1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: This is Unbreakable with Jay Glazer, a mental health podcast 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: helping you out of the gray and into the blue. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: Now here's Jay Glazer. Welcome into Unbreakable and mental health 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: podcast with Jay Glazer. And just a little reminder here 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: for everybody. In my book I'm Breakable, how I termed 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: my depression anxiety into motivation You can too comes out 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: in paperbook on April one. What we're trying to do 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: here for mental health is give it words. Let us 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: all have this conversation. The more we can give it words, 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: more we could talk about it. Those of us with 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: mental health issues, we're just battling the gray or just 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: trying to tame the roommates in our head. We don't 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: feel like we're in the minority anymore. We feel like 14 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: we're in the majority, which I think we are. And 15 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: it spans everywhere you could possibly go in the rope. 16 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: And it's also what made me successful. Overcoming these mental 17 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: health issues is what made me where I am now 18 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: brought me where I am. It's also introduced me to 19 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: some of the coolest people in the world. And one 20 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: of those coolest people in the world is our guest 21 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: this week, and it's just It's incredible the realm that 22 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: this podcast dives into, from sports to acting television hosts 23 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: to cooking hosts like Fiery, to musicians. But we haven't 24 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: had a designer on yet. We haven't had an actual 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: gangster here in a fashion world. Come on with me yet. 26 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: With that, I'm going to bring it a good friend 27 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: of mine from a long time ago. I've been friends 28 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: for ages from New York City. But now we have 29 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: something else we bond with, which is mental health, and 30 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: that is Kenneth Cole. How are you, brother, great Jay? 31 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: So if you do get a successful designer on the 32 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: show some day, let me know. Is that? Yeah, I 33 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: kind of fucked down one up, didn't I. I love 34 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: doing this, by the way, and I even did my homework. 35 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: I read. I read all about your journey and I 36 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: felt more I'm not sure the more or less broken 37 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: having read it, but I'm certainly more impressed, and I 38 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: feel even I feel you're fucked upness even more than 39 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: I could have imagined. But thank you. I appreciate that. Well. 40 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: But you're saying you feel more broken now. It's not 41 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: exactly a good plug for the book. You know, hey 42 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: read them, Rachael, But you'll feel more sucked up. It 43 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: makes you kind of look in the mirror a little bit, 44 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: which is good. I mean, it's kind of what I 45 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: guess what you wanted to make happen. So um, but 46 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: it's it's extraordinary. And we've had a lot in common 47 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: and this just kind of brings us even that much 48 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: closer together, which is great. But you you would text 49 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: me too that you were learning more about yourself. What 50 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: did you learn about yourself? You have to read the book, 51 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: you know. I learned that you've made a good effort 52 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: in kind of creating appropriate context that we all have 53 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: these struggles at the end of the day, you know, 54 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: we all also have a path through it. And the 55 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: degree you can build a network and support, you know, 56 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: you're that much strong report and one plus one he 57 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: goes more than two always and and I've often said that, 58 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: you know, long you can go fast, together, you go far, 59 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: and building that community is critical. And I think that's 60 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: what you're doing so well. And that's what that's what 61 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: I'm trying to do as well with my mental health coalition, 62 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: which will talk which I definitely want to dive into it. 63 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: You know, it's it's interesting all this I met you 64 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: through Michael Strand like ninety five or something along those lines, 65 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: and we spent time at his fiftieth birthday party. My book. 66 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: I think she was just coming out. But I didn't 67 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: tell him about my issues until I think two weeks 68 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: before that. The first time I ever told him, like 69 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: the first time I ever decided I can't go out 70 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: to dinner with you because the beasts out out of 71 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: the box. And I just had a horrible panic attack 72 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: and he's like, why have you never told me? I do, man, 73 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: I don't know with you. I just felt shame. I 74 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: don't know why. I don't make the make up the 75 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: rules of this. And his response to me was, yeah, 76 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: but I could have been there for you for all 77 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: those years. And that's this team that you're talking about, 78 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: and you know that for me now, like for thirty years, 79 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: I hit it now when I'm having a horrible day, 80 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: I know to reach out. I know his reaction is 81 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: going to be. And that's, you know, the beautiful thing 82 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: of us talking about this. Yeah, Michael has been great. 83 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: He's been a good, great friend to me also. Yeah. 84 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: In fact, when we launched there at the Health Coalition, 85 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: I did it on his show, and we had several 86 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: events that I was shamelessly imposed ourselves upon him, and 87 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: he never he never says no, It's just been great anyway. 