WEBVTT - Rewrite Your Rules ft AfroTech & Blavity CEO Morgan Debaun 0:00:05.080 --> 0:00:07.920 Hey, BA, fam. I don't even know if I need 0:00:07.960 --> 0:00:10.840 to introduce this week's guest to you, but Morgan Debon, 0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:14.480 the CEO of Blavity, is in the house. Morgan, how 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:15.960 many times you been on BA do you know? 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:18.400 At least two or three times? 0:00:18.680 --> 0:00:19.880 Maybe your fourth time? 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:20.599 Really? 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:25.440 Wow, I had forgotten how early in the game you 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:27.400 had come on, And I just thank you for that, 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:30.600 because when you're starting a podcast, I mean it's different now, 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:32.559 but yeah, we started this ten years ago and for 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:34.680 you to say yes at the time, it felt huge 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:37.639 for you to say yes to my invitation to come on. 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:42.320 And I actually went back and I listened to don't 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:44.480 make that face, because you know what, I realized, you're 0:00:44.520 --> 0:00:45.440 just the same. 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:48.280 Like I am the same, You just sound the same. 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:53.640 Your vibe is the same for change, yeah, and I 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:56.760 part of me is I just was like really impressed 0:00:56.760 --> 0:00:58.840 by that. I can't say the same for myself. I 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:02.520 listened back to my in early VA days and I'm like, oh, 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:07.280 baby girl, but how does that make you feel to 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:08.160 hear that? Like what do you? 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:09.280 Yeah? 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:10.640 I think I am pretty much. 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:13.440 I've always lived by like a center of principles and 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:15.399 I always feel pretty comfortable with who I am. I 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:18.679 think the times in my life where I've been the 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:21.240 most unhappy, it's because I let other people influence me 0:01:21.319 --> 0:01:21.680 too much. 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:25.800 But like when I'm just me, then everything is much easier. 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:29.880 Yeah, I think, and being around people like you, I 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.000 mean people like you, not to make you feel like 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.640 I'm putting you under a microscope, but I feel calm 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:38.240 with in your presence, and I'm someone who's like you know, 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:42.680 I maybe it's like a little bit I undiagnosed ADHD 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:46.960 and just like in general enthusiasm, but I am an introvert, 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:52.720 but I am excitable, and I am emotional and raw, 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:54.440 and that's just who I am. And so I feel 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.840 like you are like the duck, calm on the surface, 0:01:57.880 --> 0:01:59.160 but your little feetbe kicking a. 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:00.440 Lot going on behind me scenes. 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:04.160 That's right, Yeah, but that seems to be like a 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:06.240 core of who you are. Where did that come from? 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:10.120 Like that inner sense of calm and self love. I 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:12.840 definitely did not grow up with a deep sense of 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:16.480 like comfort with myself and all of that, And I 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:17.960 just wonder if you could talk a bit about that. 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:22.919 You know, I think that being grounded today is because 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:24.760 I feel like I have made a lot of a 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:28.600 sequence of choices and a series of choices that were mine. 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:33.560 And so when there are situations that are not great, 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:36.960 when my life isn't going according to plan, when we 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:40.359 overspend on a budget or a relationship doesn't work out, 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:43.000 I feel like, at a minimum, I still had control 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:46.160 over the path that I chose, And I think that 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.119 gives me a sense of calm and ground like being grounded. 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:53.320 And I think for anybody who feels like wants to 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:56.360 feel that's kind of like you're never too high and 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:57.160 are never too low. 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.280 Amazing things happen. Close a huge deal at. 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:05.160 Blavity, or you know, my partner Josh closed a huge 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:08.000 deal for his business because he's awesome an entrepreneur. We 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:12.080 go out, we celebrate. If something bad happens, we go 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:14.240 out and we manage it. Like I just feel like 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:17.680 everything is figure outable, And I think that that has 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:24.000 helped me be pretty resilient in any situation. 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:27.000 Yes, I mean a lot. Even though you at your 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:29.280 core haven't so much change at least from like the 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:31.880 way that I know you through these interviews, but your 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.600 life has certainly changed a lot since those ten years ago. 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:36.840 One of the things that you talked about on your 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:41.680 first episode was I felt very much when I was 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.280 reading the introduction to your book, like I was like, oh, 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.600 that's who I spoke to, because you were I remember 0:03:47.640 --> 0:03:49.160 one of the things you were like, well, I'm ten 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.200 pounds heavier than I want to be, and it was 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:54.960 just indicative of like not really balancing and like working 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:59.760 around the clock and eating crap. And I wonder now, 0:03:59.840 --> 0:04:02.160 like looking back at her, if she had this book, 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:03.800 do you think you would have done anything differently? 