1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's giving me 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: advice to many occasions. In the case you didn't notice, 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: I'm not broke, you know he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do, 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: it's what he likes to share. Now it's time to 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: hear from my man, Rashan McDonald money Making Conversations. Here 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: we come. Welcome to your money making Conversation. I'm your host, 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: Rushan McDonald. It's time to stop reading other people's success 11 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: stories and really and start writing your own. I tell 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: you that every time you can listen to this show 13 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,639 Speaker 1: I watch it now you can be motivated by their 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: success because their stories can offer you direction and help 15 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: you reach your goals. But remember it's their stories and 16 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: it's their goals. Now you have to start planning your 17 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: story and your goals, and you're not gonna get there 18 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: through your committed effort. My interviews that I bring on 19 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: money Making Conversations or celebrity CEOs entrepreneurs and in just 20 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: your decision, because these are different types of people that 21 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: you're meeting this business, and these type of people influence 22 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: the way we from pop cultures, forts the finances are 23 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: tied to those four categories of our demon pointing no 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: money making conversation. My next guest is Betty Smith. She 25 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: is an author, pop culture deficionado, fashion expert, and host 26 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: of be Relations on series XM Radio. Andy Bevy just 27 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: released our first book, be Relations, Relations of her memoir 28 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: about learning to live a big, authentic and unapologetic life 29 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: and how you can do it too once in a while. 30 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: It's successfully luxurally fashion publication executive at Rolling Stone and 31 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: Vibe magazine. She shifted and I have I can relate 32 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: to that because I did some shifting and we're want 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: to discuss because a lot of things in her book 34 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: I related to and she shifted up professional goals over 35 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: a decade ago to pursue a life in front of 36 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: the camera. Bety served as a moderator on Bravo TVs 37 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: revolutionary talk show Fashion Queens, and with a co host 38 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: in the nationally syndicated entertainment news program Page six TV. 39 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: Please Working the Money and conversation for the very first time, 40 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: but not the last time. Mrs Bevy Smith, how are 41 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: you doing? I love, my love, I'm so happy to 42 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: be here with you. Well, I you know, I want 43 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: to talk about the book, but it's a lot going 44 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: on in your life, you know, And it's my design. 45 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: I I took it with my reading from the book 46 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: that every move you made was not something that's just 47 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: kind of happened. It happened because you sought it out, 48 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: You planned it and and and and it worked to 49 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: your favor. And that's what the book really is about 50 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: planning your destiny and choosing your path correct it is 51 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: it is. You know. I'm from Harlem, and so a 52 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 1: lot of times and people hear my story they say, 53 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, you're such a hustler, and I always 54 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: tell them I'm not a hustler. I'm a strategist. Because 55 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: a hustler will do anything to make their money, you know, 56 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: the in goal for them is always about the green 57 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: the money, and for me, it's always about satisfaction, finding 58 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: my work. Um. And I'm also not going to take 59 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: things that don't resonate with me. I'm not gonna ever 60 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: take a job that just really doesn't connect with me. Um, 61 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: it's just not worth it. I've been offered a myriad 62 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: of time to be a part of reality TV show 63 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: once or twice in my life, and I've always said 64 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: no because I just doesn't fit in. So, yeah, I 65 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: do believe that's important. It's imperative to have a plan 66 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: for your life, to have a strategy for your life 67 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: and not just allow things to just kind of happen, 68 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: but while at the same time being open to the journey. 69 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: But the journey is really important. That we want to 70 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: talk about your book Berelations, and you have relations in 71 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: it a little a little uh like all a little 72 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: the little um statements of information that would allow you 73 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: to move your life forward in a positive direction with planning. 