker 1: essentially re categorized as a person. That's at least what 723 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: it felt like. Maybe that's the algorithm and the way 724 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 1: they poison us all, but it felt like I was 725 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:11,239 Speaker 1: being sort of remolded in other people's opinions or judgments. 726 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,279 Speaker 1: And I got to continually come back and sit with 727 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: my best friend who would remind me in the greater 728 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 1: scheme of what we were all going through, in the 729 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:24,239 Speaker 1: ways we were all supporting each other, in the resources 730 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:27,080 Speaker 1: we were all sharing. She's the person who's known me 731 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,839 Speaker 1: for half my life and could say, don't you dare 732 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:35,239 Speaker 1: forget who you are? Don't you dare forget what is true? 733 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:43,080 Speaker 1: And I don't think I would have made it through 734 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:47,920 Speaker 1: that part. And despite moments where I wanted to be 735 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,799 Speaker 1: enraged or correct a bunch of things with a whole 736 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:55,359 Speaker 1: bunch of receipts or whatever, she was the person who 737 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 1: always reminded me that is not for you. That is 738 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:01,800 Speaker 1: that whole fray is a lower vibration than the person 739 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:05,480 Speaker 1: that you are. Stay who you are, Stay where you are, 740 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:12,480 Speaker 1: And when someone loves you enough to protect you and 741 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 1: restore you and also demand that you be the person 742 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:24,600 Speaker 1: they know you to be when you're pushed to a limit, like, 743 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: that's real, that's real love. That is the kind of 744 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: person you want with you in the trenches. That is 745 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,720 Speaker 1: the kind of person you want with you in any 746 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,839 Speaker 1: emergency scenario. That is the kind of person you want 747 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:39,600 Speaker 1: to shut down the dance floor at five am at 748 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:43,200 Speaker 1: the rave with you, like that is your person And 749 00:45:43,239 --> 00:45:47,279 Speaker 1: we are all of those versions of ourselves together, and 750 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:51,800 Speaker 1: it is, it is, It is the gift. 751 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:54,920 Speaker 3: I think we all deeply loved listening to the two 752 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:58,520 Speaker 3: of you. What a beautiful reflection that truth isn't only 753 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:02,560 Speaker 3: something you speak, but it's something you live. That being 754 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:07,719 Speaker 3: authentic isn't easy, That it requires blowing things up, that 755 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 3: it requires having tough conversations, requires calling things out, and 756 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,600 Speaker 3: it requires a friend to stand side by side during 757 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 3: those hardest times. And I love the fact that today 758 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:23,239 Speaker 3: how your friendship's evolved you are now creating space to 759 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:27,560 Speaker 3: empower others the math and the morals through economic empowerment 760 00:46:27,640 --> 00:46:31,480 Speaker 3: and social good and seeing your friendship, I'm actually reflecting 761 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:33,560 Speaker 3: on the four of our friendships and the journey that 762 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:35,880 Speaker 3: we started together now creating impact, and so I just 763 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:39,759 Speaker 3: so deeply grateful to the two of you and for 764 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:42,280 Speaker 3: the tears that you shared for each other in the tribute. 765 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:44,840 Speaker 3: So thank you for sharing your legacy with us today. 766 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:46,640 Speaker 1: Thank you so. 767 00:46:46,600 --> 00:46:49,399 Speaker 6: Much having this is going to go down in the 768 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:56,040 Speaker 6: podcast Hall of Fame for just great conversation and lifting 769 00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:57,400 Speaker 6: up best friends. 770 00:46:58,120 --> 00:46:58,799 Speaker 3: Yes, and. 771 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:06,040 Speaker 2: Thank you for joining us. If you enjoy today's conversation, subscribe, share, 772 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:09,160 Speaker 2: and follow us on at my Legacy movement on social 773 00:47:09,239 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 2: media and YouTube. New episodes drop every Tuesday, with bonus 774 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:18,800 Speaker 2: content every Thursday. At its core, this podcast honors doctor 775 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:22,720 Speaker 2: King's vision of the beloved community and the power of connection. 776 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:27,840 Speaker 2: A Legacy Plus Studio production distributed by iHeartMedia creator and 777 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:32,320 Speaker 2: executive producer Suzanne Hayward co executive producer Lisa Lyle. Listen 778 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:35,279 Speaker 2: on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.