1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna tell you two stories today, and um, 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: the topic of this particular podcast episode is something I 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: firmly believe in, and it's about putting yourself in a 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: position to be successful. Because so often we want to 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: be successful and we see success, whether we see it 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: on social media or we see it in people around us. Um, 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: we see success, UM, and we don't always believe that 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: that success is either possible for us. Or we might 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: believe that it's possible for us, but we don't know 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: what to do in order to accomplish that success that 11 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: we so desire. So I'm gonna tell you two stories today, 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: and this is these are my stories, and hopefully, UM, 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: whenever I whenever I talk to people, you know, whether 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: it be talks at conferences, whether it be keynote speeches 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: or whatever, I'm really trying to give you. So if 16 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: I'm telling you my story is not because my story 17 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: is so great, It's because I'm hoping that there's something 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: in my story that you can take and use for 19 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:14,199 Speaker 1: yourself in order to find your success. So the first 20 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: story is a story about how I found at least 21 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: the first few steps into the career that I'm in today. 22 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: Because um, I'm on preface my story with this. There's 23 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: a quote by Steve Jobs, and you, if you're listening 24 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: to this podcast, you've heard me say this before. And 25 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: it's a quote by Steve Jobs that I firmly believe in. 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: It's one of my favorite quotes. I do have a 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: couple of favorite quotes, but this one is among like 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: the top three of my favorite quotes, and it says, 29 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: you can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only 30 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: connect the dots looking backwards. And what that means for 31 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: me at least I I believe know how he meant it. 32 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: But what I get from that quote is this is, 33 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: if you look back over your life, you will find 34 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: clues that dictate your present circumstance. So if you find 35 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: yourself doing a particular job and you are like really 36 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: really good at doing that job, if you look back 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: at whether you were you know, a kid, or whether 38 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: you had a particular job, or whether you had certain experiences, 39 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: you will find, if you look hard enough, certain instances 40 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 1: in your life that says you will be good at 41 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: this particular thing. And that's what connecting the dots means. 42 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: It's not something like, you know, super highbrow. It's not like, 43 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's not super deep. It's it's really a 44 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: simple thing. If you look backwards, you will see things 45 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: that connect to what you find yourself doing today. And 46 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: it's hard to do looking forward, if not in some cases, um, 47 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: very very very difficult. So we want to do certain 48 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: things in the future, but we don't always know what, 49 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: like and and I believe in like, like what is 50 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: the divine plan for you? Like? Because if I would 51 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: have told you at you know, sixteen or seventeen, what 52 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to be doing, it's not what I'm doing today. 53 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: But I'm really really happy doing what I'm doing today, 54 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: but it's not something I could have articulated, you know, 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: years ago. So anyway, all right, so let's you know, 56 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: we set the stage with that particularly quote. You can't 57 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect the 58 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: dots retrospectively looking backward. All right, all right, So there 59 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: was a time when I wanted to be in the 60 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: music of business. I wanted to be um a producer. 61 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to be a music producer and a songwriter. 62 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: And so I'm from Toledo, Ohio, which is you know, 63 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: if you drive fast it's like half an hour from Detroit, 64 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: but if you like relatively close to the speed limit, 65 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: it's like forty five minutes. It's a little bit south 66 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: of Detroit. And you know, you know where it's at, 67 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: Look on the map. If you don't know where's at, 68 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: Google Google Map it all right. So I'm from Toledo, Ohio, 69 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: not known for like a lot of things other than 70 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: you know, we have i think one of the top 71 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: rated like minor league baseball teams in the country, and um, 72 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: very rust belt, midwestern, you know, middle class, blue collar 73 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: sort of city, you know. And I wanted to be 74 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: in the music business. So being an ambitious kid, you know, 75 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: I've I've always been super ambitious and always like strategizing about, Okay, 76 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: I know what I want to do, how do I 77 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: get there. I've always been that way. It's been my 78 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: life's part of my DNA. So I was thinking as 79 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: a youth, like how how can I find my way 80 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: to the music business in Toledo? And I found myself 81 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: at a teen summit that a local radio station UM 82 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: was putting on, you know, or at least the program 83 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: director was on a panel at this team summit that 84 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: was happening at a particular library in my hometown. And 85 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: so after the team something, I almost remember what I 86 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: was wearing that day, which is like super wild because 87 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: I don't remember like a lot of details about like 88 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: my my childhood and youth. But I remember, like almost 89 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: verbatim what I was wearing a day. But it has 90 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: nothing to do with the point of this story, only 91 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: that it's like the good point in my life that 92 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: obviously was like super critical to um what I'm doing today. 