88 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: He's always there to do the right thing. He really is. 89 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: So now here's what I want to dive before i'd 90 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: get the mental health cool listen because a lot of 91 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: people don't know this about Kenneth. He does an awful 92 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: lot on this front. He is. He's a leader in 93 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: what we're all trying to do here because we are 94 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: really behind with mental health. We're so far behind, and 95 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: how we're attacking this now and again people still are 96 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: for final words to try and open up. But I 97 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: like to call this mental health and a mental wealth podcast, 98 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: And I want to talk about your journey to where 99 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: you got to because for any of us who are successful, 100 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: it's not rosy. It's not a rosy road to get tough. 101 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: There's no get rich quick scheme. We all kind of 102 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: struggle through it to get to where we are. So 103 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: give us, you know, our listeners, what your kind of 104 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: moment was and how you had to struggle through to 105 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: get to where you are. Yeah, I will, first of all, 106 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: I struggle with the term success, but I think that's 107 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: a kind of a very dangerous concept. But and it's 108 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: very relative, and it's how you see yourself today's or 109 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: to see you tomorrow, and it's a relationship off into 110 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: other people. I'm doing great, and then all of a 111 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: sudden I see people who maybe have a different lens 112 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: to which to look, and then maybe I have a 113 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: whole different sense of things. But okay, so that is said, 114 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: It's been an extraordinary journey for me. I'm in business 115 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: for forty years. Actually, what I'd like to say is importance. 116 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: It sounds younger and cooler, is that this is our 117 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: twentieth anniversary, of our twentieth anniversary. But it's an expend 118 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: extraordinary journey. And I set out to try to figure 119 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: out how to kind of create something that people didn't 120 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: have and that people could use, and that how to 121 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: add something of substance meaning to people, to people's lives 122 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: and at the same time making meaningful. Why we did 123 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: it only because of the way we did it. And 124 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: I had a lot of this bunch of associates early on, 125 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: and we were kind of a little scrappy, and we 126 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: were trying to figure out how to kind of carve 127 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: our place in a very competitive business and industry. And 128 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: I knew that first of all shoes, shoes, your first thing. 129 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: It was shoes, women shoes and the women shooes and 130 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: so and I realized that you can't do this shit 131 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: forty hours a week and at the end of the day, 132 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: you know you met. It's all about compromise, life compromises 133 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: because at the end day, you can't only work. You 134 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 1: need to have a personal life and you have to 135 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: find a balance. And at the end of the day, 136 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: it's so hard to find that balance. And that's been 137 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: one of my struggles because I tend to work hard 138 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: work and then and if I turn it off, sometimes 139 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: you know, I don't turn it back on as quickly maybe, 140 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: So what is that right balance? And it's so rare, 141 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: And I find people who struggle with that because maybe 142 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: everything's working for them professionally, but personally there it's just 143 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: not that you've ever had that issue. And then sometimes 144 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: it's working personally, but the professional part is an aligne. 145 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: So that's the struggle. That's the struggle that I struke 146 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: that I deal with and a lot of people I 147 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,919 Speaker 1: know probably deal with it. And so my business is 148 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: finding a balance so I try to address and I 149 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: believe it's not just what some people's bodies, but what's 150 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: on their mind. And I think that you almost have 151 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: to know what's on their mind in order to be 152 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: able to address with on their bodies and and how. 153 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, it couldn't be 154 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: just what they stand in. It needed to be what 155 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: they stood for, so and how do you balance that? 156 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: So and I think they become ultimately interdependent because absolutely 157 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: knowing you know where they are mentally or where they're inside, 158 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: it's hard to kind of assess what they are looking 159 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: for other than that. So it's been an extraordinary journey. 