1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: I've always looked at any sector that I've been interested 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: in as how do I get in there and find 3 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: my place in this space? Right? I think, especially for 4 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: a lot of us that come from our communities, you 5 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: don't see yourself in certain situations, so you think it's 6 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: not for you, right or you think, oh, man, I 7 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: don't have a background that matches what I've seen traditionally, 8 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: So let me go look somewhere else. And where I've 9 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: kind of always approached it like, well, if I don't 10 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: see me in a certain area, that's an opportunity. Let 11 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: me go in there and make a space for me, 12 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: and I can bring other people with me. Now I 13 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: can build to motor around what I do because nobody 14 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: here can can can match my skill set. I'm Will 15 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: Lucas and this is black Tech, green money. I want 16 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: to answer this to some of the biggest names, some 17 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're black 18 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: and building for simply using tech to secure your back. 19 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: This podcast is Feeling Andrew Lawkins, a k A Hawk. 20 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: It's a former NFL wide receiver, having played six season 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: in the league with teams like the Bengals, the Browns, 22 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: and the Patriots Today's the media personality and co founder 23 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: of Status Pro, an athlete lead technology company which makes 24 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: software for training and consumer entertainment. Status Pro has raised 25 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: more than five million dollars in boast and enviable list 26 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: of investors like Lebron James, theome Os, mav Card Drake 27 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: and others. Horse Company is set to release NFL pro Era, 28 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 1: a VR game from metal Quest and PlayStation, the first 29 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: officially licensed NFL VR title. I talked with so many 30 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: games becoming more lifelike. How important is real player data 31 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: to the experience of gameplay? I think if we're going 32 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: to drill in on what you know, authenticity looks like 33 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: in a gaming environment, it is important, you know, for 34 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: people to really experience the speed of certain things. Now, 35 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: obviously we want to slow it down. People have fun. 36 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: That's that's the chief goal of anything we do from 37 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: a gaming product standpoint. But the ability to ramp up 38 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: and really see how fast decisions need to be made. 39 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: When you're talking about it immersing world like virtual reality, 40 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: we think it's super important. Right, So we're gonna give 41 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: you all the bells and whistles of the feeling you 42 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: get in the tunnel when you're running out onto the 43 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: field and all the hoopla and the kind of man, 44 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: what if moments that people think about when they think 45 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: of playing professional sports. But we're also going to give 46 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: you the actual data on the other side of it too, 47 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: And I think it just helps rope in the entire 48 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: loop of authenticity that we kind of preach it status pro. 49 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: Does that mean more than just the numbers, but also 50 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: if if a QB is slower, then the player in 51 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: the game will actually be slower too. Yes, what's something 52 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: we'll build upon. I think, um, you know, I mean, 53 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: I think VR in itself is it's a it's a 54 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: it's an emerging tech, and so we understand that our 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: game maybe the first time a lot of people even 56 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: experienced VR, right, and so we're trying to make sure 57 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 1: the product mature is alongside the consumer. But to your point, yeah, 58 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: that I mean, there's really an endless amount of of 59 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: of data that we can put into our AI, which 60 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: we've done so in a very pointed way, from you know, 61 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: what plays a specific team would run, what kind of 62 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: defense is there's a coach like the call right, And 63 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: we've had the luxury of building that AI and machine 64 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: learning in from the very beginning, and so it's gonna 65 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: mature with the more data sets that are available, you know, 66 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: and we use a number of those things, including players 67 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: speeds and data. And to your point that you know, 68 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: when you embody UH a player, eventually you will match 69 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: the attributes that they are as a player. And this 70 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: first version we've kind of really drove down on you 71 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: as a quarterback, so you will be the quarterback of 72 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: your favorite team as opposed to taking on the attributes 73 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: of other players. But that's absolutely in the pipeline. So 74 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: every couch quarterback believes they could have made that pass 75 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: at the quarterback blue, you know, on Sunday Football or 76 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: whatever Monday night football. Like, part of your effort, I 77 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: believe is to help better understand what it takes to 78 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: compete at the highest levels, you know, as you know, 79 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: playing a first person UH game from a first person perspective, 80 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: does this help solve that? Like, so all those people 81 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: who believe, man, I could have made that, you know, 82 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: does this help solve that problem for real athletes? I 83 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: would say yes or no. I would say yes or no. 84 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: I think we we used it on the on the 85 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: training side, right, so we can see me like that 86 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: decision making for an NFL quarterback and things will move 87 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: almost one the one at the speed that you would 88 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: see in an actual game. But if people had the 89 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: ability to process information and make those decisions that way, 90 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: they wouldn't need a v our game to fill what 91 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: it's like to be NFL quarterback because you would be 92 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: that right, And even by NFL quarterback standards, there are 93 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: quarterbacks that are starting quarterbacks that can't make decisions and 94 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 1: process as fast as Tom Brady, right, So it's it's 95 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: definitely a sliding scale. And so you know, we can 96 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: simulate that four elite level athletes to be able to 97 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: get as close to a one to one experience um 98 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: as we can get. But I think for the gaming 99 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: side of things, man, I mean, we want to have 100 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: it fun, Like I said, that is our chief goal 101 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: with that, And yeah, it'll be intense. You'll definitely get 102 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: the feel of all the different factors that go win 103 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: on every single play, and you will probably have a 104 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: higher respect for quarterbacks. But if you're not having fun, 105 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: you're not gonna come back. So we we definitely slow 106 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: it down a little bit so that we can keep 107 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: you coming back for more because so I've heard you 108 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: say this a couple of times. You know that you 109 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: that you really want to help people get an understanding 110 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: for how fast the game moves for people who won't 111 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: will never have that experience of being on an NFL 112 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, Gridiron talk about if you can make it 113 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: relatable to us, you know, how fast the game actually 114 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: moves versus what we see sitting in the seats. Yeah, 115 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: And like I said, man, I'm gonna keep drilling down 116 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: on this, the speed of the game is ridiculous, man, 117 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: Like I mean, it's I would say, in snap second. 