74 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: And that's what I took away from the book. It's 75 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: a long book now, but a good read because it's 76 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: talks about your life from childhood. It talks about your parents, 77 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: talk about your older brother, your your your sister who's 78 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: a nerd, older brother who's gay, and and your father 79 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: who worked at a copper refinery pact factory, and your 80 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: mom who was cleaned homes. But I didn't want to, 81 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: like you said in the book. You know, let me 82 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: not let you think your mama was working like the 83 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: people in the Help. Your mama had fashion, your mama 84 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: had personality, and that's where you got your personality from 85 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: from your mom. Correct. Indeed, I got my my fashion, 86 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: sensibility and my outgoing personality from my mom. My mom 87 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: is still, at this age of ninety three, one of 88 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: the most fashionable people that I know, and it's been 89 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: a great honor to be her daughter, along with my daddy, 90 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: gust Lee Smith, and I say his name in every interview, So, um, yes, 91 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: it's been an honor to be their daughter. Well, you know, 92 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: I I know that I was fortunate. Uh. I grew 93 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: up in fear War Texas and it was just like 94 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: the hood as they would say, inner city in Houston, Texas. 95 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: And um, I both my parents. My father was a 96 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: truck driver, my mom was a high school had received 97 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: a high school education. Six sisters, two brothers. My family 98 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: is a little bit bigger than yours. But the family 99 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: was important to me because it shaped me. And I 100 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: felt that in reading your book, you constantly talked about 101 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: how your family shaped you. That's definitely you know, Um, 102 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: my parents gave us a really incredible work ethic. They also, um, 103 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: even though they were from Jim Crow South, they were 104 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: not enamored by white people. They never felt like we 105 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: needed to compare ourselves to white people to see how excellent. 106 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: So I never got that traditional speech for that a 107 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: lot of black people get, which is you have to 108 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: be ten times better than the white person to get, 109 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: you know, half as much. I never got that message 110 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 1: in my home. And although I understand why many people 111 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: give their kids that message, UM, I'm so glad I 112 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: didn't get that message because then when I went into 113 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: old white um environments for work. You know, everything I've 114 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: ever done really has been primarily a white world. Advertising 115 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: is incredibly white unless you work, and multicultural fashion is 116 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: incredibly white, especially when you're talking about the luxury fashion category. 117 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: You know, TV is incredibly white. Um. You know. So 118 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: I've always gone into these environments. But because I didn't 119 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: have that hanging over my head that I needed to 120 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: show white people that I was just as good, if 121 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: not better. Um, I was able to go into experiences 122 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: and just to my work and do the good work, 123 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: which is how my parents raised us to do. And 124 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: then from my sister, she was the one who gave 125 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: me a lot of my black uh kind of intelligencia information. 126 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: She's the one who told me all about the Hall 127 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: and Renaissance and and why the community that we were 128 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: living in was so great and it was it had 129 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: such a legacy. And therefore, because I was living there 130 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: and walking on the same streets as Baldwin, as Zora, 131 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: Neil Hurston, as Linkston News, as a Philip Randolph Adam 132 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: Claim Powell Jr. I mean, the list goes on and on. 133 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: Because I was walking on those same streets, because I 134 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: was attending schools they had their names on the building. 135 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: I had a legacy as well, and that I could 136 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: be black excellence. And then my brother gave me my 137 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: love of art. My brother was as you mentioned, he's gay, 138 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: and he gave me passionate about art. Jay, It's like 139 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: the creative arts just overall, well, you know the fun 140 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: part about it. You know, let's go astrology. I'm Pisces. 141 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: You know your scorpio. You know that. Come on, I 142 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: wouldn't bring up Pisces if that didn't score for you. 143 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: You know, we're romantic, you know, poet, and we have 144 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: assistance will together, you know, we can get Daisy, almost birthday, 145 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: your birthday February seven coming on and then and I can, 146 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: I can respect. That's why I love this book. Okay, 147 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: any book that quotes lyrics from Teddy Pendergrass. I'm telling you, 148 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: you're my girl there, You're a girl right there. And 149 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: the book was so much fun. It was so honest. 150 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: It was so you know, uh, well, I stay honest 151 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: because you wouldn't tell us when you made a mistake. 