160 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: And I started in Choose, and I started the beginning 161 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: of the business section. Interesting story, we're going to save 162 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 1: that later on. And then in order to relate to people, 163 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: early on, I started working on an HIV initiative because 164 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: that was a struggle that was pervasive in our industry 165 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: and it wasn't affecting me as much as it was 166 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: so many other people around me. So and I started 167 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 1: doing some marketing, branding and talking about the stigma around 168 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: HIV because as bad as it was, the biggest problem 169 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: was and I believe today more people died of the 170 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: stigma of AIDS than from AIDS itself, because they couldn't 171 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: talk about it, and they were reluctant to deal with it, 172 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: and they would rather die from the disease rather than 173 00:07:54,360 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: openly accept treatment and be open to resources. And so 174 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: many people unfortunately we're not and it did it was 175 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: their life. So I did that for a long time. 176 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: I was chairman of VAN for fourteen years, and we 177 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: had a very profound difference in millions of people sellings, 178 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: I know that, and we changed the way research was done. 179 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: We changed the way people were able to talk about 180 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: HIV and treat HIV a little bit HIV and then 181 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: about I don't know. A few four years ago, I 182 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,679 Speaker 1: kind of stepped back from that for a whole milliad 183 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: of reasons. And then my kids kind of were fascinated 184 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: and obsessed with mental health mental wellness, and so I 185 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: somehow refocused a lot of my resources there and we 186 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: set up an initiative. My daughter amand actually was working 187 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: with us in our HR department, and we set up 188 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: a program with NAMI on mental health awareness within the 189 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: organization and actult it started. It was changing the culture 190 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: of the business and of the company, and I said 191 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: to them. They wanted me to somehow work on a 192 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: perception campaign, and I was walking to do it because 193 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: this is so big and I've to realize. You said 194 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: that many of us have mental struggles. I don't. And 195 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: you know the who says this one and four, I say, 196 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: it's it's more that it's four and four. Absolutely, if 197 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: it isn't you, it's somebody you love, somebody in family, 198 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: in the community, of the workplace. And if you didn't 199 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: have it before COVID, you definitely have right now. And 200 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: social media is terrible. It makes you think your life 201 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: sucks because you're comparing yourself to everybody else's filtered fraction 202 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: of a second, or you're seeing bulleting online. We all 203 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: we're all going through something or like it's affecting somebody 204 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: who Now I agree, it's four and four. Yeah, so 205 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: we're all struggling with it. So then I said, this 206 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: is such a big undertaking. And then the problem is 207 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: is the two thirds of those who struggle with it 208 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: do so in the promobial shadows because there isn't a 209 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: mechanism to talk about it that isn't stigmatized, and that 210 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: isn't diminishing. You know, this is a self fulfilling prophecy 211 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: unless you have a mechanism to talk about it. So 212 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: the goal was, can we rebrand, come with a new narrative, 213 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: empower people with the tools to talk about their well being? 214 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: Massive undertaking problem, absurdly ambitious, and there's the mental health Coalition, right. 215 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: So then we formed a mentalth coation and with a 216 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: few friends and the namies. Well, we're going to dive 217 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: into it now. But I'm also you deflected my other 218 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: question about the early days years because I'm gonna go 219 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: back to it. I'm not gonna like job book alight, 220 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: but let's get into right now. The mental health Coalition absolutely, 221 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: because I think it's to manage, all right. So we 222 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: bring together all the mental health service providers in the 223 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: country and we said to every one of them, would 224 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: you support us in this effort to address stigma and 225 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: shine a light on your great work? Create a share 226 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: platform and everyone who say, we're in. So now all 227 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: of a sudden, we've got the largest coalition of a 228 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: service and mental health service pvices in the country, maybe 229 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: arguably everywhere, and now we're collect connecting me to resources 230 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 1: and working with the tech companies, and we're making a 231 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: profound difference in people's lives and giving people, creating resource, 232 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: attaching people to resources. Because tech, as much as we know, 233 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: these tech companies have created issues in many ways, they've 234 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: been the most reliable and available resource for so many people, 235 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,319 Speaker 1: especially during quarantine. And you are able to find community, 236 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: You're able to connect with people you couldn't up otherwise. 237 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 1: So you know, and these people with the best of intentions, 238 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: you know they're struggling and they know that part of 239 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,319 Speaker 1: the problem, and they also wanted a part of the solution. 240 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: So and is it for everybody to help everybody? How 241 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: do people get help by the Mental Health Coalition? You 242 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: can log on and we can connect your resources, and 243 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: you go to our website, you go tour Instagram page, 244 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: you can go to um and you can see some 245 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 1: of the tools that are available to people. So this 246 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: is going to grow exponentially as we've been you know, 247 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: we can talk a little bit about that as we 248 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: go forward. And it's been a been an interesting journey. 