118 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: You have to make decisions, and it's honestly even faster 119 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: than that. So that's why you practice so much. You 120 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: practice so much in a professional sports environments that your 121 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: instincts kick in and that way you can react even 122 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 1: faster than it takes for you to cognitively think of 123 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: what to do next. But in the gaming for everybody, 124 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: I think the thing that you'll get most out of 125 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: the experience that we're creating with NFL Pro Era is 126 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 1: that you just really can see all the factors and 127 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: it is very gratifying to make a play. It's gratifying 128 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: to you know, complete a pass or throw a touchdown 129 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: or get a first down when you consider all the 130 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: different factors that are into a game, and so it 131 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: won't be the speeds of an NFL game and you 132 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: have the ability to ramp it up or ramp it down, 133 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: but again, all the different factors that go into each 134 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: and every game, and the experience of the screaming fans. 135 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: You get the high points, you get the huge d 136 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: n coming right at you, and that's scary ended of itself, 137 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: so you have to think about what do I do 138 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: now in the face of the most fearful looking human 139 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: coming at me at car like speeds, right, And so 140 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: that's the really cool part is that that hasn't been 141 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:47,239 Speaker 1: democratized before and us being able to us being former 142 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: athletes and being able to put other people in those 143 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: shoes is a really cool thing because you get to 144 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: show people the experience that you have had your whole 145 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: life and may even be a second nature to you 146 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: just just talking about this leap you've because there's not 147 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: a lot of athletes who make the leap from professional 148 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: sports into high tech and so if you can give 149 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: the bridge for us, like how you got here versus 150 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: where you were and we're gonna talk about your your 151 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: sports career, but I want to talk about how you 152 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: made that leap. Well, I mean that's a great question, 153 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: and I think they all kind of tieing together. And 154 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: I would say, how I got to to tech, you know, 155 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: high tech where I'm at from from my career was 156 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: that I feel like in tech tech is you know, 157 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: I talked about this democratizing and experience, and I think 158 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: I've always looked at any sector that I've been interested 159 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: in as how do I get in there and find 160 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: my place in this space? Right? I think, especially for 161 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: a lot of us that come from our communities, you 162 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: don't see yourself in certain situations, so you think it's 163 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: not for you, right or you think, oh, man, I 164 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: don't have a background that matches what I've seen traditionally, 165 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: So let me go look somewhere else. And where I've 166 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: kind of always approached it like, well, if I don't 167 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: see me in a certain area, that's an opportunity. Let 168 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: me go in there and make a space for me, 169 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: and I could bring other people with me. Number one 170 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: and number two. Now I can build a motor around 171 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: what I do because nobody here can can can match 172 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: my skill set, and so you know, when I was playing, 173 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: it was that same thing. It was like I saw 174 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: an opportunity that you know, I felt like me being 175 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: an athlete and wanting to work in sports business. Even 176 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: prior to me playing professional football, there was no value 177 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: add from the fact that I was an athlete. There 178 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: was nothing to say like, well, what about your experience 179 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: makes it special here? And so I was like, I'm 180 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: gonna have to create that. I'm gon have to create 181 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: a way to value the expertise of somebody who was 182 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 1: seeing this from the ground level, um, and build a 183 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: company that way, you know. And and so that's what 184 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: originally got me there, And as you would imagine, it 185 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: was a long road of slowly putting the pieces together 186 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: to get to where we are today. And I'm glad 187 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: you said that, because you know, we've heard these horror 188 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: stories of athletes who you know, make a bunch of 189 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: money and then they got boys who want to start 190 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: businesses and investing a whole bunch of real estate that 191 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: don't get scoped out and do no due diligence and 192 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: you know, rim shops and the whole thing. Um, So 193 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: can you talk about how in you from your perspective 194 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: how athletes are getting smarter, or maybe it's the people 195 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: around them, so that they're making better decisions with their 196 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: their capital and to deploy that for actual wealth generation 197 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: when they're off the field. I think the norm has changed, 198 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: and I think you know that that was always even 199 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: my goal with what I was doing. I wanted to, 200 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: you know, hopefully show other people that may be in 201 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: a similar situation of mind to be like, well, if 202 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: he can do that with his resources, or he can 203 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: do that with his stature of like profile of athletes, 204 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: imagine what I could do with mine, right, And I 205 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: think you see in the shift where before it was 206 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: we want our athletes just to be athletes. We want 207 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: them to focus on football, focus on basketball, focus on baseball, 208 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: track boxing, whatever it is, and that's what we That 209 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: is the norm, and anybody who does anything outside of 210 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: that was looked at sideways. Where I think now in 211 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: this age of more than an athlete and a lot 212 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: of the work that has been done and shown by 213 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: athletes from them being activists, then being investors, then going 214 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: back to school and all these things. Now you look 215 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: at an athlete that only does their sport and you 216 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: kind of look at them sideways, like, yo, what are 217 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: you waiting on? You better get going. This window is closing. 218 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: And I think you know that kind of maturation of 219 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: what the norm is for an athlete has shifted a 220 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: lot of things. Uh, for the industry. What's making the 221 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: norm change? Is it just representation to people like you? 222 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: I think everything develops. I think everything people get smarter 223 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: in any scenario. So if you look at me right like, 224 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 1: I think people sometimes think, oh man, this is a 225 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: really smart guy because he was able to do certain things. 