152 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: You wouldn't open up about your personal life from your 153 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: from your siblings, to your parents, to your lifestyle. At 154 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: what point in the book that you went, wow, I 155 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: am telling a lot. Did they ever cross your mind? 156 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: You know? I felt that it was a really freeing 157 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: experience to be able to tell my story in this 158 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: way and to tell it in an authentic manner, because 159 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: you know which I'm actually moving on. You know, this 160 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: is another chapter that I'm embarking upon. My book is 161 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: literally my book Revelations, Lessons from My Mother, Auntie Bestie, 162 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: a combination of fifteen years of work when I left 163 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone Magazine to now. And that's fifteen years of 164 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: attempting to be a part of this industry, be a 165 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: television host and become a writer all those things. And 166 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: I did it, and now I'm on to the next 167 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: And I knew that this book, if I was honest 168 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: in this book, this book would actually be a catalyst 169 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: for that change and for that next chapter in my life. 170 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: So I had no no hesitation about being very honest 171 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: and authentic. No, let me share some things that are 172 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: related to okay, um, you know. Uh. First of all, 173 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: the name change. You know, baby, my name is Rashaan 174 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: publicly now I'm a junior. My father's actual name is 175 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: Russian McDonald. And so it got to I got to 176 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: a point in my life where I needed to find 177 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: my identity, what was my voice because I went through 178 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: some of the same middle school and the high school 179 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: challenges you with you trying to find your voice, maybe 180 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: running with the wrong crowd and and and defining yourself. 181 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: And so I remember I was in college when I 182 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: changed my name, And so when I left school in 183 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: the spring, I was Russian. I came back to school 184 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: in the fall, I was Rashawn, and I was correcting people. 185 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: I was saying, hey, my name was Shawan. And and 186 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: then of course everybody from high school you ain't know 187 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: Rashane you're Russian whatever, but you eventually gonna be saying Rashane. 188 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: I was just telling me that all the time. I said, 189 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: I said, you eventually gonna be saying Rashaan one day, 190 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: and and that and that. And I related to that 191 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: because you know, when you make a decision to say 192 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: this is who I am, that's a powerful statement. And 193 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,839 Speaker 1: I know because I experienced it. And sometimes you people 194 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: make you trying to be you know, trying to brow 195 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 1: beat you, try to bully you, just and trying to 196 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: define who they think you are. And that's why the 197 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: name changed for you was very important to tell us 198 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, and I love that story with Sean 199 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: because it is very similar. I was um at the 200 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: height of my advertising fashion career. I was thirty three 201 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: years old. UM. I had just arrived at Milan. I 202 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: was surrounded by gifts and Bucci and father and and 203 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: all the big Italian luxury brands. I had, you know, 204 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: just gotten out of my luxury Mercedes Sadam with my 205 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 1: driver Giofani. I mean, it was quite fabulous and I 206 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: come to, you know, my regular hotel suite in Milan 207 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: at the Fanciest uh you know, five star hotel, in Milan, 208 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: and I'm a black girl from Hall. I'm a hundred 209 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: and fifties street n Dago, So clearly this is I've 210 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: come a long way from the block, right, and um, 211 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: when I arrived this is probably like, you know, maybe 212 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: my I don't know twenty of thirtieth time doing that, right, 213 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: because I've been in the business for me and I've 214 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: been living this kind of lifestyle for a while. And 215 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: when I when I got into that hotel woman, when 216 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: the bellman left, I collapsed onto the sheets and I 217 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: was like, this cannot be my life. I realized I 218 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: was miserable, and I was dissatisfied, and I just felt 219 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: like there was a hole in my spirit. And I said, 220 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: how can I change my life? And I did not 221 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: really have an answer, but I sat down and I 222 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: wrote out the things that made me feel bad about 223 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: myself and about my life. I realized that I was 224 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: working in a career fashion that really does prey on 225 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 1: women's insecurities, and um, you know, and also it was 226 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: a tough position for me because I was working in 227 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: luxury and there weren't a lot of black people in 228 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: the space, so I was always having to show up 229 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: and kind of be a representative from my entire culture. 