93 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: So anyway, so at this team summit, the local program 94 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: director for the radio station was on a panel at 95 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: the library that I'm an attendance of, and I'm with 96 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: a friend of mine that I was going to high 97 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: school with, and we were for some reason, we're at 98 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: this team summit and we were just there to hear 99 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: about I don't even know what the team summing was about, 100 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: but I guess it was about teen issues because it 101 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: was a team summing. So the program director is talking, 102 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: and in my mind at that team summit, I'm sitting 103 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: like in the last row and I'm thinking, like, yo, 104 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: I would want to be in the music business. And 105 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 1: so I'm in Toledo. The closest thing to the music 106 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: business is the radio station. And so this is how 107 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: my mind works, and my mind has always worked this way. 108 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: So I'm like putting together the pieces and so active 109 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: the team something is over. I go up to the 110 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: program director, who's like in the only he's the program 111 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: program director of the only hip hop and R and 112 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: B radio station in town. There's only one at this age. 113 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: So I go up to him. I say, hey, my 114 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: name's Will Lucas and I want to be in the 115 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: music business. And so he says, um, well, the best 116 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: thing I can tell you to do is find an 117 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: internship somewhere. So a matter of fact, a matter of fact, 118 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: because there was a lot of like teenagers like in 119 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: line because of tea something. There's a lot of teenagers 120 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: in line waiting to talk to him. And so he said, 121 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: just come out to the radio station like tomorrow or 122 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: whatever and we'll talk some more. Because it's a lot 123 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: of teenager in line. So I go out to the 124 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: radio station. Had to be the next day because that's 125 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: kind of the kind of guy it was. So I 126 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: go out to the radio station and he says, again, 127 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: you know, we're sitting in this I guess, like a 128 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: little tiny three thousand white radio station like way out 129 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 1: of town. Like it's I mean, I think Midwestern country, 130 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: like no man's land. This is like pure flyover. So 131 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: like the radio station is like in like places you 132 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: don't go. So, but for whatever reason, that's where the 133 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: radio station was. So I'm out there, and you know, 134 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: I'm sitting inside the radio station, inside the studio. And 135 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: he says again, so, the best thing I can tell 136 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: you to do is find an internship somewhere. And so 137 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, we need an intern here 138 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: at the radio station. So I'm so my internship started 139 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: that day at the radio station. And so I would 140 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: go out there every day after high school. I should 141 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: say every day because it was like three days to 142 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: the next point in this story. And so I would 143 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: go out after um school for the next several days 144 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: directly out to the radio station and my um Buick Riviera. 145 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: I would drive out there, and I would see um 146 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: about like what he wanted me to do. So three 147 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: days into my internship, which I really wasn't like doing anything. 148 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 1: I was just watching him do radio. I was watching 149 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: and b on their personality. And so three days in 150 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: he put me on the air with him during the 151 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: five o'clock traffic jam. So mind you, he works from 152 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: three pm to eight pm, like Afternoon Drive, which is 153 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: like beyond the morning show is the number one radio 154 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: slot for radio personality. This morning show is like the 155 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: King of the Hill. Afternoon Drive is the next biggest 156 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: um like time slot for radio personalities. So I go 157 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: out there. I hang out with him during his shift. 158 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: After I get a school obviously, so I probably make 159 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,319 Speaker 1: it out there like three thirty four o'clock. Um, and 160 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: he puts me on the air with him during the 161 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: five o'clock traffic jam my third day into my internship, 162 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: and so, um, he did this five o'clock traffic jam, 163 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: which is like when they do this you know mix 164 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm Will Lucas. I'm like, I don't 165 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: know what to do, is but I'm just like hanging 166 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: out with him on the air, you know, from five 167 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: to eight pm when his shift is over. So I 168 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: did that for a couple of days. You know, we 169 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: found I'm sort of chemistry obviously because he let me 170 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: continue to be on the air with him every day 171 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: after five o'clock and so signs my phone and so 172 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: three days into it, we're going to air, did that 173 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: every day. I went through like it's so crazy to 174 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: think about. I went through multiple you know, like radio names, 175 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: like like because I was trying to find like what 176 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: was my name going to be for the radio. His 177 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: name was Charlie Mack, and I'm like, Okay, I gotta 178 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 1: find a name for myself. So my name's Lucas. And 179 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: so we was just like messing around with a bunch 180 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: of names. So, you know, the at one point in 181 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: my you know, early early early, like the early weeks 182 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 1: of my radio career, my name was like night Train 183 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, I have no idea. So then then 184 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,079 Speaker 1: there was a point where, um, I remember being in 185 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: the production room with him and we were talking about, Okay, 186 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: what is my radio name going to be? And um 187 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,839 Speaker 1: so he was like, after we like probably throughout ten 188 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 1: fifteen names. It's like roomors. Tiny's like at four by 189 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: six rooms like super duperteen. So I remember he was like, 190 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: whenever you figured out, let me know, brother, And I 191 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: heard him say butter. He said brother, but I heard butter. 