226 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: And I am smart. I do believe that. But at 227 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: the same time, I come from a family of athletes. 228 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: I'm a third generation athlete, right. My My grandfather was 229 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: a was a boxer. My dad played Division one football 230 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: and sign D one. My older brother played ten years 231 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: in the National Football and I got cousins. And so 232 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: I've seen those horror stories you talked about. I've seen 233 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: them up close and personal. And I always approached sport 234 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: like a business, right, And I've seen where sport could 235 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: use somebody up and there's nothing to show for it, 236 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: you know. And so for me, when I went through 237 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: my experience, it was like, well, I'm gonna do it. 238 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: This way, and because I've seen somebody else make mistakes, 239 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: I can kind of take those answers to the test 240 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: and read crafted for myself and I think for everybody 241 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: else it's much of the same. And now when you 242 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: look at your peers, um, you can see the benefit 243 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: of it. Like my goal after five years of playing, 244 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: I'm coming up on five years of after retirement, I 245 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: wanted to I wanted people to know me and not 246 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 1: know that I played professional football. That was a goal 247 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: that I had when I retired, you know. And it's 248 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: really cool now for people to say that and see like, 249 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: oh man, I didn't know he played in the NFL. 250 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: That's crazy, right. That's because I'm hitting that goal. And 251 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: I think for other players, they see that and they 252 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: build upon it, right, And it's like what I want 253 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: to be known for, something more than what people are 254 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: defining or is my skill set or what people may 255 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: have known before the start. The institutions around athletes when 256 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: they come in the league young, um, and we've heard, 257 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: you know, horror stories around like you know, player associations, 258 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: and they weren't always set up to help people thrive 259 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: outside of the field, outside of the court. Are they 260 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: are player associations in your experience across all major sports, 261 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: are they what's happening for them to do better to 262 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: protect and help educate those young athletes who come in 263 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: with little financial experience often and little, you know, familiar 264 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,839 Speaker 1: resources to protect them. Man, that's a great question. I think. 265 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: I think more can always be done, right, I think, 266 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: you know, like I said, as an athletes get smarter 267 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: as the game changes, and right now it's the wild, 268 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: wild West, man. I mean, you've got college athletes making 269 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: tens of millions of dollars in I l right, and 270 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: signing for deals that you know, quite frankly, I barely 271 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: made as a professional athlete, you know, And so it's 272 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: happened earlier and earlier in the process. And so players 273 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: associations or um anything set up to aid in an 274 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: athletes development, they they have a lot of work to 275 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: do to kind of catch up. And in that process, 276 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: you know, I think for for young athletes, I always 277 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 1: tell them they men, take your time. It took a 278 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: very long time for you to make your money. I know, 279 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: it seems like a nineteen or twenty two or whatever 280 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: it is, the money came fast, but this is a 281 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: lifelong process. You started playing basketball or football when you 282 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: were eight years old. That's that's a that's a decade, 283 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: you know, And so it would be silly to not 284 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: try to put that same kind of work in how 285 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: you should deploy that capital, how you should protect that capital, um, 286 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: how you should spend that capital, or where you should 287 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: develop your skills outside of it, to make sure you're 288 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: making the most out of that capital or that opportunity. 289 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:42,439 Speaker 1: And unfortunately, in sports, athletes are opportunities because they have 290 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: the least amount of experience, um, but they have the 291 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: most amount of money. And if you've ever tried to 292 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: convince anybody to give you money, it's a hard process. 293 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: And the easiest people to convince to give you money 294 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: are people that don't know much as much about the 295 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: value or haven't had the experience um of understanding how 296 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: hard it really was for them to get that. And 297 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: so to your point, there should be more up protection 298 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: coming from people that are in this space, especially for 299 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: a lot of the kids, like I said, that come 300 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: from our communities, are black and brown faces that don't 301 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: come from a lot of finances, you know. I think 302 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: more things should be in place not only to protect 303 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: but also teaching mature and and not make them choices. 304 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: And it's tough to make people with a lot of 305 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: money do certain things. But at the same time, it's 306 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: so important in the overall and and longevity of their 307 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: development and their protection of this incredible opportunity that is 308 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: playing professional sports. Yeah. I mean I love that answer, UM, 309 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: because I was I was gonna ask this question. I'm 310 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: gonna ask it, but you just gave me a little 311 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: slight twist to the question I'm gonna ask, um, because 312 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: you've got this diamond list of investors who who put 313 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: money in your own business, people like lebron Naomi Osaka 314 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: Drake and Jimmy Ame av Carter, many many more. Um. 315 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: But it's an all star list of investors. UM. And 316 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: I would imagine because we have this conversation, the these 317 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: people are more than just deep pockets, but there's some 318 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: other use that they provide to the business. Because you 319 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: can probably get money in a lot of places, but 320 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: you want specific help. UM. So can you talk about 321 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: how they may or may not be involved and helpful 322 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: to the company into your mission? Yeah, I mean I 323 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: think they're they've been paramount to to the success is 324 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: not only my company, I would even say me professionally 325 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: a lot of those names because you know, like you said, 326 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: these are people that are respected, um, business wise, and 327 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: the moves they make and the things that they put 328 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: their money and support behind, and so that standard approval 329 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: that that carries weight when you're going into certain rooms, 330 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, we had venture capital firms or 331 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: investors or companies that we've tried to partner with early 332 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: on that laughs out of the room, that are now 333 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: sending us emails once a week trying to talk to 334 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: us merely off the fact of who's involved now, and 335 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: I want to chase what they're getting into because those 336 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: people are successful, you know. And I think we were 337 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: very tactical and strategic and in that way, um of 338 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: just how we kind of approached them and understood how 339 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: do you make one plus one equal three? How do 340 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: you understand what people like that are looking where they're 341 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: looking to go, and how you can aid in that thing. 