230 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: And for a while I took a lot of pride 231 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: in that, but then it just became exhausting. Um and 232 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: there were lots of other things, and I built these 233 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: things down, and I said, well, what can I do 234 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: about it now? Clearly, if I'm I'm from a hundred 235 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: and fifty street and nate that avenue for all, I'm 236 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: in the hood, I'm not gonna up and jump my 237 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: uh you know, quit my uh six figure job right 238 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna do that because I'm just satisfied. I said, 239 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: what can I do to start changing my life right now? 240 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: And I said, I can change how people address me. 241 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: Because I was so successful at my job at Vibe Magazine, 242 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: they had started calling me Beverly Smith from Vibe Magazine. 243 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: That was my name, and I said, no, I don't 244 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: want to do that anymore, because one day I'm gonna 245 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: leave Vive Magazine and one day I'm gonna do something different, 246 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: and I don't want my name to be so closely 247 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: connected to an enterprise and really has nothing to do 248 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: with me. It's not something our own. So I said, 249 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: I'm gonna change my name to Betty because Betty is 250 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: a Betty abundance much you know, So I'm it's me. 251 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 1: I'll take that. So I became Bebby Smith. It's finally here, 252 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: the season of celebration. And no matter how you celebrate 253 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: with family and friends, whether you're preparing for rays magos 254 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: or Karamu lighting the Manura, are going to midnight mass, 255 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: Coals has just what you need to make those traditions special. 256 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: Plus you'll find gifts for all your loved ones. Send 257 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: warm wishes with cozy fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets and throws. 258 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: Support minority owned or founded brands by giving gifts from 259 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: Human Nation and shame moisture, or treat them to everyone's 260 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: favorite activewear from top brands like Nike, Adidas, and under Armor. 261 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: And in the spirit of giving, Coals Cares is donating 262 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: eight million dollars to local nonprofits nationwide committed to the 263 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: health and well being of our communities. No matter how 264 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: you celebrate, when you shop at Coals, you're right where 265 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: you belong. So this season, give with all your heart 266 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. Whether 267 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: your event needed one room or an entire conference, under 268 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: hoppin has revolutionized the way people come together. With hoppin, 269 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,079 Speaker 1: you can host a fully fledged digital meet up, complete 270 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: with one on one meetings, hands on sessions, and at 271 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: spow booths. And because everything is hosted in a single, 272 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: easy to use platform, it can be as big or 273 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: small as you want, remain convenient for anyone who wants 274 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: to attend, and give you access to data you never 275 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: would have known otherwise. Visit happen dot com to learn 276 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: more and get started. Still living in and manually taking notes, 277 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: start the new year with auto dot ai to generate 278 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: automatic notes for meetings, interviews, or lectures. With auto dot ai, 279 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: you can search the meeting notes, insert images, playback the audio, 280 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: and share them with your friends or coworkers. You can 281 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: capture action items, remember meeting details, and keep everyone informed. 282 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: Auto dot ai works for in person or virtual meetings 283 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google meet. Sign up for 284 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: free at auto dit ai or download the app for 285 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: free auto dot ai. That's O T T E R 286 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: dot ai. We know the beauty of that story is 287 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: like I said, I I experienced it and you know 288 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: and that the early part of it is when people 289 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: start accepting it because there's a group of people that 290 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: will accept it. And then also some people will teach 291 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: you and kind of remind you like they have something 292 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: over your head or well, I know who you really are. 293 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: But the but the big part about it was you 294 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: know my whole life and this is where we relate. 295 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: A lot is that, And this is with anybody. You're 296 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: told you raised by a parent of your two parents. 297 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: If you're fortunate, and you go to middle school, high school, 298 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: you told how to walk, talk, you make decisions, you 299 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: you may go to college if you're fortunate, all the decisions, 300 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: a lot of the decisions are being made by somebody else. 301 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: They're shaping you. And so when you have a personality 302 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: like I have a person like what like Bevy has 303 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: a personality, it's not normal. Her personality is not normal. 