192 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: So my first radio name, my first official radio name, 193 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: was butter because when he said whenever you figured out, 194 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: let me know, butter, I heard Butter. He said, brother, 195 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: so Butter, it was so my name on the radio. 196 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: My first name on the radio was Butter, and that's 197 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: what they called me for years UM in my radio career. 198 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: So six months after Um doing the five o'clock traffic 199 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: jam with him, he put me UM in this Saturday 200 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: I gave. I got a Saturday night show. I was 201 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: eighteen years old doing radio on the Saturday night UM 202 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: in my hometown six to ten every Saturday night. And 203 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: I had the number one radio show in the city 204 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: on Saturday nights in Toledo. And mind you this particular 205 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 1: radio station, and this for some some of you guys 206 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: like you, this will mean nothing. So I'll try to 207 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: make it like parallel or something that will make sense 208 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: to you. This is this is a three thousand watt 209 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: radio station. The biggest radio stations in town have a 210 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: hundred thousand watts or more. So think of you know, 211 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: like this. Let's say we're talking about cars, and so 212 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 1: I am driving a UM A Nova, like a Honda Civic, 213 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: like a Priest. I am driving one of those, and 214 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: the biggest dogs in town. The biggest radio stations have 215 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: like Dodge Rams F one fifties or you get. So 216 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 1: we are in the tiniest situation in town, the bottom 217 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: of the totem pole with regards to the power of 218 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: the radio sate radio tower that this particular radio station has. 219 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: So anyway, um, I'm doing these Saturday night shows, but 220 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: I have the number one show in the city. I'm 221 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: like eighteen years old. And so he remember he was 222 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: on the afternoon drive. Six months after I had the 223 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: Saturday night show, they moved him to the morning show 224 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: and I got his afternoon drive show. So I was eighteen, 225 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: just about to turn nineteen, and I'm doing drivetime radio 226 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: in my hometown three to eight. And so by this 227 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: time I had graduated. So I'm doing three o'clock to 228 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: a p m. Monday through Friday. And so I had 229 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: the number one show in my demographic because I was 230 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: My job was to target eighteen to twenty four. Eighteen 231 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: is four years old people who are in the listening audience, 232 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: because that was a coveted demographic of people who listened 233 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: to the radio because they spend money. So advertisers want 234 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: to target that demographic. And so I'm doing that. And 235 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: so suffice it to say, like all of those skills 236 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: that I learned. Again, I didn't want to do right. 237 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: I never wanted to do right. Yo, Like, don't forget 238 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: that point in the story. I happened to be good 239 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: at something. I learned very quickly, how to be engaging. 240 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: I learned very quickly. How to build production skills. I 241 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: learned very quickly, you know, how to um make things 242 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: sound a particular way to make people want to listen 243 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: to it, and just creating engaging content. And so I 244 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: did this very early in my career with the intent 245 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: of finding my way into the music business. And so 246 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: story number one, the whole like crux of this conversation 247 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: is talking about how I thought I was doing this 248 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: particular thing to get to what I wanted, But there 249 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: was another plan for my life, and so I found 250 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: if you look at what I'm doing today, I have 251 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: a podcast that's her all around the world because and 252 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: I'm able to do this. I produced this podcast, I 253 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: do the booking for this podcast. I obviously record myself. 254 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: I'm in my basement right now recording this podcast. And 255 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: I'm doing all of these things with the skills I 256 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: learned at seventeen and eighteen years old, having taken an 257 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: internship with the intent of being a music producer and songwriter. 258 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: I couldn't have scripted this. I could not have scripted 259 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: this because I was doing it with a particular intent. 260 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: But I did it well because I knew if I 261 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: did it well, it would put me in position. It's 262 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: just a different position that I thought I would be in. 263 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: But I'm living a dream today. I'm living a dream 264 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: that I didn't know I had. But it's a better 265 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: dream than the one I thought I had. Story number one, 266 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: Story number two, let's talk about it. So Afro Tech 267 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: and so I'm doing podcasts. So, oh, I gotta see 268 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: this thing about podcasts. Man, I've slipped into the podcast game. 269 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: So I've talked about this, maybe not on this podcast, 270 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: but the one I'm about to tell you about. So 271 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago had to be what like 272 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: five years ago? Now, um, this is before. This is 273 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: pre me being involved with afro Tech. So I'm talking 274 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: to a friend of mine. He's an advisor. He's a 275 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: white guy. He's an advisor to a startup that I'm founding. 