WEBVTT - Failures Turned into Lessons w/ Derrick Hayes 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:09.400 What's up, everybody. I'm Gammy d Rodney, and this is 0:00:09.480 --> 0:00:14.320 positively gam As many of you know, we love food 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.319 and we're very excited to have today's guest on the 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:20.880 show because he owns multiple restaurants and has cracked the 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:23.880 code on how to make the perfect G steak. I 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:28.000 had to have my husband, Rodney on today because he 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:32.120 also is an entrepreneur, So hey, babe, he love how 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:35.920 you doing. I'm doing good. Before we get into the episode, 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:38.600 I just want to talk a little bit about your 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:43.760 own entrepreneurial journey, because you've been an entrepreneur since we 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:48.120 met years ago, and all of your businesses you're extremely 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:51.279 successful right now, So talk to us a little bit 0:00:51.320 --> 0:00:53.920 about that, because I think it's important for people to 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:59.080 understand that. You know, sometimes you start something and it 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:02.000 doesn't all ways work, but that doesn't mean that you 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:05.600 have to give up. I've always wanted to own my 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:09.479 own business. Like a lot of people don't want that responsibility, 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:12.600 but I've always wanted it. Even as a child. I 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:15.600 wrote a paper in the third grade and I talked 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:19.720 about owning a business and going back to the neighborhood 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:24.840 and employing people and helping out in third grade. I 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:29.240 kind of always had an aspiration to do this. So 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:33.399 as I got older, my first little entrepreneurial thing was 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:35.880 I was probably twelve years old. I started going to 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:41.640 the candy factory and buying candy and catching the bus 0:01:41.760 --> 0:01:45.160 to affluent neighborhoods and selling candy. And I remember, I 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:49.560 still remember my whole hook. Hello, my name is Rodney. 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:52.640 I'm taking part in the program called Youth Opportunities A Unlimited. 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:55.080 It's a program that helps keep young men like myself 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:57.080 off the streets and out of trouble. Would you help 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.600 out by buying box of candy and giving a small donation? 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:03.360 And you know, me and a friend of mine, we 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:05.880 made a lot of money doing that. Now we're gonna 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:10.440 go down a different lane because certainly our guest today 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:14.400 is on a similar journey, but in a different direction. 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:19.640 So let's get into the conversation. Derek Kay's He's a 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:25.040 restaurant owner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He owns Big Dave's Cheese 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:28.320 Steaks in Atlanta and Dinky's, which is a restaurant he 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:32.920 launched with his partner Aisha Pinky Cole, who started Slotty 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:36.480 Vegan this week we're going to be talking about finding 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:42.600 your aspiration and entrepreneurship. Welcome to Positively gam Derek, and 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:48.120 congratulations on your new baby girl. Thank you for having 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:51.400 me such a blessing. Yeah, we're excited to talk to 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.840 you because my husband is he's an entrepreneur as well, 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:57.320 so I was I really wanted him to join us 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:01.080 for this conversation. So what Before we get started, I 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.760 need to ask you about the Essence cover that you 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:07.000 did with Pinky, because you know, I was blessed to 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:10.480 be able to do an Essence cover with my daughter 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:15.120 and granddaughter, and I mean it was a phenomenal experience 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.560 and I just felt, oh wow, this is It was 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:20.240 an iconic moment for me. So how did it feel 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.920 for you and Pinky? It was so real to be honest, 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:25.280 because you know, if you make it to the cover 0:03:25.400 --> 0:03:30.200 of Essence, it's like legendary, So absolutely entrepreneurs where it 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.920 ain't a celebrity figure. You know, it's two people that 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:35.040 really you know, believing in the community and you're getting 0:03:35.080 --> 0:03:37.720 recognized through essence. Through that, it was an epic So 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:41.520 it was like feeling you know what I'm saying, Yeah, 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:44.080 for sure, and then you're doing it with you know, 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:49.760 your partner, you know. Yeah, yeah, it was exciting, I'm sure. 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:54.200 So I heard you were originally from Philly. Yeah, West 0:03:54.240 --> 0:04:00.200 Philadelphia born and raised. Okay, so what brought you to 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:05.360 Atlanta at what inspired you to start Big Dave's Cheese Steaks. 