1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's giving me 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: advice to many occasions in ocasion didn't notice, I'm not broke. 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: You know. He'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: decision makers. It's what he likes to do, it's what 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: he likes to share. Now it's time to hear from 8 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: my man, Rashan McDonald money making Conversations. Here we come. 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to money Making Conversation. I am your host, ra 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: Sean McDonald. It's just like I said every week, it's 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: time to stop reading other people's success stories and start 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: writing your own. If you have a gift, I always 13 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: tell you to leave with your gift and don't let 14 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: your age, friends, family, or co workers stop you from 15 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: planning or living your dream. My interviews are doing money 16 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: making conversations or with CEO, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and what I 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: like to call industry decision makers. My next kiss is 18 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: a celebrity. He's truly an interesting decision maker. His name 19 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: is Will Packer. Will Packers an HPCU graduate of Family 20 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: and holds a Bachelor of Science degree and electrical engineering. 21 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: His company, Will Packer Production has produced films that have 22 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: earned more than one billion dollars at the box office, 23 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: and ten of those films have opened at number one, 24 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: including Girls, Trip, Night School. Uh goodness, man, my movies. 25 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: You think like a bad thing, like a bad to ride, 26 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: a long ride long whoa obsessed breaking in stuff to y'all. 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: Come on now he's on the children talking about HBCUTH 28 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: changing your career, narrative, self promotion, and the many projects 29 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: he is currently producing and have on his production schedule. 30 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: Please working to money making conversation my man, Will Packer, Hey, 31 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: what's happening? My friends? Well, I thank you man. You 32 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: know our journey man has been an interesting one and 33 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: uh you know for as your career and just seen 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: you open up. But one thing I've always noticed about you, 35 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: will you can kind of change the narrative as a producer. 36 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: You've always been out front promoting what you do a 37 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: long some of your projects, and it's really changing narrative 38 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: because now everybody does it properly and I don't see 39 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: nothing wrong because you really understood social media. From a 40 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: producing standpoint as an individual, early on, what drove that 41 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's interest was Shane, You hit it on 42 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: the head. Uh. Film and television has always been a 43 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,959 Speaker 1: director's meetium, and there's nothing wrong with that at all, 44 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: but those typically were the only names that you knew, 45 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: the stars, of course, and then the directors. Well, when 46 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: I came in as a producer, I knew how important 47 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: it was to connect with an ardience. And I'll be 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: honest with you to Sean, that really started with my 49 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: journey at FAMU because I made my first film project, 50 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: which was Chocolate City, while I was still an undergraduate 51 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: at FAMU, I was a junior. We shot Chocolate City, 52 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: this a little bit movie. We didn't know, you know, 53 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: what it was gonna do. We didn't really know what 54 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: we were doing, to be honest with you, but we 55 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: had a lot of dry a lot of passion, a 56 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: lot of hustle, and in order for that film to 57 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: be successful, I had to go out to my audience, 58 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: my core audience, which at that time was my family 59 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: peers that those are the only people that cared about 60 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: that movie at that time. We tried to send into 61 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: Hollywood and they sent it back and try to Big 62 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: Friday and Sears, and they sent it back to try 63 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: to send it the big actors. They didn't even have 64 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: the courtesy to send it back to John. They but 65 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: that's part of the journey. That's what it takes. And 66 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: I realized I needed to go out and explained to 67 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: that audience why they should care about this film. And 68 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: that really started something that I still do to this day, 69 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: which is going out and trying to touch people with 70 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: every project that I had, trying to connect with people. 