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:05.800 Oh? Absolutely, you know. 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:10.960 I think that the person that I started with, Like 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.960 many people, when you're in your early twenties and you're 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.560 just getting started or even your mid twenties, depending on 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:20.200 where you are in life, you're still figuring out what 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.880 your purpose is because you've been told your whole life, 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.359 like all these steps that you need to take in 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:27.719 order to be successful. And you've told your whole life 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:30.919 all of these rules you need to follow to be successful, 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:35.720 get a good job, work really hard, like speak up, 0:04:35.960 --> 0:04:39.640 share your ideas. You're told all of these things and 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.160 what you're supposed to do that's going to have a 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:46.840 successful outcome. And the reality is those rules and that 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:51.400 playbook was actually designed by people who they don't even 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:54.240 play by those rules. So I think the faster that 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.640 I accepted, wait, I can do whatever I want to do. 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:00.720 I have free will. Let me decide what makes me happy, 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:03.520 what my actual purpose than this life is, and let 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.880 me work towards having more of my time and energy 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:08.320 be aligned with my purpose. 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:12.320 The more I was able to then. 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:16.880 Have a more balanced life, because I used to tell myself, like, 0:05:17.800 --> 0:05:19.360 when you sign up to be an entrepreneur, you just 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.359 sign up to be broke for five to seven years, 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.359 basically because your first few years you're putting everything in 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:27.760 the business. Then maybe you make a little bit of money, 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.160 and then you're like investing all that money in all 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:33.240 these people that now you're responsible for, so your income 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:34.320 is incredibly unstable. 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:38.599 And then maybe maybe. 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.880 You start to make enough income and revenue the business 0:05:40.880 --> 0:05:43.679 that you can take a nice income. But for ninety 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.080 nine percent of businesses in America, like that is not 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.880 the narrative. That is like not true. Eighty percent of 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:55.080 small businesses in this country are solopreneurs. So how do 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:59.719 you accept that in the beginning stages that that rough 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:02.279 stock is actually potentially your norm. 0:06:03.000 --> 0:06:04.000 It's a little art. 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:08.279 Yeah, and you know what, I Sometimes I'm like, dang, 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:10.080 why didn't I start this when I was twenty two? 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:12.320 And when I say this, I wasn't even sure I 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:14.440 was starting what I want Brown Ambition to be and 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:16.960 what it's becoming. When I was twenty I started this 0:06:17.000 --> 0:06:21.159 podcast for everything, how was I twenty six? And for 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:24.240 me it was just a fun passion project. And since 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:29.360 then starting my you know, leaving corporate and starting my 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:33.880 my coaching practice, and that was exciting, but I was 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:36.040 always coming back to Brown Ambition and it was always 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.599 ba for me. And so when my co host Tiffany 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:42.400 left at the end of last year, which was, you know, 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:46.479 such a blessing and such a beautiful sometimes it's like 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:49.200 it was a gift to get to say goodbye to 0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:51.720 her in that way and have such a great like 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:55.120 parting of you know, creative partnership or whatever. I mean. 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:56.599 I was just at her house the other day, so 0:06:56.640 --> 0:07:01.360 we still have our bond. But looking ahead, I'm like, oh, 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:05.240 I do feel like I'm starting now, because starting fresh, 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:08.320 I do feel like. Yet, I mean, I'm not a 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:10.800 I'm not a solopreneur in the sense that I'm not 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:15.040 making money like thankfully. The podcast has been profitable for 0:07:15.080 --> 0:07:18.640 a few years now. But now there's the pressure of, like, 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:22.880 so how do I invest in the in the business 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:25.640 of it all. Before I'm just like taking little you know, 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:27.920 taking cuts, using it for bills and stuff. And now 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:30.840 I'm like, oh, pouring it back in and choosing what 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:34.160 to build. I feel like your book, by the way, 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.600 rewrite your rules, which just imagine it's sitting right here. 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:38.840 I don't have the physical copy. I will have it soon. 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:41.040 There it is, there, she is. I'll put it on 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:44.080 the screen. Don't worry. I know what publishers want being 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:47.520 on the screen with a link. Okay, But I do 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:48.680 feel like this book. 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.200 Is for me. This book is absolutely for you, someone 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.400 who already has a lot of successful things going on. 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:57.800 You've got a family, You've made a lot of choices. 0:07:57.960 --> 0:07:59.960 You'd had a corporate nine to five, you chose to 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.360 different paths, and now you're at a crossroads. 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.720 You can choose the stable thing. 