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:09.520 So back in the nineteen ninety six, my grandparents moved 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:12.720 back south to Athens, Georgia. So I used to come 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.600 back and forth, you know, for the summertime. And then 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:17.840 in two thousand and one, you know, I started getting 0:04:17.880 --> 0:04:19.880 a little travel going to Old Brook High School, and 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:22.240 my mom my dad was like, you're going, and so 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:26.000 we all got sent to you know, to I got 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:31.960 sent to Athens, Georgia. I graduated from Overbrook in two 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:34.880 thousand and five, so I'm an alumni Brook High School. 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:38.919 But um, my dad was my biggest inspiration of my 0:04:38.920 --> 0:04:41.599 my company because before he passed away from lung cancer, 0:04:41.960 --> 0:04:44.200 you know, when he was on his death I promised 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:46.080 him that I would get out the streets and changing 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:47.760 my life and do what I need to do to 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:50.160 you know, represent our family the right way and bring 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:53.120 our generational curses. And I'm doing just that, you know 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:55.400 with my brain. And it's actually helped me mature along 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.120 the way. So, you know, me taking my Philly flavor, 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:01.240 pittting it down into Atlanta, Georgia, being able to show 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:03.359 people that I got the real chief stay outside the 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:05.320 Try state and it's never been done. And I'm making 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:09.400 a history. So it's a good villain. Yeah, that's amazing. 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:13.000 What's the meaning behind the name though? So the meaning 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:17.839 is my father, My father was Big Dave. I felt 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.080 if I you know, I honored after him. It's like 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.760 my father name still lives on forever, and now I 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:24.680 did just that so that he didn't go on his 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:28.440 name still carrying on through his his his boy legacy. So, Derek, 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.640 did you always want to be an entrepreneur? Hey man? 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:34.120 You know, coming from Philly, you always entrepreneur. Now, you know, 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.040 I tell people I didn't know. I just was a hustler. 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:39.160 So I knew I wanted better for myself. You know. 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:40.800 I used to sit around on the nere but block 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.200 so I played basketball, But I always just wanted to 0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:45.719 be somebody. I knew. I was a vessel. I knew 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:48.240 guy bring me in as well to carry on my 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:50.600 beliefs and my wants in my life to show that 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:52.839 you could do it too, And that's why I've really 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:54.760 been my whole life. I've been a big dreamer. I 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.200 always told people, oh man, I'm gonna be this. I'm 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:58.920 gonna be that, you know, And I worked and talk 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:01.360 myself into that. Think the power of tongue is very 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:04.240 important because you speak it, you're gonna live it. And 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:05.760 if you live it, you can seek it. So you're 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.320 gonna keep on moving to your mission. I agree wholeheartedly, 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:11.200 and my path was similar to yours. Can you share 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:14.560 your experience with starting your business? Oh man, it was 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:16.880 a roller coaster ride, so to be honest, When I 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.920 came back to Atlanta in two thousand and fourteen after 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:22.240 my my father passed away, I just really ain't know 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:23.840 what I wanted to do. I was trying to get 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:26.160 in the real estate game, and then you know, I 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.280 started losing money not knowing what I was doing, and 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:30.480 I said, you know what, I'm gonna open up a restaurant. 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:32.440 But before I did that, it was called Days Philly 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:34.680 What Ice? I used to sell What are Ice? Nobody 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:36.640 Atlanta knew what it was, so I can't get nobody 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:38.960 to walk through the door. And I never got discouraged. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:41.040 But I started to, you know, feel like a lonely 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.840 person on that island. You know, I'm this Philly guy. 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:45.520 I thought I was gonna come here and start making 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:47.280 a bunch of money, and I can't get nobody walk 0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:49.839 through the door. And one day my blessing was Eve 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:52.160 walking through that front door, you know, the rapper Eve. 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:54.640 She said, if you wil me and this chief steak 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:56.440 is good, I'm gonna put it on all my social 0:06:56.440 --> 0:06:59.159 media networks. And she and let me tell you, I 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:01.479 made that chicken steaks like my life depended on it 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:06.080 because I was you did money, so you were already 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:09.680 doing cheese steaks, though no, I literally jumped into this, 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.000 like I grew up in the kitchen with my grandfather. 