71 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: Back in the days after Chocolate City, which was that 72 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: first movie we shot at Fami You, we made a 73 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: movie called Ta. And with Ta, we literally drove all 74 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: around the country. We drove city to city to city. 75 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: We rented a Ford Excursion, which which was a bad plan, 76 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: I realized, not Sean, because it takes so much gas. 77 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: It was a big gas We don't have any money, 78 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: so we spent almost all our promotion money trying to 79 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: fill up that big old truck. But that's what it took. 80 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: And we went to each city and we would tell 81 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: people we literally hand out flying We go to the mall, 82 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: we go to the church, and we go to the club, 83 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: wherever people were, and we'd say, please go see our movies, 84 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 1: Please go see our movie. Well, a version of that 85 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: is what we do and I still do to this day. 86 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: Now we've got social media. You talk about this on 87 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,239 Speaker 1: your show with Sean. You've got to use the tools 88 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: that you have access to. You've got to use the 89 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: resources that are available to you. And so with the 90 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: advent of the social media and the digital landscape expanding 91 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: the way that it has, I knew that I didn't 92 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 1: needed to use that aspect of my promotion, my grassroots 93 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: hustle to connect with people, and so that's exactly what 94 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: we did with some of those big movies that you named. 95 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: But it really started right there on the campus and family, 96 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,119 Speaker 1: going and knocking on doors and trying to get people 97 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: to care about the movie, getting them to understand it 98 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: wasn't just something that was gonna be released, you know, 99 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: on their campus and maybe they go, maybe they don't. 100 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: I was going around telling people you have to go 101 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: see this movie, and a version of that is what 102 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: I still do to this day, do it very well now. 103 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: But your electrical engineer, that was your degree plan. Okay, now, okay, 104 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: it's really interesting because I always tell people, like, you know, 105 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: I wanted to be a stand up. I got my 106 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: degree in mathematics, my mind and sociology. Just because I 107 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: wanted to go in that direction didn't mean I needed 108 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: to change my degree plan. And I think it's really impressive, 109 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: and I know you get the reaction. I get what 110 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: I tell people by degrees in mathematics. When you tell 111 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: people your electrical engineer, they always go huh. And then 112 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: but they said, but they said in a good way 113 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: because they're stunned because they know how difficult it is 114 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: to achieve, because you was an undergraduate as well, and 115 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: they degree plan. So let's talk about that now. You know, 116 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: I left my job, I left, I graduated math, I 117 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: went to work for IBM, so everything was normal, and 118 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: then I went and pursue my career as a stand up. 119 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: Coming you left college with your electrical engineer honors graduate 120 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: and pursued a Hollywood career. What do people think that 121 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: I was crazy? The same thing they thought about you. 122 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: You know that when you left a good stable, corporate 123 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: gig to chase your dream and your passion, They said, 124 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: what are you doing? You know Hollywood? You know, we 125 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: didn't know where Hollywood was We didn't have a lot 126 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: of uh, Hollywood connections. We didn't have you know, big 127 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: money and resources and all that. So people thought it 128 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: was fanciful. They thought that I was just chasing a 129 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: dream that was unlikely to ever be realized. But one 130 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: thing about about dreamers, and you notice Rashane, is that 131 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: your dream is your dream. Nobody else has it. Don't 132 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: give anybody else power over your dream. Nobody owns it 133 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: but you. And until you say that the dream is over, 134 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: until you say that the dream is dead, until you 135 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: say that the dream is deferred, it's not because as 136 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: long as you still believe in it, it's still got 137 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: a possibility of happening. And so um, I yes, graduated 138 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: magnicum laude with a degree in electrical engineering. And I 139 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: got into electric engineering because I was strong in math 140 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: and science when I was coming up in high school 141 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: and got a scholarship to attend fam you in engineering. 142 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: So that's kind of helped to shape that path because 143 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to go. At the time that I first 144 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: went into college, I didn't know that I was gonna 145 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: be a filmmaker. I thought I was just going to 146 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: be an entrepreneur. That was. I knew that was my passion, 147 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: and I wanted to go to an Ivy League school, 148 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: but they weren't offering me a single dime and you 149 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: was offering me a big old scholarship to be in 150 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: their engineering program. So my parents said, guess where you're going. 151 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: I said, I guess it won't be the IVY. They said, 152 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: you damn right, and so they sent me the FAMI You. 153 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: The decision was made for me, and it was the 154 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: best decision ever. And I took that a ran with 155 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: it much like you did. Right, I had that solid foundation. 