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:09.560 And keep it going right, stick with the same network 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:12.320 that you're in, stick with the same type of content, 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.200 stick with the same stuff. Or you can take the 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:20.440 risky route, which has implications it might work out or 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:25.400 might put you behind where you are now not make 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:27.240 that decision. I mean, that is what this book is 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.120 designed to help people think through. It is like, how 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:30.240 do I make the decision? 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:33.920 How do you make the decision? And I will say 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:36.280 what I was going to say earlier is being young, 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:39.520 being twenty two and launching without a family. The stakes 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:42.680 are so fucking high on Morgan, I got these two 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:46.080 little ruggrats. My birthday is so compile high. Yes, they're 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:51.000 right now, They're very high. And I am very I 0:08:51.040 --> 0:08:53.960 am an entrepreneur. I've always sort of been entrepreneurial. I mean, 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:56.040 I started browd Ambition while I was working nine to five, 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:59.360 and I love being creative. My husband is very not 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:04.680 that and it's been it's been challenging, like for him 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:08.679 to meet this version of myself who's like all in 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:11.960 and I mean, so that's the challenge how it's impacting 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:15.040 our relationship. And then I love the freedom I have 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:19.120 to be a more present mom, but I do. I 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:21.360 do have to move more slowly than I would have 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.600 before I had these kids, and I have to accept 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:32.600 that at this stage. Whereas it's it is what it 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:35.480 is at the end of the day, you know, and 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:36.000 I don't. 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:37.720 Think that you can minimize it, like it's still a 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:40.920 choice that you're making proactively. To say, one of the 0:09:40.920 --> 0:09:42.880 things that's important for me and my family is a 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:48.720 stability for my family, and stability for my family is 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:50.560 going to be one of my priority pillars, which we 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:53.200 talk about in the book, right, and then from there 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:54.800 everything works around that. 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:59.560 Yeah, it was very different than the business. I would 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.280 have the choices and the ways that I think I 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:05.960 would have easily become, you know, taken the route you had, 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:08.480 you know, like where you sort of work yourself into 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:10.840 the ground. And at the same time, it's like be 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:13.320 grateful for that version of yourself because look what you built. 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.200 Oh I love her, Yeah, grateful for her. 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.840 I think that for anything to be at scale at 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:23.640 this type of momentum, it requires the ten thousand hours 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:25.880 that people talk about. I mean, it requires great It 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:28.280 requires hard work. The question is just when do you 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:30.920 get off the rat race, Like when have you done enough? 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:33.520 And when you let the momentum from the work that 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.520 you've put in and the investment that you've put in 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:38.600 then take you to a different direction. Because I think 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:40.600 a lot of people get stuck, like they get stuck 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:45.040 just going through the motions and there's diminishing returns of 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.280 their hard work, Like that is not a hard work alone, 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.120 is not the thing that makes people successful. 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.480 Yeah. I love what you write about this trip to 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:57.120 Costa Rica and how that was like the beginning of 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:00.880 you just taking time for yourself. And I've seen that 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:04.800 you've posted about painting, and I want to hear about 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:08.239 soft life. Morgan. You left La, you went to Nashville. 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:11.880 You're in Nashville. Now you found your boo. Yeah, had 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:16.920 your baby. He's thriving. He's a full toddler. So you know, 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.320 God for us. Yeah, I got one of them too, 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:25.679 hop out here in these little streets, you know, I think. 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:27.280 Yeah, I took a thirty day sabbatical. 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:29.920 You know, I went through a super tough time in 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.200 business where I felt like I was a wartime CEO, 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.480 where like I really was. It was do or guy, like, 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:38.200 either we make it through this or we're done. And 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:42.480 I really gave it. After having gone through a season 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.679 where I felt like we were super stable, I had 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:47.319 then had to like buckle back in and. 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:52.520 Work like work as hard as I possibly could. And 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:54.280 I did that for nine months. 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:56.319 The business had one of its best quarters and I'd 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:59.480 ever had in the history of the business, and I said, perfect, 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:01.040 your girl is out. 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:02.600 I need to go. 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:06.360 So I did a thirty day sabbatical in Costa Rica 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:08.880 with some of my girlfriends, Melissa from the Lip Bar 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:13.719 and Simone now Tyler formerly White, who was our head 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:17.240 of revenue for the media business at the time, and Afrotech, 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.679 and for thirty days we just did whatever we wanted 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:26.559 to do, like eat papayas, talked. 