249 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: So and so. But business is what empowers, enables and 250 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,319 Speaker 1: supports everything I do. I love the fashion business and 251 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: same with MEDE with football absolutely open up the doors 252 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: and allows me to talk about this brought our audence absolutely, 253 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: and I do think that fashion business has given me 254 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: a platform too, and as a two point, football has 255 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: given you that and also fashion. It's the perception business. 256 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like I've been the perception is 257 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: that I'm addressing you know, kind of what's on your mind. 258 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: I'm hopefully empowering it, maybe guiding it or inspiring it. 259 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: And that is what I've come to realize is a 260 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: powerful tool that's so much bigger than fashion. And so 261 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: the reason I've been able to bring all these people 262 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,319 Speaker 1: together because I'm not a threat to any of them. 263 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: I'm not in the public health business. I'm not a psychiatrist, 264 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: I'm not a doctor, but i have the ability and 265 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: I'm more freeing people platform where I can promote and 266 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: elevate and shadow light on all the great work. So 267 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: then and then create by nature of aggregating all this 268 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: great content and individuals, and we create something so much 269 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,599 Speaker 1: bigger than it is independently. So it's been very rewarding. 270 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: And I'm still not telling you about my shoe business, 271 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: my fashions. I want to get there because i want 272 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,839 Speaker 1: to tire a little more here, but I can see 273 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: your passion for it also. First of all, this is 274 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: you being of service. And when you read Unbreakable Rights, 275 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: one of my pillars of being of service helps us 276 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: through the gray. But you find different ways to be 277 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: of service, you know, through the years, this one you 278 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 1: seem to have a great passion for as well. Why 279 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: did that come from your own issues or did you 280 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: just come from saying, man, I'm saying how much the 281 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: world is starting to struggle and I know I can 282 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: make a difference here or both, you know. It's when 283 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: we started doing this. First we launched, actually Katie, my 284 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: other daughter, launched with us together a platform how are You, 285 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: which asked and must ask the question everywhere in the world, 286 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: every day of the week and every language, and the 287 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 1: one most rarely have answered, which is how are you really? 288 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: And challenging and inviting people to engage with that. And 289 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: that was the one I did with actually with the 290 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: Kendall Jenner on Michael's Show when we launched the initiative 291 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: the challenge, and two hundred million people engaged with it 292 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: the first weekend Wow. And then we did another campaign 293 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: with Meta a year or so later inviting people to 294 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 1: do these lives one to one and we had everybody 295 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: called it every day in May and I did worked 296 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: with Oprah and her production team, and we had hundreds 297 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: of millions of people engaged. And we hopefully and many athletes, 298 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: by the way, because guys struggle with there's so much 299 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: more than women do. It's so much harder for us 300 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: to be vulnerable, which is so critical and at the 301 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: same time empathetic. So this process kind of inspires, encourages 302 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: and promotes and rewards that that which was the and 303 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: Michael kicked that off. I then spoke with Michael on it. 304 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: I don't remember what I spoke, but Michael was that 305 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: was part of it. So we used the platform to 306 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: be really we can to give voice to the subject. 307 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: So as I was saying, guys struggle and where did 308 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: your passion come from? Is it your own struggle or 309 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: is it just seeing nobody around you? Oh, So, as 310 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: we're doing this, so then someone said, so, what is 311 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: your mental health story? And I said, I, you know, 312 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: I don't know. I have to and I all of 313 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: a sudden I saw thinking about it and I realized that, 314 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, I've been in a perpetual fog for several 315 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: years now, I mean certainly before COVID and since COVID, 316 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: And then I realized there's all these struggles independently that 317 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: you know and that I have, and I manifest and 318 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: I contextualized and I deal with them, and I've just 319 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: learned how to deal with them. We'll do that, you know, 320 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: in our own way. And sometimes I you know, I 321 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: just work harder, and I dive too much into this 322 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: and I'm not mentally present enough for other places where 323 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: I wish I could be it should be. And but 324 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: the more present and where I am of myself, more 325 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: more of everybody around me, and I'm a better employer 326 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: or friend parent, which is what I so desperately always 327 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: want to be. And we never quite get there, and 328 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: we never quite find that ultimate balance, but we're always 329 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: working on it. Yeah, because look at the secret to 330 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: go back to that work success. But I guess business 331 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: success is out working the world, not by a little, 332 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: by a lot. And there's a lot of things that 333 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: end up getting sacrificed. And you see me, right, we've 334 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: been out and