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.840 So my grandfather is the biggest part of my cooking 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.840 experience because when I moved to Athens, he said, listen, 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:19.600 if you don't go to church with me on Sundays, 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:22.520 you gotta finish off my Sunday dinners. So he taught 0:07:22.520 --> 0:07:24.400 me how to make spices. I know, I'm not to 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:27.200 make any dishtion me coming from Philly. You know, I 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:28.880 ate a cheese steak in Atlanta, and I said, oh, 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:30.720 this ain't real. I knew my lane I was gonna 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:34.000 jump in. So my blessing was I know how to 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:35.960 make season and like, I know how food is gonna 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:38.760 taste before it actually get cooked into the food. I know, 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:40.320 I want to hit your raw tongue and that's my 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:42.960 gift and that's how I really was able to, you know, 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:45.320 make my brain grow. But in two thousand and eighteen, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.720 I was represented in Georgia to represent for the Sandwich 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.480 Competition while I ring top ten in the world on 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:54.080 a barbecue grill where I was disadvantaged and everything, and 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:56.360 I still did that. So I feel like in life, 0:07:56.680 --> 0:07:59.000 you take the obstacles with you know that's given to you, 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:00.760 and you give it you all you know, and you 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:02.800 give it everything, and you won't feel like, you know, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:04.800 you fell short. And that's what I did. You know. 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:08.640 What what I really like to is that you know, 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:13.080 you said you started with the water ice and it 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:16.240 didn't work, you know what I mean? And sometimes you know, 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:21.760 that's part of entrepreneurship. Sometimes you're not successful in everything 0:08:21.920 --> 0:08:24.960 that you know you do. I really like that because 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:28.880 sometimes you start a business and you're not always going 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.640 to be successful. But it's important that people know that 0:08:31.680 --> 0:08:33.760 you don't have to give up. You just kind of Okay, 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:36.400 this is not working. Let me figure out what else 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.960 we're gonna do or what else I can do. And 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:43.920 I think that Rodney, you can speak on that as well. Rodney, 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:49.880 because you know, in your entrepreneurial journey, you've had a 0:08:49.960 --> 0:08:53.440 couple of businesses that you've had that didn't always pan 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:56.480 out the way you thought, but you kept going. Many 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:59.600 I've had I've reinvented myself so many times I'm not 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:05.360 even you who I am anymore. But now you're still 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:08.480 going forward, you know. I tell people, just finish your race, 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:11.320 no matter what that races, Just keep on moving your 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:12.960 feet and you're gonna get to the end of that race. 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:17.240 And how I started various businesses like you, and they 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:20.640 didn't work out, but I just, you know, kept, you know, 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.280 I persevered, and I finally found my niche and I've 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:31.000 been doing well for the last probably twentysomething years. So 0:09:31.120 --> 0:09:35.920 tell people what you do, babe. So I own several 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:40.239 mental health agencies. I also am opening up a psychiatric 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:43.560 rehabilitation program with my youngest daughter to help her on 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:48.240 that entrepreneurial journey. And create that generational wealth for my 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:52.640 kids as well. So Positive Pathways is a mental health 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:58.319 agency that provides residential housing for people with developmental disabilities 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:03.600 or intellectual impairment. We all so provide job placement, support, staffing. 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:10.440 We do wrap around services, so we have psychiatrists, therapy, nursing, medical, 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:15.360 pretty much anything a person needs to thrive in life, 0:10:15.679 --> 0:10:20.320 then we provide that for them. Yeah, but most of 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:24.160 the individuals that we have at Positive Pathways are you know, 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.319 pretty high functioning people. They can navigate in the community, 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:30.360 they can speak to their needs and wants, so we're 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:32.760 not trying to run anyone's life, though. I'm kind of 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:35.040 a voice for the voiceless because this is kind of 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:39.280 a population that people don't think much of it does. 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:43.360 I also am opening up a psychiatric rehabilitation program with 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:46.840 my youngest daughter to help her on that entrepreneurial journey 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:50.680 and and create that generational wealth for my kids as well. 