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:26.920 At a fish man. 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.880 We went to a restaurant one night and I was like, oh, 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.080 this fish is so good, you know, and Costa Rican 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:34.080 so many tropical places are like, oh, we just caught 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:34.440 it this. 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:36.199 Morning, and da da da da. 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:38.040 I was like, okay, cool. Can I get on this boat? Then, 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.280 like I want to go catch a fish? And they 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:43.079 were like, yeah, we can get on this boat in 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.800 the morning. So we literally went on the fishermen's boat 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.600 in the morning, caught the fish. I get terribly seasick, 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:50.840 by the way, which I knew, but I was like 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:56.000 I'm going anyways, caught the fish, smoked a lot of 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:58.520 wheat on the boat because I was trying not to 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:02.360 be so sick. Do I help'd the fish? At night 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:05.199 and we had fresh ahi for dinner. 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:06.040 Damn. 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.800 But like I wanted to just do stuff like stop 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:12.920 being so freaking responsible, stop overthinking everything. Stop if this 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:15.679 then that every single decision for thirty days, and it 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:19.520 just reset my ability to then have an abundance mindset 0:13:19.559 --> 0:13:21.280 about well, what does the next phase in my life 0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:23.160 look like now that I've made it through these different 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:26.120 things in the business, what else. 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:27.000 Do I want? 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:30.520 And outside of work? Because that's just not enough. It 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:31.280 wasn't enough for me. 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:34.960 Yeah, and how much of that also is having a 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.079 team to support you so that you can be free. 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:38.720 It required a new team. 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.040 I mean I had to dream up a whole new 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:43.720 organizational chart, I had to dream up a whole new 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.360 personal team. 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:51.840 So it required a lot of transformation. It required total transformation. 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:54.680 And I think, you know, my hope with the book 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:57.840 is that it gives people the framework to identify where 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:00.240 they need those transformations in their personal life as well 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:01.280 as their professional life. 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:06.959 Do you feel as if, let me back up a 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.800 little bit, I sometimes as a mom, I'm so grateful, 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:14.320 you know, I talk about how you can list out 0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:16.960 the ways that makes it more challenging to be ambitious 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:18.640 and to have a career in all of that and 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.040 to start a business. But at the same time, in 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:23.920 a time like this, I find so much I find 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.320 it meditative being a mom sometimes getting on the floor 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.160 building a lego, you know, being in tune with that. 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:32.720 How has your son changed your approach to business or 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:36.720 your tolerant your resilience for business, if at all, you. 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:38.680 Know, I think I was very much a yes, I 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.400 can do these things. Yes you want me to fly 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.560 to the city, Yes, I'll go from city to city 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:45.400 and like take out these meetings and do this stuff. 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:48.000 I've always had a little bit of like boundary and know. 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:52.600 But I think when you have kids, it requires a 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:56.600 different way of your time, and I think certainly for 0:14:56.680 --> 0:14:59.720 me that has been the case, particularly when they're really 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.080 you know, I think over time they're a little less 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:05.480 impacted by you being away for two, three four days. 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:10.280 Hopefully I'm hopeful for some freedom, but you know, we 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:13.560 leave the house for a night and he or two nights. 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:15.040 You know, I know he's not going to sleep well 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:16.960 that night because we're both gone. 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.440 So I think for me, I've just had to be 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:24.200 more disciplined with how I'm saying, Like what is my focus, 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.920 What are my priorities, what are the I can only 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:30.120 do three things at all times. I can only be 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:34.600 prioritizing three things. Those three things can change, but right now, 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:38.040 three things and that's it, and everything has to pass 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:39.840 through those three things to make it out on the 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:44.320 other side. And that I think principle is something that 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:47.080 I've learned and lived by and I think having a 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.080 kid just basically reinforced that. 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.560 So now it's one of those things, you know, those 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:00.360 three principles that you're sort of filtering every those three values, 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:01.800 what are they if you don't mind sharing? 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.200 Yeah, So there's six pillars in the book that I 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:07.960 talk about, and at any point you're prioritizing three out 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:08.480 of these six. 