I'm just on the phone looking down 335 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: and not present with anybody, and kind of what it 336 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: takes to be an insider or to outwork the world, 337 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: and and I think same for you also. It's what 338 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: it takes is just out working the world by you know, 339 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: not by two hours, but by a top and that sacrifice. Yeah, 340 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: so we have to commit ourselves wholeheartedly. And so how 341 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: do you do that? And what I've done that with 342 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: my business anyway, is I've made purpose part of a 343 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: business model. So and I do think they need. You know, 344 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: people used to say to me, well, you know, you're 345 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: running a public company, and is that appropriate to be 346 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: allocating you know, public company resources to social good And 347 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: my answer was always that, not only are those efforts 348 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: not independent, I believe they're interdependent, and they are. They 349 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: are mutually relying upon each other and then the proverbial 350 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: hand that feeds each other. And that what I've always done. 351 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: And I was that way before I went public, and 352 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: I've been that way ever since I went public. And 353 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: I think every company gets there. Every company in American 354 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: gets there, if not if their balance sheet, if their 355 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: hearts don't get into the balance sheet does and hopefully 356 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: it's the former, but we all get there because it's 357 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: the right place to be. And I don't think it's destination. 358 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: I think it's the journey, and it makes the destination 359 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: that much more rewarding if we do it right. Yeah, 360 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: I love that. I was like appreciate the toil of 361 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: the climb. I never knew I'd beat Jag Glaser in 362 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: the NFL and box so early on when I was 363 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: making ninety four hundred bucks a year for those eleven years, 364 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: those first eleven years I was doing and making ninety 365 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: four hundred bucks a year with Michael drive me back 366 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: to New York City every day from Giant Stadium because 367 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: couldn't afford bust and subway fair. You know, that's it's 368 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: different here between the years. During that time it was. 369 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: It's interesting also during that time I try and figure 370 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: out whether I'm happier now now that I've quote unquote 371 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: made it, or whether it's happier then when I didn't 372 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: have anything to lose. That's a good question. After forty years, 373 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: I'm very quick to tell people that I feel in 374 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 1: that period of time, we've built an extraordinary foundation from 375 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: which we can now build a business and anything better business. 376 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: And if I'm going to spend a lot of time 377 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 1: reflecting working in the mirror. It's like driving a car. 378 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get thrown off by that first bump in 379 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: the road. But if you just gotta stay focused on 380 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: I was great advice. So and I don't know, I'm 381 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: not sure you ever get there and again maybe to 382 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: that point. You know, I believe that all my years 383 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: of doing this shit, that I have earned a right 384 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: to be considered. But every day I have to earn 385 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: the right to be chosen. So and that is no 386 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: easy task, but that's what makes the fashion is so 387 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: energizing and rewarding, and you can never take it for granted. 388 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: And if you do, I'm likely to be a broadcast 389 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 1: for the NFL. I'll be looking for to be your assistant. 390 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: I don't pay enough. I told you my deal, and 391 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: I'm going back to your thing. Right of my ninety 392 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,919 Speaker 1: four hundred bucks a year and just getting rejected for 393 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: eleven years gave me the early days of trying to 394 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: make chemical a brand of the grind of your grind. 395 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: So I've always been very resourceful and I've always believed that. 396 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: You know, people said to me, you know, I left 397 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: what I was doing. I was working my father and 398 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: in a small manufactory in Brooklyn, and people say, well, 399 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: what would you have done if it didn't work? And 400 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: I said to them that was never an option. I 401 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: just never contemplated that. I just knew it would work. 402 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: But what I don't tell people is I didn't know 403 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: what it was. And I knew I would figure out 404 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: every day and that one day you may change from 405 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: the day within the next. And I was pivoting before. 