276 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get going at this particular stage. And 277 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: he comes to me and he says, you know, what 278 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: would it take you Remember he's a white guy. He says, 279 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: what would it take to get more black kids interested 280 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: in tech? And I said, well, they need to see 281 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: a black Mark Zuckerberg, like somebody who looks like them 282 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: and is realizing success. And because that's what I believed 283 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: in that moment. And at the end of that conversation, 284 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: I kicked myself because I'm like, yo, like, we have 285 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: super successful black people in tech, we just don't know 286 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: who they are. And so I went and after that podcast, 287 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: after that conversation, I went and I'm I'm thinking to myself, like, 288 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: what can I do to be part of the conversation 289 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: of elevating the names of black technologists? What can I 290 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: do to be a part of the conversation of making 291 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: sure that we have representation? So I said, Yo, I 292 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: did radio for all these years. I did radios, Leado, 293 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: I did radio and Detroit. I know how to do this. 294 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: And so I'm like, I'm gonna put together I'm gonna 295 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,959 Speaker 1: do a podcast and it's called Today. I mean, I'm 296 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 1: kind of jumping ahead and the story, but just for 297 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: to save the time, I did. This podcast is called 298 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: of ten podcast. It was white. I was only gonna 299 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: do ten episodes. That's why it's called of ten podcasts. 300 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: One of ten, two of ten, three of ten. You 301 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: guys are smart. Thank you for following on. So I 302 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: did this podcast called of ten podcast. It's still in 303 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: my iTunes, you can find it today. And the point 304 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: was to highlight these super successful black people in tech, 305 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: and I wanted to share their stories, and so I 306 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: did this podcast. I was only intending to do ten episodes. Again, 307 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:04,199 Speaker 1: it's called of ten podcasts, and that was gonna be it. 308 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: So I did these ten episodes. I had like fantastic 309 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: people on there. I mean like Crime de La Crime, 310 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: people who were at the top of the game in 311 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: these this podcast, in this season of black technology. So 312 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: I'm like the first episode was like my my guy 313 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: who's a friend of mine, mcin Day at the egg Bow. 314 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: He was like one of the lead engineers at Facebook, 315 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: friends with Mark Zuckerberg. I mean, this guy's he's fantastic 316 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: and he's he's actually founder of um deaf Color. He's 317 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: founder of Deaf Color. I was about to google it, 318 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: so sorry for the falls there. I was about to 319 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,719 Speaker 1: google it, but he just came to me. He's founder 320 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: of deaf color like a black um kind of cohort 321 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: or collective of black engineers in Silicon Valley. So, um 322 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 1: my guy mackind So he was the first episode that 323 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: I had, and I had like a run of ten 324 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: episod so olds phenomenal people who were in this podcast 325 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: that I did. And I'm a nobody, Like I'm a 326 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: guy in Toledo and in his basement doing this podcast. 327 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: And people are saying, yes, I will do your show. 328 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: And so I'll save another day to talk about how 329 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: to get great people for your podcast, but for tonight 330 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: we'll talk about, you know, putting yourself in the position 331 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: to be successful. So did this podcast called often podcasts 332 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: fantastic series of um highly successful black technologists put it 333 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: out and you know Twitter is like yo, people on Twitter, 334 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: not tweater, not actual Twitter people on Twitter. We're like, yo, 335 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: fantastic run UM episode six. I love that episode fire 336 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: Remember when he said this episode like seven? She said that, 337 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 1: and I was like bars, So it was like it's 338 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: fantastic run. When is your next season? And I'm like 339 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,679 Speaker 1: there is no next season? Like this is it? Like 340 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: I'm I'm working on other things. I did this to 341 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: contribute to the conversation, like I was intending to do 342 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: several several seasons, but I did it, and like, this 343 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: is like a gift to the world. I didn't even 344 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: have any sponsors for this, Like I did it because 345 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: I wanted to contribute to the conversation. So like we're 346 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: five we were five seasons in. I'm kind of jumping 347 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: ahead of the story, but we did more seasons. But 348 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: the point is, after that first season of of Tim Podcast, Um, 349 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,439 Speaker 1: I heard about this thing called afro Tech and I'm like, 350 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: how did I not know? It was the first year 351 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: of afro Tech, And I'm like, how did I not 352 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: know that this conference happened? Because half the people I 353 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: interviewed on the of Tim podcast podcast we're on the 354 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: stage of the first afro Tech and I said, I'm 355 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 1: never gonna miss another afro Tech. I'm never gonna miss 356 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: another one. And so I knew then, like I was sold, 357 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: Like I didn't I had. I didn't go to the 358 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: conference that year because I didn't know about it, but 359 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: I saw pictures and I'm like, yep, this is my thing. 