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:54.640 So yeah, yeah, and that's what I hear that you're 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:57.559 trying to do as well, Derek, and I really love 0:10:57.640 --> 0:11:01.240 that about you, know, this journey that you both have 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:04.680 been on because I really feel like kind of back 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:07.559 in the day when we were growing up, like my 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:11.720 mother pushed us to all go to college, and then 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:16.120 it was kind of like get a good job, go 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:19.640 to college and get a good job, or start a career, 0:11:20.520 --> 0:11:25.320 but not necessarily your own business. That that's a whole 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:29.160 different mindset. And I think it's really important when you're 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:33.760 talking about generational wealth because I became a nurse. I 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:37.440 loved my career, but that was not a career that 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:41.920 was going to provide generational wealth for my family. So 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.800 you know, that's not always the path for everyone. But 0:11:44.880 --> 0:11:48.800 I really love that that you both of you have 0:11:48.960 --> 0:11:52.400 kind of focused on that and that has been your goal. Yeah, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.959 because what I try to teach people is it's okay 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.160 to you know, no matter how old you are, the 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:00.400 mistakes you made, as long as you still got reference. 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:03.680 But they still do something. And I watched my parents, 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:08.120 my grandfather, they always blew collar workers and left there. 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.480 You know, we didn't have much left behind. So I'm 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.280 trying to change that trajectory and just say, okay, well 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:17.439 I'm now using my mental my brain more so in 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.440 building you know, our generational wealth that way, so that 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:23.120 when I'm dead and gone, i leave resources. That's the 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.840 main thing that we could get everybody think about just 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:28.880 the money aspect, but the resources is bigger than the 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:31.880 money because that's relationship building. That's saying, Okay, I'm leaving 0:12:31.920 --> 0:12:33.800 something behind so you can have this resource to be 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:35.959 able to get to the next level. So what I'm 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:38.440 trying to do for my family, I'm starting a program 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:40.480 if you hold at three point two three point five 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:43.000 g p A well, provide scholarship for you to go 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.120 to college once you graduate high school so that you 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:49.440 don't have to take out financial aid or government loans. 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.320 How can I jump above the gun when I'm already 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.319 a couple hundred thousand and that you know, when I'm 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:57.600 getting a job thousand dollars a year. Come on, that's 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.480 not it's not really gonna pick me and its situation 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:03.040 where I could be a Boston break generational curses. So 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.120 I'm gonna provide the resources first so that we can 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.840 break our generational curses that way, So that now you 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:11.560 can stand on your own tintoes and don't say, Okay, 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:13.439 I need this person to give me anything. No, they 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:17.200 gave me a resource and that's more important. Wow, that 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:20.120 is a really good point. I love that. And that's 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:24.319 another way for you to expand or or market your 0:13:24.360 --> 0:13:28.960 business as well. Now I know, you know, you said 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:33.560 Eve came into the restaurant and promoted it on social media, 0:13:33.600 --> 0:13:36.280 But what other things did you do to grow the 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:39.520 brand and have it become more popular? To be honest, 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:43.120 I just was like very consistent at the time. A 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.560 lot of the Philly rappers and producers as a like 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:50.560 uh DJ Drama, Ian Kennon, like who's all of them 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.440 was in the middle of, you know, building themselves. So 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.320 I was able to you know, come to the studios 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.880 and be around that culture and sell them food like okay. 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:02.440 So I was able to start, you know, the brands start, 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:04.760 you know, getting out there and getting popular. But I 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:07.760 think more so, you know, it was the relationship building 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:09.400 that I was making in my hard work. I think 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.880 anybody that was following my stories team out to Nascity 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:13.760 and my home ground, how bad I wanted to drink 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.199 to really work, and you know, me having forty some 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:18.680 tattoos on my body, being a black man, I looked 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.280 just like them. So I was able to represent our 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:23.880 culture and in another way in business and didn't have 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:27.400 