406 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: That was a popular thing to do, especially in the 407 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: fashion business. So you just don't know what tomorrow is 408 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: the store. And again, as I said before, what's fashionable 409 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: to me isn't to you. And with special days and tomorrow, 410 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: So how do I continue to be relevant? How I 411 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: continue to be have a reason to exist? And so 412 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: at the very beginning, I had very little money, and 413 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: I needed to get a business quickly because I knew 414 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,479 Speaker 1: I needed to get a return on that. And I 415 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: also knew then not much given than today, that sixty 416 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: seventy percent of new startup companies don't make it the 417 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: first year because they underestimate the amount of money they 418 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: need and or the time it takes to have a 419 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 1: return on what they have. So I know I needed 420 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 1: to move quickly. I named the company Kenneth Cole, because 421 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,680 Speaker 1: you can usually get your own name registered in those days, 422 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: and there wasn't these search engines, so I could find 423 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: out the universe of labels could be available, and that 424 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: could take a year or two, and then first you 425 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: find out it still doesn't work. So I used my 426 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 1: own name grand Da Italy. Knew I had better chance 427 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: of getting credited from a shoe factor that needed business 428 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: than from a bank American bank that didn't. And I 429 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: designed the cool line of Lady Shoes, came back, had 430 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: to sell it. And I had two choices in those days. 431 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: Take a booth at one of those big fancy shoe 432 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: shows and be one of literally thousands. Or I could 433 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: take a room at the Hilton Hotel. Yeah, I love this, 434 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: this is what I love. There was maybe three choices. 435 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: One of thousands, take a room at the Hilton Hotel 436 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: where there are eleven hundred of the companies thirty four's 437 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: thirty summat companies per four and still no identity, still 438 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: at not an insignificant court. Or I could have if 439 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: I was really fortunate to take a big fancy showroom 440 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 1: in a fancy building within a two buck radius of 441 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: the Hilton hotel, and I either didn't have the money 442 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: or the means to do that. So I had a 443 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: little bit of time, and on a whim, I was thinking, 444 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: how about if I reached out to a friend in 445 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: the trucking business, and I said, if I could figure 446 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: out a park one of your forty four trailers across 447 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: the street from this Hilton hotel in front of one 448 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 1: of those fancy buildings with all my fans competitors, would 449 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: you let me the truck? You said, sure, jerk, you 450 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: can't park a bicycle in New York for ten minutes. 451 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 1: I wanted truck for four days. And I said, if 452 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 1: I could figure it out, will you lend it to me? 453 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 1: He said, figure it out, I'll help you. Decorated. So 454 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: I called the mayor's officers mayor conture at the time. 455 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: I said, excuse me, mister mayor, how does one get 456 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: permission to park forty for truck on the corner sixtepe 457 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: tent to sixtet. The answer to Sorry's son, they don't. 458 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: This is New York. We get permission only two circumstances. 459 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: If you are a utility company servicing our streets, a 460 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: teen d kind of or if you are a production 461 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: company shooting a phone promotion picture because we're going through 462 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: an I Love New York campaign in the early eighties. 463 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 1: I think we have been ever since. So thank you, 464 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: mister Mayor. Hung up the phone, went to the station 465 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: and restore change my letterhead and Kenneth go in to 466 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: Kinneth Go Productions, Inc. Wow. It courst me fourteen dollars. 467 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: Filed for a permit the next morning for permission to 468 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: shoot a full ink motion picture called The Birth for 469 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: Shoe Company. We opened for business on December second. I 470 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: had two New York Police minutes, my dorman, compliments of 471 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: our fine mayor, and I had Clee lights on extension, 472 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: and I had a director. Sometimes there was a film 473 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:07,479 Speaker 1: in his camera, sometimes it wasn't. And we opened for business. 474 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: We saw every buyer in New York. They all waited online, 475 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,959 Speaker 1: and the more important they were, the longer I made 476 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: them wait. And we saw forty thousand pair of shoes 477 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: in two and a half days. WHOA And the company 478 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,959 Speaker 1: to this day is still Kenneth Co. Productions. Oh my god. 479 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: We traded on the New York Stock Exchange for ten 480 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: years and the symbolist KCP, and we keep the name 481 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: because eight today everything is a production at some level. 482 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: But I also believe that the best solution, and it 483 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,479 Speaker 1: is a constant reminder, is rarely the most expensive. It's 484 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: almost always the most creative. That is amazing. See this, Well, 485 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: why were you deflecting? This story is incredible? It's absolutely incredible. 486 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: And so when you open the doors first, Well, so 487 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: the truck on the outside to have Kenneth Coal Productions, Like, 488 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: what drew people over to that truck? What did you 489 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: do to stand out to be different? Well, it's it's 490 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: Kenneth O Productions. And then quickly there were crowds and 491 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: cradstore crowds, and then people would tell each other. And 492 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: then where I'm sit out there and people come and 493 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,239 Speaker 1: go to breakfast, going to dinner, and or narily these 494 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: trade shows, you know, you're locked in your little room. 495 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: But I was out there, you know, seeing everybody. So 496 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 1: I was able to lower them in and we saw everybody. 