360 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: I'm never gonna miss another one. I'm here when until 361 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: they stopped doing it. I knew that the first moment 362 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: I heard about afro Tech. So obviously I go to 363 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: the second year of afro Tech and I knew, I 364 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: absolutely knew I was gonna have a life changing experience. 365 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: I don't know why I knew it, I just knew it. 366 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: And so again, I'm a content creator, so I said, 367 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:36,679 Speaker 1: you know what, I know, I'm gonna have fantastic experience. 368 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna vlog every day of this conference. So I'm 369 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: taking my camera and I'm gonna record, not with the 370 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 1: intent of like putting out, you know, like a bunch 371 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 1: of content, but I'm just gonna record, put a bookmark 372 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: there because we're gonna come back to that. I planned 373 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: on doing a video, and I said, I'm gonna put 374 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: out a video about my experience going to the first 375 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: to my first afro Tech, which is the second afro 376 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: Tech that ever happened. And so I was know it's 377 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: gonna have a good time. So I did it. So 378 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: I took my camera recorded everything about my trip to 379 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: getting on an airplane, matter of fact, getting in the car, 380 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: on the way to the airport, getting to the airport, 381 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: sitting in the airport, landing in San Francisco, first day 382 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: vibes like the whole situation, and I said, um, and 383 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: remember I did this up Tim podcast. I was still 384 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: doing the podcast at this moment, so I'm so I 385 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,679 Speaker 1: took and I come from radio, so as I'm telling you, 386 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: the dots are connected, I come from radio, and I 387 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: have this podcast that is called The of Tim Podcast, 388 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: which is a tech based podcast at this time, so 389 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: coming from radio, I'm a DJ. I do club nights. 390 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: So I said, I'm gonna print flyers to take with 391 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: me to AFRO Tech. And on these flyers, it's not 392 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: a club night, it is promoting my podcast. So everybody, 393 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: because I saw who was going to be speaking on 394 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: stage because it was on the website, So I said, everybody, 395 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 1: who's gonna be speaking on stage, I'm printing flyers about 396 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 1: my podcast with their faces on and saying, Hey, if 397 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: you like Jessica Matthews Uncharted Play Present Day, Uncharted Power, 398 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: check out my podcast because she's on my podcast. Hey, 399 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 1: if you like Paul Judge, several companies, a whole bunch 400 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 1: of patents, a whole bunch of money, a whole bunch 401 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: of night's clothes. If you like Paul Judge and you 402 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: and he's gonna be probably in the conversation because I 403 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: think he's on stage, but he's gonna be in the 404 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 1: conversation at Afrotech. He's on my podcast. You should check 405 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: out on podcast. Here's a flyer, here's the link to 406 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: go get it subscribed today. So I took this. Um, 407 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 1: these flyers probably printed five dred flyers, and I'm recording video. 408 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: So I'm the only person there. I'm the only person 409 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: there at the second afro Tech who's passing out flyers 410 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,880 Speaker 1: for anything, because there's not even club people passing out 411 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: flyers for the parties at night. There's only me passing 412 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: out flyers and people like, yo, where the party at? 413 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: And I'm like, no, not a party, it's a podcast. 414 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: So I'm doing that. So people all over the situation are, 415 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: you know, taking my flyers because anything gets they're about 416 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: to get turned out that night, but they're about to subscribe. 417 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: They don't even know it yet. So I do that. 418 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: So I'm sudden the stage for something here, all right. 419 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: So I'm recording every day and I'm passing out flyers. 420 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: I decide the first night sitting in a friend of 421 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: mine's apartment, um because he left because he said, you 422 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: know what, you don't have to get a hotel coming 423 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:48,959 Speaker 1: to San Francisco. I'm out of town. You just had 424 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: keys to my my place. So he let me stay 425 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: in this house, in this um department or whatever. He 426 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: was a basement in San Francisco um, but it was 427 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: somebody's basement, but he made an apartment or they made department. 428 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: He's written it way to a new weeks right now. 429 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: So he let me stay there. He was not in town, 430 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: so he's like, you can stay at my place while 431 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: you're there. No reason for you to get a hotel. 432 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: So I said, you know what, I'm not at I'm 433 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 1: not at one of the parties. I'm gonna go back 434 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: to the place and edit the video that I recorded. 