to be an athlete or you know anything of that nature, 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.760 but it wanted up making me philanthropists do it. So 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:32.120 I didn't know I was gonna be doing this already, 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:35.040 got to start written from me. There you go, there 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.520 you go. So when did you know it was the 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:41.680 right time to expand your business? The people? Baby do 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:45.880 it right? My first I don't ready know the answer 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:49.240 to these questions, but I know no, Like I started 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:51.880 in this shell gas station, the seven hundred and something 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:55.200 square feet and I started having two three hundred people 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:57.200 in line, and the gas station on her like started 0:14:57.200 --> 0:14:59.680 pitting then on a pump, sing don't park. And I 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.480 started having trouble with Walmart all those on everybody parking 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:04.440 in the lots. So you know, I just you know, 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:06.800 I said, you know what, it's time to go. So 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.720 I went and built my my landmark location. That's fifty 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.280 seven Foresight Street, that's right across street from Georgia State 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:15.200 downtown Atlanta. And when I built that, I built the 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.240 monster And from there it's been up. And you know, 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:19.800 I'm naturally known on off of my hard work and 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:22.280 my philanthropy work, and I don't care about people. So 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.320 it's a blessing to me. And let me tell y'all 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:27.800 something I literally I had nobody that I wanted to know, 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:30.880 really meet that bad That was my idol. And I 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:33.200 got booked to do a job for Will at the 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:36.520 other new movie premiere, and that was one of the 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:38.680 things that I was waiting because we was on the 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:41.240 front of the cover of Essence. We both from West Philly, 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.400 we both graduated from Overbrook. So for me, that was 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:46.480 real huge for me. You know, that was really like 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:48.400 something that I wanted to happen, and it did. So 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:51.840 dreams do come true. Absolutely, No, I just did the 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:54.440 new one, the other new movie. He just came out 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.960 with Richard. No, not King Richard. It was the Will 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:58.960 that I forget, the new one that he just came 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:03.040 out with. It's somebody that he just got through working on. No, 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:08.040 somebody playing him. It was a fresh principle. Man. Oh 0:16:08.160 --> 0:16:11.640 bel Air Bellaire, got it, got it, got it. Yeah, 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:13.600 So I did bell Aire. I was there, you know, 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:15.840 I was supposed to just come, you know, as an act. 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:17.560 And they started making the cheese sticks. I'm like, no, 0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:19.760 Will this cheese I got to jump in this thing. 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:25.040 Gotta be right. I don't fit. Took the cheese sticks. 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:26.960 I'm like, I don't care. Listening about my tea I 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:44.000 don't play. That's amazing. Wow. So now what has been 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:48.240 the most gratifying thing about becoming a restaurant owner and 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:51.920 what is the most challenging aspect of it. I'm gonna 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:53.880 start with the challenging and I'm gonna get you the 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:58.240 glory of it. The challenging is making people understand who 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:00.000 you are and what you're building. So when you were 0:17:00.040 --> 0:17:02.600 hired them, they really say that, Okay, I'm not working 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:05.399 at a job. I'm actually getting a career. And a 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:08.240 good part about that is the glamorous part of it 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:11.399 is I actually am able to do that because some 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:14.000 of these guys been with me five years, four years, 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:17.080 and I've seen their maturity levels go up. I've seen them, 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:19.520 you know, whether they knew they couldn't be corporate there 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.199 on my corporate team now, so big changing lives. So 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:25.240 when I opened up a big Dave's in these lower 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:28.520 income communities, I'm hiring at least sixty people a location. 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.000 So I'm taking sixty humans and saying, Okay, I'm gonna 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:33.960 give you a job. Now, I'm gonna give you a career. 