156 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: A lot of people, um, I think, underestimate the value 157 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: of having that solid degree that you had that I have, 158 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: Like you know, if if nothing else, I did have 159 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: that to fall back on, and it forced me to 160 00:07:57,960 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: work hard. You work hard to get a degree in math. 161 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: I work hard to get a degree electrical engineering, especially 162 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: graduating mad nicomb laude. But that work also helped to 163 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: hone and shape my work ethic and the way that 164 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: I approached projects even today. So I always tell people, 165 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: even if you're not in a field, in a position 166 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: that ultimately you want to be in for the rest 167 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: of your life, it's still you. Your name is still 168 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: all the people are watching you that you don't even 169 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: know always give a hundred ten percent. Well that's key, 170 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: that's key, and that I guess that transitions to people 171 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: don't know you, but they still believe in your brain. 172 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: That that kind of like our relationship. I was Steve Harvey. Now, 173 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: I was on Steve Harvard Morning Show and this movie 174 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: Stump the Yard came out and I and Steve Harvy 175 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: and I we we would act well, I formade allow 176 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: us to talk to all the black people in America 177 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: wherefrom we felt, you know, we're talking to all the 178 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: black people with number one more than shore in the country. 179 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: And I told Steve as to Steve, let's make this movie. 180 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: Let's really put some effort. Nobody made a media by, 181 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: Nobody made a media by. But I said, we gotta 182 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: start supporting because Steve as the ability and he had 183 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: such a loyal and passionate fan base. I said, let's 184 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: drive this movie. Let's let's push this movie and make 185 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: it number one. And I didn't even know you just 186 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: felt that black projects at that time, especially your movie. 187 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: And it was about fraternity these it was about hbcuth School. 188 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: It was hit, it hit all of the uh, the 189 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: points that I wanted to support, and it became number one, 190 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: and unknowingly that was a really a strong lynch point 191 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: pen to launching your brand. Correct. Well, listen, it's it's 192 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 1: what you saw was potential in a young black filmmaker 193 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: that you didn't know. You saw a project that had 194 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: the right themes and the right elements that needed to 195 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: be out there, right, and you supported. You use your 196 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 1: platform that you were associated with at that time to 197 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: help elevate it. That's what we can all do every day, 198 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: the projects that you see a lot of people sit 199 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: back and talk about stuff, right, you know all we 200 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: should There should be more movies like this, more content 201 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: like this, more more politicians like this. But you have 202 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 1: the power. Are you putting your brand your money? And 203 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: I don't mean you have to be Rushy McDonald or 204 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: even wild Pata, right, you can just be somebody at home. 205 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: You're voting with your dollars, you're voting with your clicks, 206 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: you're voting with you at the balance box, literally voting. 207 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: But people don't utilize their power enough. So you use 208 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: your platform, which helped to elevate what we were trying 209 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: to do. And if it weren't for people like yourself 210 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: and others that came in and said, we're gonna go 211 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: and support this movie. Right, this is the type. So 212 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: these are the types of stories that we want to 213 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: see on the big screen. There's no way we would 214 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: have been number one movie in the country for two 215 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: weeks in a row. As a matter of fact, that 216 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: was because people came out and supported that movie. And 217 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,719 Speaker 1: so I try to make sure that people realize you 218 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: still have that power today. You don't have to be 219 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: some big celebrity figure. You got a network. Whoever you are. 220 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: You've got people that you talk to. I don't care 221 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,319 Speaker 1: if it's that the Nelson Line, barbershop, online, Twitter, whatever 222 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: it is. You're talking to people. You're connecting with people. 223 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: How are you using during network? How are you using 224 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: your own personal plant? Well, you know that you have 225 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: a highlight ability, and that's really important. I remember that 226 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: when Steve Harvey book blew up. Act like a lady, 227 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: think like a man, and uh I remember Oprah came 228 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: to us about a book opportunity or uh screen Jims 229 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: came to the opportunity. We all said no. And then 230 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,719 Speaker 1: this black dude who I had never met, my knife name. 231 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: Will Packer called me say hey, man, let's talk. Let's talk, 232 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,719 Speaker 1: and flew down to Dallas, would be a Steve and 233 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 1: drove around and convinced us, man that that's a skill. 