435 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: I remember, I think the first the first Apple Tech 436 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,439 Speaker 1: I went to was like a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It 437 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: could be Friday, Saturday, Satnday. I don't remember too many 438 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 1: details that are not helpful to the story. So I 439 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: record all day Thursday, record all day, and I'll get 440 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 1: back to the room and I'm like, I'm not gonna 441 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: do like a big video. I'm gonna do a video 442 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: every day. So I record. I edited down all the 443 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 1: video from that Thursday and edited down real quick. It 444 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: might have been I could look on Google right now 445 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 1: or YouTube. I'm not gonna but I edit all the 446 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: video down from that Thursday. Might have been five minutes long, 447 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: might have been ten, and I don't remember. You can 448 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: find it because it's still on YouTube right now afro Tech. 449 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,719 Speaker 1: You can go see it and it might have been 450 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: five minutes long. But it was the video that I 451 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: took from that day and it was like my experience, 452 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: my journey of being at the first afro Tech for 453 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: my for myself, and edited the video down, put it 454 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: up on YouTube that night. So on Friday, I'm walking 455 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: into the conference and people are like, yo, I saw 456 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: your video from yesterday? How would you do that? Because 457 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,479 Speaker 1: that was yesterday? Like nobody this is seen nobody, Like 458 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: this is no TikTok, there's no Instagram stories, there's none 459 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: of that. Like nobody puts out video that fast and 460 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: quality video edited, like not just like hit record and 461 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: just play some stuff. Like I edited the videos that night, 462 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: a bunch of video edited that night, put it up 463 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: on YouTube Friday. People like, yo, fire video, I saw 464 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 1: your stuff from yesterday? How did you do that? Whatever. 465 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: I did the same thing all day Friday. I recorded 466 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: all day Friday, edited it when I got back to 467 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: um my Guy's place, put it up on YouTube Saturday. 468 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: People like, oh my god, how are you doing this? 469 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: You are here, but then you on YouTube from being 470 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: here fast how so I'm like, this is what I do. 471 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: So did that every day at the conference. Put it 472 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: on YouTube asap, not playing around what I didn't know 473 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: what was What I didn't know what was happening was 474 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 1: I was building a name and reputation for myself as 475 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: being a content creator in this scene of black technology. 476 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: I had no clue. All I knew was I went 477 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: with the intent of giving people black technologists. Specifically. I 478 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: wanted to give people FOMO. For what reason, I don't know, 479 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,959 Speaker 1: because I've never been an afro tech before. I just 480 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: knew that. I said, I'm never gonna miss another afro tech. 481 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: This is my first year going. I'm never gonna miss 482 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 1: another afro Tech. But I want to make sure anybody 483 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: who should be here never misses another appro tech. I 484 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: want to give you FOMO like you missed out. I 485 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: had no idea what it was gonna be like. It 486 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: could have been like, ah, smoking mirrors. I had no idea, 487 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: but I knew in my heart of hearts that this 488 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: was gonna be a life changing experience. So I edited 489 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,679 Speaker 1: the video, put it up fast, built a name for myself. 490 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: Didn't even know I was building a name for myself. 491 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: So I went to the next Afro Tech, which would 492 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: have been eighten, and I took my wife because I'm like, yo, 493 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: you've got to see this thing. Like there are thousands 494 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: of black people in San Francisco, and there ain't that 495 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: many black people in San Francisco, So I'm sure the 496 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: airport was like security, because why are all these black 497 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: people coming to Savings? Like why all of it? Why? 498 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: Why why are they here? Um? But we're all like 499 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: pulling up in San Francisco. So I took my wife 500 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: and I said, you've got to see this thing. It's 501 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: like thousands of black people, all of them are in tech, 502 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: and they all talking about tech, and they're talking about 503 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: building million dollars, billion dollar, trillion dollar companies. They're all 504 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: talking about algorithms, they're all talking about crypto, they're all 505 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: talking about like strange stuff to most people. You've got 506 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: to come see it. So I took her and I 507 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: didn't record this year, and so this is when I 508 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: knew that I was building a name for myself because 509 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: everywhere I went, people was like, where's your camera? And 510 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: so I'm like, oh, y'all really like on that? Like 511 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: I didn't not. I didn't realize people were looking for 512 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 1: me to be recording. And so this year I'm specifically 513 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: talking about the first time I realized that people wanted 514 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: what I was doing. Because you see the comments, like, 515 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: you see the likes, you see the shares, but you 516 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: don't really like see people and you didn't you don't 517 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: really know that those likes were clicked by a person. 518 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: I mean content creators know what I'm talking about. Anyway, 519 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: I didn't realize people would miss it. But I was 520 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,479 Speaker 1: putting out all this content about tech, putting out all 521 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: this content on my podcast, putting out these videos about 522 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: entrepreneurship and business, which you can still find on my 523 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: on my YouTube page. UM, and I remember being back home. UM. Actually, 524 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: let me tell this first floor duck out of here 525 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: because this is an important part of the story. And 526 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: so because I'm like a big believer in UM, like 527 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: you gotta see yourself there, representation is so important and 528 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: sometimes when you don't have an ecosystem around you, it's 529 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: hard to have that reputation in this and being an 530 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 1: afro Tech season right now, we're like a couple of 531 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: weeks from afro Tech. This is why this particular epis 532 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: so it's so important and why you cannot not be there. 