342 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: And again we are definitely the benefactors in that relationship. Um, 343 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: But these are people that I've worked with for uh 344 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: for years, and I think the reputation that that I 345 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: had with them went a long way, and once it 346 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: was time to do our thing, and we had an 347 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: offering I didn't they didn't have. They didn't question, which 348 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: is a big thing when you're investing, is well, how 349 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: do you work? How how much time are you gonna 350 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: put in? How serious are you? Because of what I 351 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: had done for them and in those moments, in my 352 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: previous um work responsibilities, that was out the gate. So 353 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: now we could just look at the opportunity, and the 354 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: opportunity in and of itself speaks for itself. Yeah, so 355 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: let's talk about that because I'm interested, because there are 356 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: so many people who would love to have and see 357 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: strategically strategic reasons why a Drake on their cap table 358 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: makes sense or nay, only so I can make sense 359 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: for them. How do you position yourself to be successful 360 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: when you're trying to approach a celebrity investor? If you're 361 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: not a good question, If you're not, Um, how do 362 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,439 Speaker 1: you that's a good question, I would say, and I 363 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: kind of alluded to it, the one, the one plus 364 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: one equal in three. Right. Not every celebrity is going 365 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: to be good for your business. Um, Not every celebrity 366 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: is gonna be good for your business. Not every celebrity 367 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: is gonna make sense for your business and and and 368 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: vice versa. You're not gonna make sense for them, you know. 369 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: I mean, as all stars are roster is. We've had 370 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: celebrities tell us no, not my thing. I'm good right, 371 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: even though we see the strategic value, UM So, I 372 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: think it's understanding and being very self aware in that 373 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 1: way of how exactly this equation is going to come 374 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: together and to your point, like making sure the value 375 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: of whatever you're looking to get matches up well with 376 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: what you already already have. We didn't approach any of 377 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: those names first. They weren't the first people we went to, 378 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,479 Speaker 1: you know. And I think a lot of times when 379 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: you're approaching people of of of high name value, there 380 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: has to be an offering like their their name means something, 381 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 1: and I think that's why you approach them in the 382 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: first place. And so whatever the scenario is, the situation 383 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: is that the opportunity is it has to make sense 384 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:32,640 Speaker 1: for where they are. And we were able to get 385 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: some already really good investors. They didn't have to take 386 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: on a brunt of um the public value and their 387 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: namesake to just carry the company solely on their backs. 388 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: And I think that matters you know, um, so it 389 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: was I think it was getting the offering right first 390 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: before we approached them was probably the best thing we 391 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: could do. And in that it was the opportunity for 392 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: you know, getting an NFL license. We had that opportunity 393 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: coming up lined up, chasing it. Um. You know, we 394 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: had discussions with some of the platforms in the VR 395 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 1: companies who can kind of confirm like, hey, this is 396 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: a big opportunity. We had other VC firms that were 397 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: that were lined up incredible in the space, and so 398 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: I think all those things factored in as landing where 399 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: we ultimately did you know, I love that you said, 400 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: you know, there's one plus one equaling three. I remember 401 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: there's an interview math Car that had done with Magic Johnson, 402 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: and I don't know if you saw it, but he 403 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,360 Speaker 1: was talking. Magic was talking about like, you know, when 404 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 1: you bring me a deal, it's got to be a 405 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: big deal because for the amount of work I gotta 406 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: put in to make something go from a hundred thousand 407 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: to a million, I might as well go from a 408 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: million to a billion. It's the same amount of work. 409 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,399 Speaker 1: So the deal size has to be big enough. And 410 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: so I'm equating that with how you pitched you know, 411 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: pro era and like status, Like, how do you do 412 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,959 Speaker 1: that when you're pitching a Drake who's got you know, 413 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: enough money? Or is there such thing as enough money? 414 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 1: Who's got a lot of money? Or Lebron he's got 415 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: a lot of money? And you know a couple of 416 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,719 Speaker 1: zeroes don't move the needle for them. So how do 417 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: you pitch the grand opportunity here to people who already 418 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: have all they you know, could need. Yeah, that's that's 419 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: another great question. So I would say it in this way. Um, 420 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: if you called me and say, hey, I want you 421 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 1: to do my podcast for and I'm gonna give you 422 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: a dollar right now, it's a deal. Now it's I'm 423 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: gonna spend a certain amount of time doing your podcasts 424 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: and you're gonna give me a dollar. I'm gonna say no, 425 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: right because that's that the work doesn't seem to match 426 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: what the dollar amount is. It's one dollar, right, I 427 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 1: could do other things to get a dollar. If you said, hey, 428 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go do this podcast with somebody else, and 429 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: when I do it, I'm gonna give you a dollar. 430 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: If you give me, you know, ten cents, that sounds 431 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: like it's worth it because I don't got to do 432 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: much work for that dollar, right, it's on you. And 433 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: if I think that you're gonna do this podcast, and 434 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: you've got that podcast lined up, it's scheduled and it's 435 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: going no matter what, and I don't have to do 436 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: my uch that that's what it means to be an investor. 