497 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, there was a 498 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: phone booth on the corner and a lot of quarters, 499 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: and I was calling the factory in Italy, and I 500 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: was changing production as every day, you know, at a 501 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 1: little more red, less blue, higher heel less lower heel. 502 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: And to this day it's it's still to this day 503 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: it's we are a little scrappy and agile and hopefully relevant, 504 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: and that's what the businesses, and that's what's required to exist. 505 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: As you start selling, choose more and more and more. 506 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: There were you were you kind of like, oh my god, 507 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: this is really happening. You know what I wasn't because 508 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: I was delusional and I just knew it would happen, 509 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: and I didn't realize at the risk reward, you know, 510 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: how much was this potentially at stake? And I figured 511 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 1: if it was wrong, I would correct course correct as 512 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 1: I was doing it. And if I wasn't doing it right, 513 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: had the mayor not supported this decision, I would have 514 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,640 Speaker 1: found another way to get my product out there. But 515 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: I've just been a you know, just maybe a little 516 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: deligital land regard, but I have been relentless and with 517 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: a questions how to make an impact? Love that I 518 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: love that term relentless, and how to distinguish yourself? Yeah, 519 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: be different? Right? And you know I people are so 520 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: afraid to be different. I try to tell young guys 521 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: coming in the sports industry, right, Oh, Tom, hey, don't 522 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: be facing the crowd, be the damn crowd, be your 523 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: wrong crowd, and hearing it from you is going to 524 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: help a lot of other people also, and you know, 525 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: just on their journey. And I think it's basically it's 526 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: a lot of what you talked about too. I mean, 527 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: you know, be yourself, because no one could do that 528 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: better than you can. And that's different in of itself. 529 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: So you know, and and everything's okay, and we all 530 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: everybody struggles, and you know, I had this message. I've 531 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,120 Speaker 1: always thought from the very beginning working force of social media, 532 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: I tried to in short sound bites, try to connect 533 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: with people, you know, in meaningful ways to degree that 534 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: I could. But I think we had that campaign ones 535 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 1: that and it was a proud member of the dysfunctional family. 536 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: And because I came throughize everybody thinks their families sucked up, 537 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: everybody thinks their family is dysfunctional. And we sold out 538 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,640 Speaker 1: every time we sold out, and everybody was a proud 539 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: member of the dysfunctional family. And then at the Coalition, interestingly, 540 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what I'm telling you this. At the Code, 541 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: we spoke to people who who openly struggled and had 542 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 1: mental illness, is something that part of how they defined 543 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: themselves and their individual struggles, and that message wasn't so 544 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,719 Speaker 1: well embraced. And I came to realize that, you know, 545 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: if you feel you're the source of the dysfunction, you're 546 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 1: not as proud of it, you know, which is unfortunate. 547 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: But the fact that other people are open to it, 548 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: acknowledge that it exists, I think it is a big deal. 549 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: I bond with that. I connect with it. Hey. One 550 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:07,679 Speaker 1: of my saying is I'm fucked up, but I'm going 551 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: with my fucked up this right, it's it's hey, Hey, 552 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: my parents took me to a therapist, my first therapist 553 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: when I was four or five, Like I was a 554 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: fucked up one. Like like, you know, I we're like, hello, 555 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 1: look at the mirror. Are a little bit so I Yeah, 556 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: I think I think we're all part of some dysfunction 557 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: in our families. But for me, when you say that, 558 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, in my mind, I'm like, I'm part of 559 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:30,679 Speaker 1: our crew. I don't have any shame, and I'm like 560 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: I connected with what you just said. I loved it. Yeah, 561 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: So you know, and so that is essentially, um, you know, 562 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: our goal and our objective is to be really be, 563 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,120 Speaker 1: not to be delusional, and to understand and to understand 564 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: where you are and where you want to be and 565 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,959 Speaker 1: then figure out and everything else is about the journey 566 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: and how do we get there. How long after that 567 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: you had the truck out there in Manhattan? How long 568 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: after that until you open your first door on fifteen 569 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: sixty and sixth Avenues where the truck was the And 570 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: I opened the store about a year and a half later, 571 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: but I opened a show room my first season of business. 