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:36.600 And a lot of these people, you know, only just 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:40.200 had high school education just like me, and now they're 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.360 doing just as well as somebody that you know, got 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:46.080 bachelor's degree. You know, So you know, I provide life 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:49.439 insurance for one K plans medical benefits then on everything 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:51.439 with my brands. When you're working there, you know, you 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:53.240 actually have a career and you can take care of 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:56.560 your family. But the big beautiful thing, but the biggest 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.480 thing of it all is keeping um employees. You know, 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:02.360 even people understanding your mission in your dream because when 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:05.000 you start scaling, you know, the culture has to stay 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:07.560 the same, and that's what really people understand. Like having 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:10.040 food is one thing, but the culture and why people 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:12.480 really believe in your brand. You're selling the culture, You're 0:18:12.520 --> 0:18:14.960 selling who you are, so that gott to stay in 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:17.000 the company. And you know, that's been you know, a 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.000 challenge that I you know, I was fighting and now 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:21.080 that I finally got that point on how to do it, 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:23.320 so I feel real good about where I'm going with 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:28.600 my brand. So it sounds like that your efforts to 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:32.280 give back and uplift the community are really important to 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:36.439 that brand. Oh yeah, that's what I'm hearing. Yeah, Like 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:38.919 without that, I understand, I'll tell anybody you know, I 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:41.120 got good food, but without that, I wouldn't be as 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.840 big as I am now because in the pandemic, when 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:46.720 everybody's you know, didn't pivot, didn't know what that that week, 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:49.000 I gave out a thousand meals to the community. They 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:50.720 was pulling up in their cars, just taking it like 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:53.080 a drive through. I had my employees with like heater bags. 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.240 They was passing the food out. And then I fed 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:58.960 forty hospitals, two mills plus that whole month. Gave about 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:01.359 twenty six thousand all of so the businesses around me 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:04.159 can get read back open. So I think, you know, 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:06.520 just the parts of the stuff, you know, through us 0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:08.680 giving back and letting people know who we really are. 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:11.280 Like right now, man Pinky, we're doing a life insurance 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:14.639 initiative where if you make thirty five thousand dollars a 0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:17.280 less than income, you can get a fifty thousand dollar 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:20.600 life insurance and Credential has partner with us nationally. So 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:22.920 we got this campaign going and we're just trying to 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:24.879 get other people to jump in and understand the mission 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:27.800 because a lot of people don't know life insurance is 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:29.680 just not a life and the death thing is financial 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:32.680 literacy so if you've got life insurance and your policy, girl, 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:34.480 you can actually share with your loved ones. So we're 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.280 teaching these young brothers that you know, don't wait till 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:40.399 it's too late to something happen. Have yourself insure now, 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:43.879 because it's a sad situation that if something happened when 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:45.720 you got you know, your mother she got four or 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:48.320 five kids and something happened to one of her children, 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:50.560 that's a financial burden on her, you know, out here 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:52.240 in the streets if she don't have a coverage because 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:53.480 she got to figure out how to do it. And 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:56.359 I'm tired of seeing go fund me. And yeah, I 0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:00.800 thought that was a really interesting camp pain because that 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:03.240 was something that that I would never really think about. 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.080 And when I first read about it, I was like, okay, 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.080 life insurance. That's kind of like to pay for funerals. 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:12.080 But I didn't think about the perspective of you know, 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:18.160 helping or or providing for generational wealth and that you're 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:21.159 leaving money for than those that are left behind. I 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.000 didn't think about that aspect of it. Yeah, because we 0:20:24.080 --> 0:20:26.680 have multiple programs on it, like when you man, you 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:27.960 don't know. I was about to jump out of my 0:20:28.000 --> 0:20:29.560 seat when you were sitting there and telling me what 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:32.440 you do? You know, because right now we got health 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.600 and wellness programs PTSD. I have PTSD. I come from 0:20:35.640 --> 0:20:37.280 West Philly. I hadn't seen so much stuff in my 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:39.800 life growing up. You know, it's just human nature. But 0:20:40.240 --> 0:20:42.400 all of this stuff stops you before it's too late. 0:20:42.480 --> 0:20:44.840 So we're trying to have these programs teaching these brothers. No, 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:47.359