437 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: I think a lot of times people approach the athletes 438 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: or the celebrities or the big time executives wanting them 439 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: to put the amount of work into their product that 440 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,719 Speaker 1: a founder is doing. Now, there is going to be 441 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: some over the top value, but there's value already in 442 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: the namesake, because that's why you're approaching them in the 443 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: first place, because that dollar is not the same as 444 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 1: their dollar because they have a name value that also 445 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: unlocks a lot of opportunities for you. So that ended 446 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: up itself is worth the work, and you have to 447 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 1: be able to know, um, the process and the plan 448 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: for making that work for you. So I think with 449 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: me and our investors specifically and my partner Troy, who 450 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: is amazing, you know, I think that we are just 451 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: two guys that we come from nothing. Um, we do 452 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: everything ourselves. We don't expect much like the terms of 453 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: engagement are pretty straightforward. We're going to do the work, 454 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: and as long as an investor I feel like understands 455 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: and sees that, then they get to see the opportunity 456 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: because to to the example you use with magic, there's 457 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: not that level of work that goes into it. We're 458 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: going to do the work, um, and the moment we 459 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: need you will give you a call, but they'll know that. Man, 460 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: they're calling me. It's one of its. It's a situation 461 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: that's going to only multiply what the opportunity is. Can 462 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: you describe the timeline you know, between your enterprise product 463 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: that you license with NFL teams for their actual training 464 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: and then the consumer product that will come out soon um, 465 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,880 Speaker 1: and then the timeline alongside when those investors came in. 466 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,719 Speaker 1: So did the Lebrons and Naomi os Hawkers come in 467 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: when they saw your enterprise product, Oh, this is fire, 468 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: we gotta get it in the Cowboys locker room, we 469 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: gotta get it in the Lions Lions locker room. Or 470 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: they saw you had that and then they said there's 471 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: consumer play here. Can you talk about how that lined up? Yeah, 472 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: I would say they definitely came in for the opportunity 473 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: for the consumer play, but it all ties together. So 474 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: we we started off on the enterprise level working with 475 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 1: NFL teams to preparing for NFL games, and you know 476 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,959 Speaker 1: that that gave us a base foundation for our technology 477 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: and we just kind of continue to build that because 478 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 1: that was something we knew so and so inherently from 479 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: our experience of being athletes, of knowing exactly how a 480 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: receiver could get better with this technology. Troy as a quarterback, 481 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: knowing how quarterback can get better. You know, I've spent 482 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: time as a coach as a scout for the Detroit Lions, 483 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: like understanding how the technology could help organizations. It helped 484 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: us build a foundation and then as the opportunities arise, 485 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,959 Speaker 1: we know which way we can kind of craft and 486 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,359 Speaker 1: use the foundation to go on other spaces. And on 487 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: the consumer play, it was essentially players would get in 488 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: the headset um and they wouldn't take it off, and 489 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: they were like, Yo, this is fun. And that's not 490 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: a statement you hear from a player that's typically watching film. 491 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 1: This is fun and you're learning about what you're gonna 492 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: see on a Sunday. So that was like the indicator 493 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: for us that we knew we had something there because 494 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: of a player who sees this scenario every day and 495 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: has for fifteen years. It's saying that it's like it 496 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: is on Sunday and it's fun. Imagine what a consumer 497 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: will will place. And then you know, after that is 498 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: when we started to communicate that and started to, uh, 499 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: to show what the opportunity we felt was on the 500 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: consumer side. And you know, it's been years in the making. 501 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: Troy and I first connected, I want to say, in twenties, 502 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: sixteen or seventeen, um, and here we are in two 503 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,439 Speaker 1: you know, so it's been it's been that long of 504 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: a process, that that long of us thinking about this craft, 505 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 1: this letting the market do what it does, and then 506 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: also relying on a little bit of luck to to 507 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: put us in the right position. So when you think 508 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: about gamifying things, uh, let's talk about gaming and training, 509 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: you know, even at the consumer level, Like, how do 510 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: you think gamifying exercise and training? You know, when I'm 511 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: if you're bringing up a kid to be, you know, 512 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: an all star athlete, Um, how do you imagine gamifying 513 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: that experience in working out and training might evolve for time? 514 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 1: I think it becomes second nature a little bit and 515 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: and there's a reason why we continue to drilling on 516 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: the fun aspect of it because you know, I view 517 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: our consumers early on in our consumer product which will 518 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: be coming out and fall um, they're much like I 519 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: have a ten year old son who is obsessed with 520 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: the game of football, naturally, because again we come from 521 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: a family of football players. But I am Anyone who 522 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: knows me knows I am not to push somebody to 523 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: go play football and do this and do that. It's 524 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: not my thing. But what happened was, you know, first, 525 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: you let him have fun with it. I don't. I'm 526 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: not out there making them run through drills at seven 527 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: years old and making them run stadium steps to say, hey, 528 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: you got a legacy. It's not that you give him 529 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: a ball and you let him play catch with his 530 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: dad and he enjoys playing catch with his dad, and 531 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: he's having fun. And because he has fun in it, 532 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: it motivates him to get better. But he's passing the 533 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,400 Speaker 1: time by having fun, but he's naturally becoming better at 534 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: what he's doing. So I think when I look when 535 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: I look at the vr XR technology and specifically what 536 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: we're doing in gaming and the training opportunity is play 537 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: football in my whole life, it kept me in shape. 538 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: As a thirty six year old man now who is 539 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: not playing football every day, it is a lot harder 540 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: for me to stay in shape and the focus on 541 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: actually being in shape, I would love for a way 542 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: for me to have fun in doing it. And so 543 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 1: when you think about x are and training in that 544 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: opportunity and getting better if gamifying it embeds the fund 545 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: right in it, and by embedding the fund that becomes 546 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: the chief focus. Anytime you're having fun, that's kind of 547 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,200 Speaker 1: where your mind goes to and you're not thinking about 548 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: the calories you're burning, You're not thinking about how you're 549 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: learning the sport, you're not thinking about how you're staying 550 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: fit on a day to day because the game of 551 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: it all is keeping your mind occupied, and then everything 552 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: else becomes a value beyond that, you know. I kind 553 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: of asked the question similar to this when we talked 554 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: about you know, getting a Lebron's attention or Drake's attention. 