572 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 1: I sold shoes to Bloomingdale's, to sacks for the Avenue, 573 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: to Macy's, to everybody that we would have wanted to 574 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: sell we picked, and then a year later I had 575 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: my own shop at Bloomingdales. I was very lucky early on, 576 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: but I was working. I was all the time, and 577 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: it was who I was, It was what I did, 578 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: and it is how I found pleasure. And I wasn't 579 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: married at the time, so I didn't have to make 580 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: as many sacrifices personally, but you know, but that is 581 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: the you know, we all have to balance that all 582 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: the time. We figure out how to make it all 583 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 1: work and so personal and professional. And then later on 584 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: Mattie marrying, you know, kind of community and philanthropy, and 585 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: that became the third leg on the stool. And how 586 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: he balanced that. I made that also part of the 587 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: business and it's what we do and it's how we 588 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: allocate our resources. And it made everybody in the company work. 589 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 1: I think it feels so much better about working as 590 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: hard as they were working because there's the way. So 591 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: show cuts. Is there one shoe or clothing or article 592 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 1: or anything that you've come out with and you're more 593 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: proud of than others or I have like a special meaning. Well, 594 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: I don't know if there's any one specific shoe or 595 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 1: a lot, but shoes were my thing for a long time. 596 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: And I've lived in the shoe business and arguably the 597 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 1: most typicult business that exists is that part of it 598 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: is because you know, no shoe fits everybody. I mean, 599 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: a great fitting shoe only fits a great fitting shoe 600 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 1: that socia only fits maybe half the people who were SIZEA, 601 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: and it doesn't been any of the people who are 602 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: seven and a half or nine or ten or so. 603 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: And you've got to inmentary all these sizes, and you've 604 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: got to make everything and it's got to be ready 605 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: that you know, the minute people want it, and it's 606 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: got to be available at the price they want. It's 607 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,239 Speaker 1: got to fit the way they need it, and then 608 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: it's got to fit not just today but tomorrow. And 609 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: it's there's a lot of variables at play. And we're 610 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: in a lot of businesses today. We're in twenty six 611 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: different licensing businesses today and none of them are as 612 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: complicated as to the state of the shoe business. But 613 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: I love it in that reguard and and just think 614 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: every day, how many people want to be in your shoes. 615 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: Jee I like that. I like to say, we all 616 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: walked this walk together. There you go, right before I 617 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: let you go, I asked this to all my guests. 618 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: Give me your unbreakable moment, like the moment of your 619 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: life that should have broken you kind of broken you. 620 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: And because it didn't, you came through the other side 621 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 1: of that tunnel and made you a lot stronger. So 622 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: I woke up one morning and I realized that the 623 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: stores were all the whole retail business in the United 624 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: States was struggling, and then there was only a few 625 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: retailers left. That Macy's was about to be acquired by 626 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 1: Federated department stores, and and they were they were both 627 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: in debt up to their eyes and some and they 628 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: already had no service on the floor. And it became 629 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: clear to me that in order for them to justify 630 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: and afford this, they had to change their business model, 631 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: which meant they were going to have to get rid 632 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: of the middleman and they gonna have to source product independently. 633 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: And I realized, wait a second, I'm that middleman. So 634 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: I went back to sleep, took some asksm went back 635 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: to sleep, woke up, and I said, wait a second, 636 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: I don't have to be that middleman. If I opened 637 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: stores and I could become the destination, then I'm not 638 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 1: the middleman anymore. They are. So I changed the business 639 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: model and went public in order to fund opening stores. 640 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: Became a retailer, and and I've built got to focused 641 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: on building the brand and not just creating cool shoes 642 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: for cool people. I said it on breakall, Yeah, but 643 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: it isn't yeah, because it's absolutely because your business could 644 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: have gone shout fast or yeah, and that's all the 645 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: time in our business. That's that's I think how we've 646 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: survived so long as that we've realistically looked in the 647 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: mirror and just acknowledged our vulnerability and h and addressed 648 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: it and personally as well too. And I and how 649 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: do I spend so much time working on some of 650 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: the social impact stuff too? And business sometimes struggles as 651 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 1: result of it, and then I'll work, then I'll go 652 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: back to work in the business, and then the impact 653 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: work struggles a little bit, so then my golf game sucks, 654 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: because that's at least your problems. Man. We're good well, brother, Man, 655 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: I appreciate that this has been fantastic. I always love 656 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: connected with you. I always love to spending time with you. 657 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: Love to spend more time with you. You're a role 658 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: model for many of us, Jay, so keep up what 659 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: you do and keep that great spirit and energy and 660 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: inspiring us because I love you, love that I could 661 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: do this to help you, and that's what we do. 662 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: We're all Hey, you and I were walking this walk together. 663 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: You could take that for me if you want. Brother again, 664 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you joining me today. It's just been 665 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: fantastic and we'll connect offline and hopefully look up this 666 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 1: week before you will head back. Appreciate it. I love 667 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: your brother,