234 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: Will you know that's that's a skill, because I say, no, easy, 235 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: real easy. And but you have learned to be able 236 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: to disseminate the positive and why this will work, and 237 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: even because you know we will now gonun till everybody 238 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: Steve and I've envisioned this to be a white cast, 239 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: and you said no, Racheane, I got this guy named 240 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: Kevin Hart, and I really didn't know Kevin Hart like 241 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: you knew Kevin Hart. You know you you for sard 242 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: this guy, he's the next, next one. He's the next, 243 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: I said, I said, Steve, He's gonna Steve, Steve being Steve. 244 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 1: Harp I said he wants Kevin Hard to start it. 245 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: I said he Steves, Okay, Kevin Hard? Huh? I said, yeah, 246 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: he said he's the one, and so we trusted you 247 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: and the rest is history. How do you see talent 248 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: like that? And because that's what's happening to all your movies, 249 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: all your problem. You're not number one by accident you 250 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: have a skill to be able to see talent and 251 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: cast it along with great storylines. Talk to us about that. Well. 252 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 1: I appreciate you. I appreciate you saying the average tie, 253 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: but I also want to give give some love back 254 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: to you because if you don't take that call, right, 255 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: you had a lot of people that were calling you, 256 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: trying to get into your universe, trying to get on 257 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: there with you and Steve and being you guys world. 258 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: But you took the call and you gave me an opportunity, 259 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:49,439 Speaker 1: and I really do appreciate that. Brother. I want to 260 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: I want to say that, you know, in front of everybody, 261 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: because if you don't have that opportunity, if I don't 262 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: have somebody like you that that takes that call, uh, 263 00:12:57,520 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: it makes it so much harder for me to get 264 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: to that next level. And that's basically what I'm doing. 265 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: When it comes to talent like like Kevin hard or 266 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: or or address Elba Tippety hates. Some people I'm very 267 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: proud to have have worked with on some of their 268 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: early projects that kind of launched them into into superstardom. 269 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: They've got the talent, right, It's not that that you know, um, 270 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: I've had anything to do with Kevin's talent, even amazing 271 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: comedian and actor saying with Tiffany saying with interest in 272 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: their own rights and other people that I've worked with, 273 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: But I did have a platform, right, I had the 274 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: movie that at that time was a foundation for them 275 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: to be a launching path for their careers. I'm very 276 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: proud of them. But I gotta be able to take 277 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: the call right like you took the call. And I 278 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: also do have to be able to ascertain who I 279 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: think has got talent that is I'm gonna call it 280 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: big screen worthy for the purposes of this conversation, Right, everybody, 281 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: there's some great talent out there that work really well 282 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: on say Instagram or or on TikTok, and everybody is 283 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: not set up to be the star of a big 284 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: television show or a big movie. You do have to 285 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 1: and this is something that I've phoned over the years. 286 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: You do have to be able to ascertain whether or 287 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: not talent has something that is transferable, because all talent 288 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: is not. But Kevin, for instance, would think like a man, 289 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: he definitely had a transferable skill set. And you aren't 290 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: the only one that was saying, you know, who's Kevin 291 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: Hart was the big deal. All the Hollywood was saying, 292 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: trust me, like there was you know, there were not 293 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: a lot of people knocking down Kevin Thor because he 294 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: had some products that had come out before that that 295 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: had failed, right, they were not successful. So people felt like, 296 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: we know Kevin Hart, and we know what the ceiling 297 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: of his talent is and it's not very high. Whereas 298 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: I felt like that's not true. He was having a 299 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: moment at that time. People were really connecting with him, 300 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,479 Speaker 1: and I felt like if he just had the right platform, 301 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: he could take it to the next level. So that 302 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: mirror is the story that you told about how you 303 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: know when you and Steve allowed me to come down 304 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: to Dallas and pity the movie, It's the same thing. 305 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: You need an opportunity, You need somebody to give you 306 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: a chance to listen to you and to see your town. 307 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: It's finally here the season of celebration, and no matter 308 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: how you celebrate with family and friends, whether you're preparing 309 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: for Reis Magos or Karamu lighting the Manura, are going 310 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: to midnight, Mass Coals has just what you need to 311 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: make those traditions special. 