533 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: All right, So I took my wife. I told you 534 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: all eighteen and at the end of the conference, on 535 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: the way home, I'm like, we're in the airport and 536 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, it wasn't that fantastic, Like that was like 537 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: thousands of people black people and we all intech doing 538 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: this thing. And she's like, yeah, it's beautiful, fantastic conference. 539 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: That was amazing. You should not come back unless you 540 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: on stage. I'm like, oh, how I'm gonna get on stage? 541 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm like I don't understand, like because 542 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, like the people that I'm looking at on 543 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: stage are people who should be on stage, you know 544 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, Like the people who are on that 545 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: stage like doing things like you know, because you know, 546 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: you know how it is, like you just feel like 547 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: you know everybody's got it, but like you're trying to 548 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: qualify yourself and it's difficult to do that. So I'm like, 549 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: how am I gonna get on that stage? Do you 550 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: see that credentials? Do you see their resumes? Do you 551 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: see the money they raised? Do you see the exit 552 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 1: you know bag? Do you see like all of that? 553 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: And I'm like, I don't know how I'm getting on 554 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: that stage. But you know, I'm talking to my wife. 555 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, I challenge accepted, Like, I don't know how 556 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. I got a podcast, I got 557 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: a couple startups. I got one, two, three, five, six 558 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: that failed, but I'm gonna figure it out. So that's 559 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: obviously November. So I said this want to do. I'm 560 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: a big believer in vision boards because like you need 561 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: to see it. So I put a picture. I still 562 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 1: have the picture because I took it down off my 563 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: vision board. UM, but it was a picture I found 564 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: on Google. I just google afro Tech and I found 565 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: a picture at our bay. Um. He's a um a 566 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: designer for like video games black Dude, and he spoke 567 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 1: at afro Tech that year. So I found this picture 568 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: because it was in particularly that I was looking for 569 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: a picture. I't war speaking to afro Tech. I just 570 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: googled Afro Tech and I looked for pictures and that 571 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: was the picture I chose. So I took this picture 572 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: of our on stage and I put it on my 573 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: vision board. So you gotta remember, every single day, I'm 574 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: looking at this picture and others um about, you know, 575 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: what I want to bring into my life. And so 576 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: I put this picture on my vision board and I'm 577 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: looking at it every day. And I said, the next 578 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: time that they opened up a call for speakers, I'm 579 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: going to apply. I don't know if I'm getting on stage, 580 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna apply. I gotta a drink. So I 581 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: take um this picture, put it on my vision board. 582 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: I see it every day. I said, next year, when 583 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: they opened up call speakers, I'm gonna apply. I don't 584 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: know I'm getting on but you know, I gotta do 585 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: what I gotta do. So around the time that they 586 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: make the call for speakers just had to be like February, March, 587 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: April May. I don't know somewhere around there, but it's 588 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 1: around that season. I'm driving down. I remember exactly where 589 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: I was, And y'all don't live where I live, so 590 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: I won't give you like exactly you know, Uh, coordinates, 591 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: but I remember exactly where I was, and I'm sitting 592 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: at a red light and I get an email from 593 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: somebody who works for Blavity, which owns afro Tag. Obviously 594 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: if you didn't know that, Yeah, Blavity is like the 595 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 1: black BuzzFeed, Like it's the biggest black millennial website in 596 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 1: the world. Um Chatham Morgan too born. So I'm I'm 597 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:46,719 Speaker 1: sitting there and I get an email from somebody at 598 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: Bravity saying, hey, um, my name's Da Da Da. And 599 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:57,319 Speaker 1: I was talking to Morgan because we're going on or 600 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: going in a new direction for afro Tag, and Morgan said, 601 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: we should talk to you about running it. And I'm 602 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: like you, I don't, what like, hold on, You're going 603 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: in a new direction for afro Tech and you want 604 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: me to run it. The guy who says, how in 605 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:21,800 Speaker 1: the world am I going to get on this stage? 606 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: How like I don't feel qualified? Is what I was 607 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: really saying to myself. I didn't. I never cognitively said 608 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: that to myself, but that's what I was saying along 609 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: the whole line of thinking, if you if you look back, 610 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: if you get rewind, that's what's happening in my story. 