304 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: Because it was screaming to say something different, to say 305 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: something like my degree is in mathematics and so oh 306 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: I got a degree to make. But I was screaming 307 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: like like like your careers in fashion and five and 308 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone, so that I said it was later, but 309 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: you were screaming to say, yes I'm successful, Yes I'm achieving. 310 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: I worked for five BM, but I was screaming saying 311 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: that's not what I want to do for the rest 312 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: of my life. And that voice. Talk tell us about 313 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: that little voice, because I heard that voice in my 314 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: body and I ran from it. I was afraid to 315 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: tell people about it. And when I finally made the 316 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: decision that this is who are going to be, it 317 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: brought me to tears because I was, for the first 318 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: time being honest in my life. And that's why I 319 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: love your book Relationships, because it's about being honest, and 320 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: you're asking any reader who read your book to be 321 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: honest about yourselves when you start reading the book, when 322 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: you walk away from it in the end, there will 323 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: be changes because for the first time, you have basically 324 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: a blueprint on somebody who's telling her story unapology, unapologetic 325 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: life that in comparison, is very similar to yours. Yeah. 326 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: So I'm hoping to challenge people your book inside to 327 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: really kind of excavate um what they really want in life. 328 00:16:54,760 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: As you mentioned, oftentimes, especially if we're successful um as 329 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: black people especially, we feel very guilty about being successful 330 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: in in our careers. And then I'm wanting to do 331 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: something different because we know from whence became and even 332 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: the most affluent black person is traditionally only maybe too 333 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: if they're blessed four generations away from poverty, right, you know, 334 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: like you know, traditionally, you know, our parents are come 335 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: through Jim pro South. You know, my parents were they 336 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: actually knew slaves. My my grandparents you know, um, you know, 337 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: so we're not that far removed. So when we start 338 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: to become successful, we find ourselves feeling very guilty about 339 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,719 Speaker 1: saying I don't want this, because who are we? You know, 340 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: there's that whole mean that goes around on social media. 341 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: I am my, uh my, my, my ancestors wildest dreams, 342 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: and I'm sure when I was a Beverly Smith fashion advertising, 343 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: making a great six figure salary and traveling all over 344 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 1: the world, my grandparents could never have imagined that these 345 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: were people who worn in the eighteen hundreds. How could 346 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,199 Speaker 1: they imagine that their granddaughter would have all of this 347 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 1: latitude and have all this luxury, and have all these 348 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: um you know, and have actually a staff that looked 349 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: up to her. You know how Oprah always says her 350 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: grandmother said, one day, you're gonna, you know, find yourself 351 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: some good white people to work for. And Oprah said, oh, Grandma. 352 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 1: Now I found actually good white people to work for me. 353 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: So all battle that. But I think that in my book, 354 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: which is meant to be a self help book, I 355 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,880 Speaker 1: really stressed to you that if you have a dream, 356 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: if you have a passion that's inside of you, even 357 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: though you're really successful at your current job, your career, 358 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: what have you, you owe it to yourself to explore that. 359 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: You have to and it doesn't mean and I never 360 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: tell people to do what I did, which as I 361 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: quit my job totally. I quit a job at Rolling 362 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 1: So magazine was making threefty dollars a year and I quit. Okay, 363 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm not advising anyone to do that. That's a very 364 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 1: hard thing to do, and then that's an extreme thing 365 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 1: to do. That's what I need to do for myself, 366 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: But for you it could be just as simple as 367 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: actually honing in on that passion. You know how many 368 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: of us are amazing home cooks. My sister is a 369 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: great own cook. Guess what she did. She started up 370 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: her own catering business, MS. Longley's Kitchen and it's doing 371 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: really well. I have another friend who actually shot the 372 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: cover of my my book. He is a music industry 373 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: executive has nothing to do with photography, but he was 374 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: taking his classes. He was doing so well, and I said, 375 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: what would you would you actually take the photo from 376 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: my book? And I gave an opportunity, and my publisher 377 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: paid him for that. You know, so we we. But 378 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: the thing is, if we don't ever even try to 379 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: follow our dreams and to chase our passions, we will 380 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: never ever know if we can naturally do them, we 381 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: will never know. So it's very imperative. I know you're successful. 