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Find a forest near you 329 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: and start exploring a Discover the Forest dot Org brought 330 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: to you by the United States Forest Service and the 331 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: AD Council. Hi, everyone, Al Roker here as a guy 332 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: with his own catchphrase. I appreciate that Smokey's only said 333 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: only you can prevent wildfires, but I'm filling in because 334 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: there's a lot more to report, like when they're parched 335 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: or windy conditions out there. You gotta be extra careful 336 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: with things like burning yard wide. After all, wildfires can 337 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: start anywhere, even in your neck of the woods. Go 338 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: to Smokey Bear dot com to learn more about wildfire prevention, 339 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: brought to you by the U. S. Forest Service, your 340 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: state Forrester, and the AD Council. You know, it's funny. 341 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: I talked to people all the time about perception, about perception. 342 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: I tell everybody, if Vice President Kamala Harris didn't tell 343 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: anybody what schools she went through, they would immediately say 344 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: Ivy League, they would immediately say Ivy League. And so 345 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: if Will Packard didn't hype the fact he graduated from FAM, 346 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 1: you they would probably say in USC Film School U 347 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: c l A. They would immediately throw you in the 348 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: because that's what you're supposed to be coming from, according 349 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: to the industry, according to perception. But you're an HBCU 350 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: grad tell us, Wow, the difference that made in your 351 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: life and how you caring at that mantra, Let everybody 352 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: know the quality of education and opportunity that is being 353 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: presented to African Americans or people of color are those 354 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: schools and they're changing the landscape of America. Education at 355 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: the highest levels. And that's the thing that UM sometimes people, 356 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:57,439 Speaker 1: even black people, uh don't realize and give hbc USE 357 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,360 Speaker 1: enough credit for it is education at the highest level. 358 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: More importantly though, because you can get a great education 359 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: at a lot of different places. What you don't get 360 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: is the sense of community that creates a Kamala Harris, 361 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: that creates a Will Packer, that creates an Oprah Winfrey, 362 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: that creates a Spike Lee, that creates so many folks 363 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: that have come out of these h b c U 364 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: s and going on to greatness. There's a sense of community. 365 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: There's a feeling of you are good enough, you are 366 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: important enough, and a a pressure that is in the 367 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: best way to push you to get to the next level. See, 368 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: I was somebody that had taken advantage of the fact 369 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 1: that I was very often the only black kid in 370 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: the honors classes and the ap classes. UM at my 371 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: high school because I I grew up in St. Pete, Florida, 372 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: and my high school was only temper cent black, and 373 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: so often times I was the only kid in the 374 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: honors class. I got a lot of attention, right, And 375 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: I've had a lot of the white kids and white 376 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: teachers and administrators, frankly who underestimated me. And I was 377 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: savvy enough and strategic enough to take advantage of that 378 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: when when I went to fail, they weren't impressed the 379 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: like we all came from honest class, right, we all 380 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: know how to talk to talk like you know how 381 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: to talk, Will Pack, We're not impressed by you. You 382 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: gotta do more, You gotta do something else to make 383 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: yourself stand out. And it really honed the skills that 384 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: I use today being pitching a movie or selling a project, 385 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: or like you talked about the likability factor, trying to 386 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: get people to support what it is that I'm doing. 387 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: I learned all of that at family. So I'm a 388 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: big proponent of family and and HBCUs in general. And 389 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: the thing I think people don't realize is that they're 390 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: not monolithic, and they are truly a pipeline. So many 391 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: of our professionals, I don't care if you're talking about 392 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: entertainment industry, Um, the stock market, doctors, teachers, pharmacists, so 393 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: many of them come from HBC s. The pipeline is unquestionable, 394 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: unquestioned and unmatched. Right, it really is? It really is? Now. 395 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 1: You know you've revery lately on TV become a relationship man. 396 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: You know you've been our match maker key now you 397 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 1: know Peter ring on it and got my board and 398 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: nephew Tommy hosted Ready to Love on Own. Now, how 399 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: you how you become? How you get it to the 400 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: relationship game? I know, Thinking Like a Man, But that 401 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: was just a movie there. But now you've become a 402 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: relationship king, the black relationship king on TV. Talk to 403 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 1: us about that? Will I like how that sound? But 404 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: I take that. I'll wear that. I wear that crowd. Uh, 405 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: you know, I think it was an opportunity, man, opportunity 406 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 1: that honestly really did start with Things Like a Man. 407 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: Thing Like a Man was the first relationship movie that 408 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: I did that really was big and Uh it started 409 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: with the conversation frankly with Oprah. I have a relationship 410 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: with Own and with Discovery, who is the parent company 411 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: that that owns owned along with Oprah and I sat Uh. 412 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: I went to to Oprah's house, promising man and talk 413 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: to her about what I thought was missing. That's what 414 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: she asked me, where are the opportunities on my network? 