611 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: I'm telling myself you aren't worthy of that. So I'm 612 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: sitting at this red light, get this email saying we're 613 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: going in a new direction for afro Tech, and Morgan 614 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: says we should talk to you. Do you have time 615 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:59,799 Speaker 1: to talk? And I'm like, oh my god, this this 616 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 1: is the thing because you gotta realize I come from 617 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: radio and um so I've seen a lot of celebrities, 618 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: some of the biggest celebrities in the world, been to 619 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: all the concerts, all the things. So like celebrities don't 620 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: improbamly like black Tech. People like winners are like, that's 621 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,919 Speaker 1: my rock star too, that's me. So when I walk 622 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,320 Speaker 1: in the room and I'm hanging out with Dave south Hunt, 623 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 1: you know from Squire, or I'm with Rodney Williams, or 624 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: I'm with you know, Morgan, or I'm with Jessica Matthews, 625 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: or I'm with whoever like Paul Judge, Bryan Glover, Like, well, 626 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm with these people. Those are my rock stars. And 627 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 1: so you're asking me to steer the ship of the 628 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: most important thing to me, the thing that makes my 629 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 1: eyes glitter, like you're asking me to run it. And 630 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: so I'm trying to figure out how I'm getting on 631 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: the stage to give a two minute talk and you're 632 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 1: asking me to there the ship of the brand. I'm 633 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: trying to tell you all, like, I'm not saying that 634 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: about I'm not saying that to glorify me. What I'm 635 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: saying is, if you look back at the things that 636 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: I did before getting that email, it's set me up 637 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: to get that email. So don't despise small beginnings, like 638 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,760 Speaker 1: there are things that you are doing today that puts 639 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:31,080 Speaker 1: you in a position if you're diligent, if you treat 640 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 1: it with respect, if you get the education you're supposed 641 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 1: to get out of it, if you don't take it 642 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: for granted, if you actually do the work, if you 643 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: do it with integrity, if you don't cut corners, but 644 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: you learn the lesson, if you go all in, if 645 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 1: you disciplined. I was putting out content when nobody was 646 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: paying me. I was putting out content because I loved 647 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: the content. I wanted to hear the stories. And so 648 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: now the people that I interviewed a lot of these 649 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: like may my friends now then on people like I 650 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 1: text with him, I talked to him when I see him, 651 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: it's what up we get a drink, we got to eat, 652 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: we hang out. The people who are like my rock stars, 653 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: those are the people that you know. I can rub shoulders, 654 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: where I can stand next to, I can sit beside, 655 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,720 Speaker 1: and we're all good. I'm getting the bag, they're getting 656 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: the bag, and we all get in the bag. Because 657 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,840 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that at the moment. But again, you 658 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 1: can't connect the dots looking forward. So when I was 659 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 1: doing the podcast, I thought I was doing it for 660 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,400 Speaker 1: X week reason. I thought I was doing it for 661 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:48,239 Speaker 1: reason X. But reason why why was around the corner 662 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: and I didn't even know it. But I treated it 663 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:55,840 Speaker 1: with respect because I gave to the community. I wanted 664 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:59,800 Speaker 1: you all to have something that didn't exist before. I 665 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: wanted you all to see yourselves in the people that 666 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: I represented put on the platform. Gave a pedestal to 667 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:13,480 Speaker 1: uplifted on that podcast, which put me in a position 668 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: to touch more people. I couldn't have I couldn't have 669 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: scripted that out. I couldn't have dictated how it was 670 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:29,920 Speaker 1: gonna happen. So today I sit in a position, you know, 671 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: a privileged position, A position I worked for, a position 672 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: of honor, a position to be able to serve you, 673 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 1: and that's really what it's all about. But I did 674 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:46,800 Speaker 1: that work, and what I do this work for continually 675 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: is to show you that you do this work. These 676 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: are the rewards because the stories that we highlight on 677 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: this podcast, the stories that you will see at afro Teche, 678 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 1: the people that you're gonna meet at this conference coming up, 679 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 1: which I mean I did the whole podcast just now 680 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 1: trying to get you to see why you need to 681 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 1: be there. You can't miss this. You cannot miss this. 682 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 1: It's virtual. So what this this virtual world that afro 683 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: Tech bills is like, it is This ain't zoom family, 684 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,879 Speaker 1: This ain't go to meeting. You can build the whole 685 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: world for y'all. And you meet people from all across 686 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: the world. There's people I met last year from Tanzania, 687 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: as people I met last year from the UK. There's 688 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: people I met last year from all from Tennessee, as 689 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: people I met from all over the world. And they 690 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 1: all look like I mean, they all pretty for the 691 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 1: most part, look like us. And they're trying to do 692 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 1: the thing, and they're doing the thing. They want to 693 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 1: hire you, they want to fund you, they want to 694 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 1: buy your stuff, and they're at this conference. So that's 695 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: my story. I hope you got something out of that. UM. 696 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,800 Speaker 1: You never really know why you're doing what you're doing. 697 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:13,959 Speaker 1: You might think you know why you're doing what you're doing. 698 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 1: You might have real intentions on the reasons that you're 699 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:24,879 Speaker 1: doing specific things that you're doing, but sometimes they don't 700 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 1: work out like you planned. That's just a fact. Sometimes 701 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: the outcome isn't something that you prescribed. But if you're 702 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,279 Speaker 1: in there and you're doing the work, there will be 703 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: opportunities that open up to you that you could not 704 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:43,319 Speaker 1: have asked for, that you couldn't have imagined would be 705 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 1: possible for you put yourself in a position to be successful. 706 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:55,200 Speaker 1: That's my story for today. I hope you'll enjoyed this episode.