382 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: I know you're doing the damn thing. I know everyone 383 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: loves you in that position. I remember when I quit 384 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: rolling Song, my boss said to me, you can't quit. 385 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: You're in line to be, uh, you know, a publisher. 386 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: You could actually run this magazine one day. And I 387 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, I know I can, but that's not 388 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: what I want to do. I'm gonna do all these 389 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 1: other creative things. I want to be a writer, I 390 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: want to be a TV personality. I want to act, 391 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: I want to sing, I want to dance. I want 392 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,199 Speaker 1: to do all these creative things. I want to paint, 393 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 1: I want to study art and architecture and guess what 394 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 1: was sean? I'm doing all those things now you do 395 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: have to tell me because, like I told you, our 396 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: stories crossed so many times, you know, and and and 397 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: and not and I enough, and I'm sure it crosses 398 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people who are gonna read this book 399 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: and people who are looking for direction. And I tell 400 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: you this, you know, you know it's not a dollar 401 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: vat at you because I remember when I was white 402 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: no Jamie Foxx Show, and I went to one of 403 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: brothers and I said, can you let me out of 404 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 1: the contract. I was making money, but I wanted to 405 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: go a different direction to my care career. Wasn't nothing 406 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: to do with bill Ley Avers, who was a good 407 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: friend of mine to day Jamie Foxx. It was at 408 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: that point in my career I wanted to do something different. 409 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,440 Speaker 1: I wanted to I wanted to have been making that decision. 410 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: Eventually leave me to managing Steve Harvey because you know 411 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: that move right there. Went over to the Parkers and 412 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: I was writing known as a consultant producer, which gave 413 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: me time to start managing Steve and we got a 414 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: deal to do the morning show in two thousand and 415 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: basically the rest of history, you know, family Feud, the 416 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: three books, the two movies and were all avoid and 417 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: he has the career that he will never looked back 418 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: on it, and I have a career that I don't 419 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: look back on. But it's the decision you make, and 420 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: that's like. And the reason I bring that up is 421 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: that you know, money holds a lot of people hostage. 422 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: It holds the hostage from their dreams, holds them hostage 423 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: from the opportunity. I have to stop you for a 424 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: moment because this is something that's really pertinent. Right before 425 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: I decided to quit Rolling Stone, also had an opportunity 426 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: to buy a brown Stone Hall. Now, for anyone who 427 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: doesn't understand what that means is that I had an 428 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: opportunity at that time to buy a Brownstone that would 429 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: have been two dollars um, which that brown stone now 430 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 1: probably goes for one point five minutes in the fifteen 431 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 1: years span. That's how much the property values have risen. 432 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: But if I had brought that Brownstone with Sean, I 433 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: could not have also quit my job, and I would 434 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: have been beholden to the job so that I could 435 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: maintain that lifestyle of that brown stone. And sometimes people 436 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: do not understand, which is what you were alluding to. 437 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: They do not understand that sometimes your money and your 438 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: possessions can become a guilded cage. It can become an 439 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: albatross right around your neck, and you have to be 440 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 1: careful about that. You know. In my book, I write 441 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: a chapter called Brooke but Blissful, and so many people 442 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 1: are outraged about that chapter because they're just like, I 443 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: can't believe you went from three fifty thousand dollars a 444 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: year the thirty five thousand dollars a year. And I 445 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: tell them all the time, I did that because I 446 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: knew that it was a temporary moment. Trouble don't last always. 