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:10.720 The six different. 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:21.840 Ones are wellness, stability, freedom, money, relationships, and passions. 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:24.560 Okay, so for me. 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:32.640 Right now, stability is important because family, two relationships, because 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:35.800 my relationship with my partner. I'm getting married in August. 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:37.160 We've got a lot going on. 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:40.880 And then I think the last thing for me is freedom. 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:44.680 Like I am spending a lot of time making sure 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:48.120 that I'm doing things that I want to do that 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:50.400 I'm in control of. High I spend my time right 0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:53.200 let's say you're a medical student. Freedom can't be one 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.720 of your priorities because you're stuck into a system, right, 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:59.960 But maybe it's passions. You're volunteering your time and you're 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:01.960 doing these with other people and that makes you feel good. 0:17:02.200 --> 0:17:04.760 Or maybe it's relationships and you're going to church, building 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.520 a church community and building relationships with your peers and 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:10.560 your colleagues. Right at any different phase in your life, 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:13.439 you're gonna have different pillars and those are going to change. 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:15.200 And then what I think it. 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:17.640 Does is it also helps you accept that the other 0:17:17.720 --> 0:17:19.800 pillars are not a priority. 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:24.560 They're on maintenance, moll. So it's not that I. 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:27.200 Am eating cake and you know, putting a bunch of 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.720 sodium in my food every day because my wellness isn't 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:31.919 one of my priorities. But it does mean like I 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.399 was supposed to go to pilates this morning at six am, 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:36.520 and I just accepted that that was not going to happen, 0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:38.639 and I was going to pay the cancelation fee, and 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:39.200 I didn't. 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:40.080 Beat myself up about it. 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:45.000 I had all intentions I do it, but my son 0:17:45.040 --> 0:17:47.520 woke up early and I said, you know what, We're 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:48.159 just gonna hang out. 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.160 Then that's fine. Good morning, good. 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:54.879 Morning, good morning. I think one of your podcasts we 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:58.000 should mention the journey, which you I feel like you've 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:00.720 tried a couple of different kinds of podcasts, right, yeah. 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:02.480 I've had work Smart, I have the journey, and we're 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.960 probably gonna transition the journey back to work Smart soon. 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:08.640 Oh really okay? And then I was on your blavity 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:10.320 head A podcast for a minute. I do feel like 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:12.560 you're not You're not afraid to test new things and 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:14.960 try new things business wise, I'm the queen. 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:20.600 I'm a queen of failure. I believe in testing everything 0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:24.000 and failing as quickly as possible so that you can 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.800 decide what's working and what's not working. Because the more 0:18:27.000 --> 0:18:29.680 shots I have at the at the goal, the more 0:18:29.760 --> 0:18:31.640 likely I'm gonna hit the goal. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:32.440 MM. 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:34.879 So what has that looked for you? Look like for 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.919 you in terms of your business right now? Like, what 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:39.840 are you trying right now that you're not sure? Is 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:42.720 blavity Fest one of those tests you don't want test, 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:44.399 it's not really a test. 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:46.920 So blavity Fest is at the end of ma A 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:50.600 at the in Atlanta. It's a mix of a conference 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:52.679 in a music festival, so we've got music in that 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:58.320 in the evening, Kirk Franklin two chains, variety of different artists. 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:01.080 We've got a DJ battle with local Bank. 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:03.439 Went in two chains. The dichotomy is on Sunday. 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:08.240 Okay, brun Okay to say, Atlanta, I. 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:10.000 Thought you said Kirk was opening. 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:13.200 Up for two chains. You know, Saturday is two chains. 0:19:13.000 --> 0:19:15.119 Got it? We getting lit Saturday. 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:15.880 Park is all Sunday. 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:18.600 Oh yeh, that makes sense. 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:24.760 And we've got like really great speakers everything covering things 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:28.120 from you know, wealth, personal finance to wellness. 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:32.119 Speakers like Debbie Brown, Tiffany. 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:34.280 Of course, the but Denistas, so you all know Tiff, 0:19:35.640 --> 0:19:38.920 so many incredible people and we've been doing that. We've 0:19:38.920 --> 0:19:41.639 been in the events business for a decade, right, Like 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.560 Afrotech is huge. It's the second largest gathering of black 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.120 professionals in the country. As it's only the second largest 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:52.760 what's bigger, essence fastest? Oh, okay, fair enough, but damn huge. 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.440 Yeah, it's a lot. It's so much fun. 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.560 It's it's fantastic and it's just a great place to 0:19:58.640 --> 0:20:00.920 grow and invest in your to gown and get to 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:02.679 the next level whatever your goal is. 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:04.240 There is something for you at Efortech. 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:10.639