415 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: What is missing? And I said, one of the first 416 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: things I said, I pitched a couple shows, but one 417 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: of the first ones was I said, you know, where 418 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: are the grown freaking American dating show? I said, It's 419 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: one thing if you've got people that are dating in 420 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: their twenties, but you don't really know what you want 421 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: when in your twenties, you know, you're just figuring out, 422 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: you're learning, and you know, all of us have been 423 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: through relationships in our twenties and if it lasted, god 424 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: bless you, right, but a lot of us we don't 425 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: figure it out until again into our thirties and forties. 426 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: And so I said, let's do something that it's for 427 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: your audience, which owns audience is grown funds, right, it 428 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 1: is primarily you know, forty plus African Americans, I said, 429 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 1: day dating. They're trying to figure it out that coming 430 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: out of a relationship, that coming out marriages, some of 431 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: them got kids. What does that look like? And so, yeah, 432 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: I got your guy in Nephew Tommy and Um, we 433 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 1: actually have the number one show on Friday nights and 434 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: I'm so proud of it's called Rady Love Man, and 435 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,479 Speaker 1: it's it's doing big things for us. When the beauty 436 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: of it is that I remember just transitioning um to 437 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: another great black film director and produces, Tyler Perry. And 438 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: Tyler Perry was talking about you know, he had called 439 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: people when he cast him a lot of time and 440 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,680 Speaker 1: when they kicked as to this project, he'll call him 441 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: and and and you know a lot of them don't 442 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,879 Speaker 1: think it's a prank phone call. Not really. I was 443 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: talking to interview and Nefew talking me. He said, when 444 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: you called him about Ready to Love, he thought he 445 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,640 Speaker 1: was being prank because he's the king up ranks. So 446 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: so where does it get now when you make the 447 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: phone call? Where Because I know you make the call 448 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: and tell people, and it's a blessing to tell people 449 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: they've been cast in different projects. When you started noticing 450 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: the turn, because at first you're just doing your job 451 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: and just happy. But you're Will Packer, you are a brand. 452 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: You are in some ways, let's be honest, a career 453 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: maker because you can put people in leaving roads, your boxer, 454 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: box office, a star. So that phone call that you make, 455 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: now it's a little bit different. Now the talent, isn't 456 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: it different? You're right, and I appreciated saying every shot 457 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: it is. Uh. It feels good to be in a 458 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: position to get people opportunities because you're talking about folks 459 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: that have worked very, very hard to get in the 460 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: position that they're in to be noticed by someone like 461 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: Will Packer, who has a platform, who has a show, 462 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: who has a movie, right, and so you've worked hard 463 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: to get yourself in that position. When you do get 464 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: that call, it's amazing. It's nothing like it. It's a 465 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,479 Speaker 1: true validation not only of the work you put in, 466 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: but of your talent, because I can't hire everybody that 467 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: works hard. A lot of people work hard, but you 468 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: gotta work hard. You gotta have the talent. You gotta 469 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 1: have them both and be focused and be persistent, because 470 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: you can be talented and working hard and still not 471 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: get a call from a Will Packer, Tyler Perry, anybody. 472 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: It's very possible, right, But if you are focused and persistent, 473 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: you keep working, and if you've got that talent, you 474 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: just keep getting better and better and better. I think 475 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 1: I am a big believer that the opportunity will present 476 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: itself and then it's on you to take advantage when 477 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: you have that moment. Don't let that moment pass you by. 478 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: And see that sometimes too, Rashan, I see people that, um, 479 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: they're not ready when the opportunity presents itself, right, maybe 480 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 1: not mature enough, maybe not focused enough. Um. And that's 481 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: unfortunate because you don't know how many of those shots 482 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: you're gonna get. When you get that shot, you take it, 483 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: you take it, you go for you run with it, 484 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: and never let it go. That's what somebody like a 485 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: Kevin Hard or Tivity hass. You know, I really appreciate that. 486 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: But also the reason I love talking to you because 487 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: you know, we we can laugh at each other and 488 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: tease each other. Tell you somethingbody will see. Well well, 489 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: well you know he threw He threw out the conversation 490 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: during this interview like it was no big deal. Well, 491 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: you know, Oprah asked me, what do you think what's 492 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: missing on my network? Oprah asked me, Now you know, well, 493 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: where do you get to the point in your life 494 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: that Oprah asked anybody asked you, and you're like where 495 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: I think, Oprah, you know, can you give me a 496 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: glass of wine? And you that was a little bit 497 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: of a name that has a big name. That's a 498 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: period there black woman, Okay, who is defined blackness for 499 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: us all the last twenty years of our life. But 500 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: you're sitting right there now. Will, when we see so 501 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 1: many elegant African Americans in the in tame at business 502 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: that are getting deals, that are getting that being being 503 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: recognized for the black culture is now being viable and 504 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: it's not on the streaming networks but the film and 505 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: network television that has to make you feel good, will 506 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: question now because in fact makes me feel good to 507 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: be a part of it. Right, Um, I am now 508 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: looking at another generation coming up behind me. This everything 509 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: runs in cycles, and the film industry is no different. 510 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: And so when I was coming up, I was able 511 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,479 Speaker 1: to look at people like Spike Lee, like the Huddling Brothers, 512 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: like the Huge Brothers. These were filmmakers that John Singleton 513 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: god Bess is Soul. These were people that were making 514 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: movies when I was trying to get in Robert Town's 515 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: and I would look at them and say, bad, I'm 516 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: just trying to do what they're doing. Right. I got 517 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: my shot, and I've been very blessed and very fortunate 518 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: to have a lot of success within that industry. Now 519 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: when I look at this new prop of filmmakers that's 520 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: coming up, I see this cycle, I see this new wave, 521 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 1: and it's so man, it is so um. It's really 522 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: validating the Sean. I'll be honest with you because it 523 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: feels like, Okay, the work that I put in, laid 524 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,679 Speaker 1: the pack, laid the foundation, and and put in the 525 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: groundwork so that this next generation can come in and 526 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: I hope surpass everything you know that I've ever done. 527 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: I got ten number ones. I hope someday that somebody 528 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: with twenty number ones at the box office. Box office 529 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: a little bit different now, you know the way that 530 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 1: they do. You know, everything is on streaming, so we'll 531 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:23,959 Speaker 1: see that that record might stand for a while. But 532 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: the point is that there are a lot a lot 533 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: of new African American filmmakers that have a chance to 534 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: tell their stories. And I'm hopeful that my success because 535 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: this industry is all my success. Right, somebody has a 536 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: big movie, makes a bunch of money, Hollywood wants the 537 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: next who else can do what they do. You know, 538 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: give us the next you know Ryan Kubin right, give 539 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: us the next Shaka King, you know Judice in the 540 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: Black mass side, Give us the next whoever it is. Well, 541 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,880 Speaker 1: I'm hopeful that Will Packer made some of the folks 542 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,199 Speaker 1: in the industry say, we need another World pack We 543 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,239 Speaker 1: need to work with some more black producers, because they 544 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: can be successful the way that Will Packer was and that, honestly, 545 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: that's legacy, and that's really what you're doing for. Honestly, 546 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, that's what I'm most 547 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: proud of my life. Well, I've always been most proud 548 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 1: of the fact that you understood value because you understood 549 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: Rashaan number one. I remember when we were after we 550 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: did think like a man. We were talking on the 551 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: phone and you go, here, Rashan, uh put a little 552 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: extra juice on this one, you know, because y'all hype 553 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: it up. It's a little bit more because I want 554 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: to be number one. You knew as far as your brand, 555 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,679 Speaker 1: by hanging on to that mantro or releasing number ones, 556 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: it would pay off down the line. And it's like 557 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: I said, ten, that is nothing that Well, let me 558 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: tell yourself. Never been done before. Okay, white or black, 559 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: never been done before, and so but you always have 560 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: a vision about that. Now that leads to these upcoming 561 