555 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,239 Speaker 1: But there are people who believe that their tech is 556 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: good enough to get licensed by major partners, like you know, 557 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 1: sports teams were in any category, Um, what levers do 558 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: you imagine are the fastest ways to success, to getting 559 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: the meeting and also being taken seriously, Like what are 560 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 1: the in rolls for people who are not getting not 561 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: hawk you know? To how do you pick up the 562 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: phone and call the Detroit Lions? Like how does that have? 563 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 1: Like what happens there? Where do I need to be? 564 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: What conference we need to go to? It's tough. It's tough. 565 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: I would say a lot of it is learning, um 566 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: learning the industry, right. So I would love to think 567 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 1: that my name rings so many bells I could just 568 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: pick up the phone and call somebody and make it happen. 569 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Like I said, I started 570 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: interning with the Detroit Lions and two thousand and eight 571 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: I was a scouting intern right and then beyond that 572 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: I went and played in the Canadian Football League. And 573 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: throughout this whole process, I'm shaking hands, I'm taking meetings, 574 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: I'm telling people and I get done playing. I want 575 00:27:58,040 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: to do X, Y and Z in the off season. 576 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 1: I'm building out the marketing materials for my sports agency 577 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: or from my from my agents sports agency for him. 578 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: I'm his marketing lead as well. I am also you 579 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: know applying to Octagon's internships. I'm doing under arms internships. 580 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to intern with Maverick Carter while I'm the 581 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: number one receiver for the Cleveland Browns in an off season. 582 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 1: And it's not just in nature like I'm I'm getting coffee. 583 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: I'm it's people that I'm interning with. It takes them 584 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,360 Speaker 1: a month and a half to know that I play 585 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: in the NFL because I'm I'm doing all the things 586 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: naturally that an intern would do. I'm setting those ground sticks. 587 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: I'm learning. I want to see how the process works. 588 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: I want to shake the hands. I want to understand 589 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: this thing and come up with the plan and strategy 590 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: because in this business, specifically in the sports business, you 591 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: really only get one opportunity at it, right, And so 592 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 1: it's probably not the best just to pick up the 593 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: phone and call the Detroit Lions, because now they're always 594 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: gonna remember you just called the Detroit Lions. You had 595 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: no idea what our process was, You don't know what 596 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: our KPI s are, you don't know the right people 597 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: to talk to. You didn't call it the scouting office 598 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: trying to get a licensing deal, right, And so I 599 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: would say engrossing yourself in the area that you're looking 600 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: to get into and understand that it is very hard 601 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: to make those calls and get those deals, and people 602 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: are gonna want to see that you are a subject 603 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: matter expert in the space that you're in. And I 604 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: think that's what I've spent every minute that I wasn't 605 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,400 Speaker 1: on the field over the last decade. That's what I've 606 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: been doing, and that's what my partner has been doing 607 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: as well. And I think we've benefited greatly that it 608 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: was time for us to do our thing. We had 609 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: a track record, we had connections. We the people we 610 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: connected with ten years ago are now in a position 611 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: to make decisions or put us in the right place 612 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: or confidently say, Yo, you should talk to Troy, you 613 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: should talk to Hawk, because I've known them in their 614 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: work for ten years and what they do and what 615 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: they're about, and it's at least worth hearing them out 616 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: so that I'm so I'm excited about this game. I 617 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: want you to talk about it a little bit, and 618 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 1: like what makes this Metal Quest and PlayStation VR game 619 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: unlike other football arcade games, Like, you know, what's the difference. 620 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: I mean, besides the fact that it's NFL license, which 621 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: is the big one, right, Um, I would say the 622 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: insights from it. I mean this is this is a 623 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: direct brainch out of me and my partner, and I think, 624 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: you know, with the things I do creatively or the 625 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: things that I'm into creatively, I want that extra level 626 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: of authenticity to it, you know, Like I want to 627 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: see the film about Detroit from a Detroit director. I 628 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: want somebody who is in there giving me that film, right, 629 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: I want to see all those things. And in gaming 630 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: and in sports specifically, that's what we were after. This 631 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: is our life. This is I'm trying to explain. I remember, 632 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: like the very first one we're pitching it, I'm telling 633 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: people about what it feels like to walk out of 634 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: a tunnel. It's one of the coolest experiences I've ever 635 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: had as an athlete, is coming out to seventy thousand 636 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: screaming fans, and in our game, we have the opportunity 637 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: to bring that to life and show somebody that. And 638 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: that's just the tip of the iceberg. So I think 639 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: the little things like that that we're we're giving you 640 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: real insights from things we've experienced and putting them in 641 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: creatively are the things that will make it different. Our 642 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,239 Speaker 1: company in and of itself. I mean we are I 643 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: think roughly forty five now, um, and of the forty five, 644 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 1: I think twenty one of them are former athletes college 645 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: are pro And that's from the systems engineer to the 646 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: creative designer on the game, to the marketing to the 647 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: business dad. I mean, it's permeated throughout the company. And 648 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: the reason for that is we thought, like, yo, if 649 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: we can typically athletes don't have a voice in sports anything, 650 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: especially sports gaming anywhere. But imagine if we had that 651 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: insight as well as the experts of gamers as well 652 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,959 Speaker 1: as the engineering expertise, as well as the marketing of 653 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: all these places in one room where everyone has a voice, 654 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: we can create something that is above the status quo. 655 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 1: That was the whole impetus around the company, and I 656 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: think in our experience that's what's going to make the 657 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: difference and what people will feel when they take the 658 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: headset off and say, dang, I do feel like I 659 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: know what it's like to be in an NFL game now, right, 660 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: And I mean that's that's our ultimate goal. You know, 661 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm interested, you know, because you've played at the professional 662 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: level and how much on field tech there is, Like 663 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: we see and we've heard, you know, they may mike 664 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: somebody up, and so now we get the experience on 665 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: hearing what it sounds like, you know, when you're on 666 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: the field or on the court, but from the stuff 667 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: that the fan will never see or may never see, 668 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: how much like actual on your body and on field 669 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,959 Speaker 1: technology is happening to you know, measure how fast somebody 670 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: is running or where they are on the field, or 671 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: like what's happening that we don't get the chance to 672 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: be exposed to. Yeah, there's a lot going on. There's 673 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 1: a lot of prototyping. There's a lot of testing that 674 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: that goes on in both a practice and the game environment. Um, 675 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: the NFL is pretty innovative, I mean professional sports, NBA is, 676 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: I mean they're extremely innovative as well. So and it's 677 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: funny like that's kind of how I got my first 678 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: foray in the tech. UM. I would consult while I 679 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 1: was playing for sports analytics companies that would create this 680 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: incredible tech, you know, but it was always a gap 681 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: between the tech and the people who are applying it, 682 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: meaning the coaches who are you know, it's just a 683 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,959 Speaker 1: very different world. They use a rabbit's foot more than 684 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: they would use analytics in a game like this is 685 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: my lucky underwear. That's what they use in the game environment, right, 686 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: And so I would approach it like, okay, I can 687 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: act as a bridge between understanding the technology and the 688 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: people applying it. And I mean there is chips that 689 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: every NFL player wears that measures their x y coordinates 690 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: of where they are in the field, how fast they 691 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: move their force from left to right, from right to left. 692 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: I mean in a practice environment, we wear the same 693 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: the same thing. There is cameras that also just are 694 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 1: taking that footage and also gathering all that data. There 695 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: is obviously the ability to do even more from a 696 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: technology standpoint, but you want to make sure that the 697 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: rules are still in place and uh fans are able 698 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: to experience whatever it is they're doing. So all the 699 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,280 Speaker 1: things that they're testing and doing, even though they're not public, 700 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,919 Speaker 1: they will be eventually. It's just a slow rollout um 701 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: for which acts actually possible. And I think that's the 702 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: cool thing about what we're doing is because we do 703 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 1: call ourselves the future of the field, because we're combining 704 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: a lot of those things and again giving it to 705 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 1: a fan. Um. That and that's a really cool thing. 706 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: So when you're saying like there's chips on players, I mean, 707 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: are you saying like glorified like Apple air tags or 708 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: tiles are on players to measure these things. Yeah, like 709 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: r f I D chips. Every player in their shoulder 710 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: pads has a a dime sized chip that measures where 711 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,000 Speaker 1: they are at all times on the field. Um, and 712 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: the speed of it. And you can take that data. 713 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 1: And originally how we start as a company is we 714 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: had access to that day there and just in the 715 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: data alone, we were able to create three D simulated plays. 716 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: So we didn't need any video, We didn't need to 717 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: see what happened because we could just get the data 718 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 1: from those chips and tell you exactly what's happening on 719 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:17,399 Speaker 1: the play. Wow, that's pretty cool. Um, how do you 720 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: because you're doing you know media now, which I think 721 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: is really interesting. You're a great social media presence. How 722 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 1: are you leveraging media for business success? Because I imagine 723 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: that may be a play because when Lebron moved to 724 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:34,400 Speaker 1: l A, people were talking about you know this is 725 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: you know, he's on the downside of his career. So 726 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: l A is a smart move because he wants to 727 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 1: be a media and TV so it wasn't just an 728 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: athletic decision. So I'm interested in the decisions you make 729 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: and being on making TV shows or or online internet 730 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: web shows. What's the play for an athlete like yourself 731 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,319 Speaker 1: and what are you shooting for? If I can just 732 00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: say it, yeah, I love that. So I think two 733 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: part number one. What I'm doing now has always been 734 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 1: my goal since I've been a kid. I wanted to 735 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: do business. Um. I wanted to do business in an 736 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:09,359 Speaker 1: area that I felt like I was an expert at 737 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: and that I knew more than anybody else. And I 738 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: feel like sports is that thing. Um. So when I retired, 739 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: I actually wasn't going to go in the media. My 740 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 1: older brother went in the media. I wasn't really into it. 741 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: Um At the time. There was a specific formula you 742 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 1: had to follow to get an opportunity. You had to 743 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: speak a certain way, look a certain way, do a 744 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,440 Speaker 1: certain thing. And not that I'm not a chamellion and 745 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: I can't do that. I just didn't really have the 746 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: energy that if I want to be one way one day, 747 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: I wanted the ability to do that, so I wasn't 748 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,800 Speaker 1: going in the media um. When I retired, I walked 749 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:40,399 Speaker 1: right in to start working with Maverick Carter after having 750 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 1: intern for them while I was playing, and an opportunity 751 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 1: came along, and he was the one that was like, YO, 752 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,280 Speaker 1: you should do it because as someone who was knows 753 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: a lot of former athletes, and I've gone through this 754 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: with a lot of people, you might like it and 755 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: you might be good at it, and ultimately it also 756 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 1: helps you keep a face card, which is important when 757 00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:59,360 Speaker 1: you're trying to make business move, which I know you 758 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:01,560 Speaker 1: inevitably want to do. So while I was playing in 759 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:06,280 Speaker 1: the NFL, I would take I would give game jerseys 760 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,759 Speaker 1: every year after the season and I would sign them 761 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: and I would write handwritten letters to people that I 762 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: wanted to connect with or that I was impressed by, 763 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:15,439 Speaker 1: and I would send it to him in the mail 764 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: with an email like, YO, if you ever want to 765 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: get coffee, let me know. And that was a networking 766 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,839 Speaker 1: thing for me because I thought I knew people thought 767 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,319 Speaker 1: it was cool. But you know, there's only two people 768 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: that can say to the start receivers for the Cleveland Browns, 769 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: just thirty thousand people that can say they're former players, right, 770 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: So I'm like, well, let me do this now so 771 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,320 Speaker 1: that they'll remember when I was at my height where 772 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: my mind was that and so when I need them 773 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,279 Speaker 1: and they're at their height, you know they'll they'll keep 774 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 1: that relationship going. So I was doing that, and then 775 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: the media thing for me, it was like, well, that 776 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 1: gave me that same kind of face card. Right, It's 777 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:48,560 Speaker 1: cool to get an email from someone you've seen on 778 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 1: television or when we're in a meeting and I might 779 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: be on the background somewhere. That helps me at least 780 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: get an email back. So even if I'm asking for 781 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: something or I'm trying to do a deal, and even 782 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: if it's a no, a fast no, it's helpful to me. 783 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,840 Speaker 1: You woul at least get me that courtesy because I 784 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: have a certain face card to it. And so that's 785 00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:07,440 Speaker 1: what my my my original goal around media was to 786 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,879 Speaker 1: use it to benefit my business career. And what I'm 787 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: what we're doing now is that is pro um and 788 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: I still think that's the same thing. And in that 789 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: I just kind of made the decision that I'm just 790 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: gonna be me wherever I decide that is from a 791 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:25,399 Speaker 1: media standpoint, eventually it will again just be projects that 792 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 1: are close to my heart. Um that I think there's 793 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: a need for that, I think there's a space for 794 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: and that ultimately I never wanted to get into the 795 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 1: media side of things too. Have to hang on it 796 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,720 Speaker 1: solely and completely. As a football player, you are hired 797 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 1: and fired very very frequently, and you have no say 798 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: so when your family picks up and moves. And so 799 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 1: when I got into the media side, I was just 800 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: very adamant that I didn't want that career to be 801 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:53,280 Speaker 1: that way. I wanted to have the freedom to say 802 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: and do what I wanted when I wanted um, And 803 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 1: so I passed up on a lot of great deals 804 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,920 Speaker 1: media wise because I don't want to get into the 805 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: rat race of Hey, we love you today, tomorrow we 806 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 1: don't like you anymore. Now you don't have a job, 807 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:10,760 Speaker 1: right So, UM, I want to dig one level deeper 808 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 1: before we get out of here. And is you mentioned 809 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 1: earlier that you know a dollar from Lebron James is 810 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:21,359 Speaker 1: not just a dollar because his name has value and 811 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: that thing there I want to equate to what you 812 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: just talked about with media and how you're leveraging that 813 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 1: for a business success outside of media. There are so 814 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: many folks who are building businesses, um, and it's all 815 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: really comes down to storytelling. There's so many folks who 816 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 1: are building businesses that if they could figure out how 817 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: to leverage stories and personalities in social in on stage, 818 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:50,200 Speaker 1: in front of people, etcetera, um, that could help their business. 819 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 1: And so if you could leave us with some wisdom 820 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: on how people who might be funny, who might be 821 00:39:55,719 --> 00:40:00,360 Speaker 1: good looking, who might be what charismatic, how they should 822 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 1: see that as a value or find that value to 823 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 1: add that to the puzzle of building a successful company. Absolutely, man, 824 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: I think you you kind of nailed it right. Like 825 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: you have to use all those things that are at 826 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: your disposal um to get to where you are. And 827 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 1: a lot of time, especially earlier on your company, is 828 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 1: you that there there they are various anonymous people are 829 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: going to follow those things. Or it's like an artist 830 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:26,839 Speaker 1: when you when you find an artist nobody has heard about, 831 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 1: you like their story and you like where they come from. 832 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,440 Speaker 1: You right where they represent. You're telling everybody about the artists. 833 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: You gotta check you gotta check her out, man, She's amazing, 834 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,880 Speaker 1: right or whatever that is. And eventually they hit mainstream 835 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:39,440 Speaker 1: and you know you, you probably are now looking for 836 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: the next one. Right. Businesses are the same way. Right, 837 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 1: They want to they want to connect with you and 838 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:48,400 Speaker 1: your story Number one. UM, but using your talents to 839 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:51,400 Speaker 1: hit those pillars are super important. I say for businesses, 840 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,719 Speaker 1: there's three things that you gotta hit UM to make 841 00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: yourself a home run. Number one is it do you 842 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 1: have an incredible product? Is your product better than everybody else's? Right? 843 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:03,879 Speaker 1: Do you have something that is just a home run 844 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 1: of a product that s aggress Number one? Number two 845 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,239 Speaker 1: is do you have an ability to get the deals done? 846 00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 1: And we've talked about all these things on this podcast 847 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: so far, is do you understand the industry that you're in? 848 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 1: Can you make those calls? Do you know the right 849 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:20,920 Speaker 1: people to talk to to keep continue to push that 850 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 1: ball down the court because those things are important in 851 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 1: those deals. And number three is your ability to amplify. 852 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 1: Do you have an ability that when you say something, 853 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:30,279 Speaker 1: get it out in front of people right, because then 854 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 1: those people are gonna follow the check marks of is 855 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,040 Speaker 1: your product great? And some people can be successful with 856 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,719 Speaker 1: two of those things. You've seen people with terrible products, 857 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: but they got the right investors and the right amplication 858 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: and they got the right deals. You see people with 859 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 1: great deals, great product and nobody to amplify it, but 860 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:50,880 Speaker 1: eventually it bubbles up. If you have one of three, 861 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 1: it's gonna be tough. You need at least two or three. 862 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,360 Speaker 1: And if you have three or three, you got the 863 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:57,839 Speaker 1: home running. When you use your talents for whether you're 864 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: good looking, whether you have other talents, whether you're money 865 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 1: to push through your product, that helps you in the 866 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 1: amplification side of things. And it's a very davery important 867 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 1: important pillar and that kind of determines its speed. I 868 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 1: wish you scale or becomes ubiquitous. Black Tech Green Money 869 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:30,120 Speaker 1: is a production to Blackvity, afro Tech on the Black 870 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 1: Effect podcast Network and I Hired Media. Is produced by 871 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:37,360 Speaker 1: Morgan Davon and me Well Lucas, with additional production supported 872 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: by Love Beach and Rusa Lewis. Special thank you to 873 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: Michael Davis, Jermaine hall if ne'ss Serrano. Learn more about 874 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: my guests and other tective shoppers and innovators at afro 875 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:49,080 Speaker 1: tech dot com. The video version of this episode will 876 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 1: drop the Black Tech Green Money on YouTube next week, 877 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 1: So tap in enjoining black tech, green money. Leave us 878 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,280 Speaker 1: a five star rating on iTunes, Go get your money. 879 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 1: Peace of Love a A A