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: projects that you have coming out ed Universal and then 562 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: you're also developed a Doug Williams bio pick. Talk about 563 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: the upcoming projects and the podcast that you have rolling 564 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: out again, the will Pack of brand. You know what, 565 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: First of all, I got an amazing team around me, Rashan, 566 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: and I want everybody listening to this to know that, like, 567 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you're only as strong 568 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: as your team. Right, it's it's my name is at 569 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: the top of the of the company letterhead and all 570 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: of that. But at the end of the day, I 571 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: got good people around me. And so as you're looking 572 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: to build yourself up and and do what we've talked 573 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: about in this interview, make sure you've got to write 574 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,959 Speaker 1: people around you. Uh. And we're busy, man, we are busy. 575 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: We we announced an a podcast deal with My Heart. 576 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: As you know, um one of the the major, the 577 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: biggest in terms of podcasting, but one of the major 578 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,959 Speaker 1: audio services that are out there. So we're doing podcast 579 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: We've got one dropping this summer. It's a narrative podcast. 580 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: So it literally is us getting a chance to develop 581 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: stuff which may turn out to be a movie or 582 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: a television show later, but it's starting off in the 583 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,680 Speaker 1: podcast format. Um, I'm going to shoot with in yourselvil, 584 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: who we talked about, uh this summer. I've got a 585 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: movie called Beast that I'm excited about it in yourselvid, 586 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: he's he's uh he's trapped in the jungle with a 587 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 1: man eating lighting, a man eating lion chasing him and 588 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: his family. Now, so that's excuse me, fun escapeists fair. Um, 589 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: so that's good. And then we've got um a television 590 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: show called Bigger, which is airing on BT Plus right now. 591 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: Uh So, if you don't have BT Plus, check it out, 592 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: go stream at. Tyler Perry has uh all his content 593 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: on BT Plus. This show is called Bigger, is fun, 594 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: sexy comedy has grown now it's definitely grown a little 595 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: bit edgy. Uh you you were myra shot It's it's good. Uh. 596 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: Then of course you talked about Rady Love on Friday Nights. 597 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: I got another relationship show called put a Ring on 598 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: It about couples that have been dating for a very 599 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: long time but have never gotten married and they do 600 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: the social experiment where they see what would happen if 601 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: you allow your significant other to date someone else for 602 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: thirty days? What happens and at the end of those 603 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: dirty days does it make your relationship stronger? Does it 604 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: tear it apart? So that one was called put a 605 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: ring on it? And that was a yeah man, that 606 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: that was. That was over his face when I pitched 607 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: her that one too, exactly. Just you say, you're trying 608 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: to get people in trouble. So we're busy, busy, got 609 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff happening, and you've got Now you've 610 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: got Doun Williams. God tell us about Doun Williams to 611 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: day Williams Man, absolutely listen. We talked about hbc U, 612 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: we talked about overcoming adversity. He is the epitome, the 613 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: tru personification of that. Doug Williams first black quarterback ever 614 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: to win a Super Bowl, Super Bowl m v P UM, 615 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: a personal hero of mine. We're actually doing his story, Rashan, 616 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: thank you for bringing that up. We're doing his story 617 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,959 Speaker 1: as a big screen biopic, um, and he deserves the 618 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 1: big screen telling. He is the precursor to Russell with 619 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: Wilson and Patrick Mahomes and Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson 620 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: and Colin Kaepernick. He was the first one to go 621 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: out and succeed at the highest levels through all the adversity, 622 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: because you know how it is. He had a lot 623 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: of folks that were rooting against him and said, you 624 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: can't do it as a black quarterback. You're not smart enough, 625 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: you don't have what it takes, you don't have the leadership. 626 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: But he did, and he went out and on and 627 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: so we're gonna tell his store and give him the 628 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: big screen treatment. I'm very excited about that. Well, well, well, 629 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: thank you for taking the time to come on Money 630 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: Making Conversations man, your special brother, and I appreciate you, 631 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: and you know coming to me, I'm always going to 632 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: promote what you gotta say, even when I know you 633 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: and I don't know connecte. I appreciate you, my friend. 634 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 1: All love brother. Thank you, And if you want to 635 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: see any of the interviews are here in the interviews 636 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: on Money Making Conversations, please go to money Making Conversation 637 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: dot com on my YouTube channel. 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