447 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: I knew I could make more money. But what I 448 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: knew also is that if I kept on that same 449 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: path of being a fashion advertising director, I would have 450 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: made a lot of money and been incredibly miserable. And 451 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: what kind of life is that? That's not the life 452 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: worth living? To me, Well, I would tell you this, 453 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: Your life in this book has been ahead of the time. 454 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: I want to I want to go in a couple 455 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: of areas of the book, I thought they just stood 456 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: out the essence culture versus the vibe culture. And that's 457 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,959 Speaker 1: important because time periods dictate how people react to you, 458 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: like you said, you know, I was ten years earlier, 459 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: ten years too early when I walked into ess with 460 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: the look that you had at that point, Now that 461 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: that look would work. It was it was like, never 462 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: talk about the Essence culture and the Vibe culture because 463 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: you're an opportunity to go to Essence and you chose Vibe. Yes, yeah, 464 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 1: I had an opportunity to go to Essence magazine. The 465 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,920 Speaker 1: the grand dam of Essence Magazine was and Taylor, who 466 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: is an iconic woman and who's such a great gift 467 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: and a woman who doesn't judge other women. She she 468 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: met with me and she thought I was terrific and 469 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: she said, you know what, I think there's a position 470 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: here for you. Go and meet with my my advertising team. 471 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: And when I met with them, I realized that everyone 472 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:42,479 Speaker 1: was in like really businesswomen's suits, you know, like everyone 473 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: had like, you know, collars up there here they were 474 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: wearing suits. They weren't wearing that, you know that their 475 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: makeup was very subdued and understated. And non I was like, whoa, yeah, 476 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,440 Speaker 1: I just left the white in the old white environment 477 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: ragging and feel my most natural bevy as self. I 478 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: don't want to go into a black environment and not 479 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 1: feel my most bevy as self. And so I declined 480 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 1: that that author. And then a couple of months later, 481 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: I got an offer to be at Vibe magazine. And 482 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: when I walked and by by said, oh, this is 483 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: my jam right here, because see, I'm I'm the first 484 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: generation of hip hop and I'm going raised in New York. 485 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 1: So hip hop is my thing. And in the book, 486 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: as you know what, Sean, I talked about being big 487 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: Bet from uptown friends in Tupac and Biggie and you 488 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: know Puff, and I'm in the scene. I'm on the scene, 489 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:37,120 Speaker 1: and so hip hop is my natural habitat. And when 490 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm walking to Vibe, they get my flag girl look, 491 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: they get my big errands, they get that I'm showing 492 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: some cleavage and I'm still gonna take care of business, 493 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So it was a really 494 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,440 Speaker 1: good fit. So sometimes, you know, you have to look 495 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: at a corporate culture and know whether or not it's 496 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: worth it to you to contort yourself and to do 497 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: things that don't feel necessarily natural to you. It's worth it. 498 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: When I went to Rolling Stone, totally different corporate culture again, 499 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: right back into an all white situation. But I went 500 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: up in Rolling Stone with a real reason, as you 501 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: know what shann I talk about. I went to Rolling 502 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: Stone knowing that I was gonna quit as soon as 503 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: I got my bonus hut. Absolutely absolutely doing hot ten 504 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: months up and there, and as soon as they gave 505 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: me my bonus hut, I was gonna be like child 506 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: for now. But you know the thing about it, in 507 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: that moment that if you we used to vibe rolling Stones, 508 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: moment that you had because you didn't really expect to 509 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: go to rolling Stone. You was using rolling Stones as 510 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: a stepping stone, and then Vibe said, uh, you know, 511 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: the Viber's first, and then it was rolling right, it 512 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: was Vibe. I apologize it was rolling Stone because you 513 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,120 Speaker 1: went to roller Stone, picked up an offer, and then 514 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: you took it back over the Vibe and the Vibe said, 515 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: oh wow, good luck, good luck, good luck and so 516 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: and so, and you were ready for that. You you 517 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: were caught off guard, but it didn't slow down your momentum. 518 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: And so that's why I just loved the whole process. 519 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,199 Speaker 1: This is that do not and I talk about in 520 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: my intro, do not allow people to control your destiny. 521 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: Write your own story. And you continually write your own story. 522 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 1: And I want to ask you one thing, Bevy, because 523 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: I'm talking to Bevy Smith, author of a tremendous book 524 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: that I want to recommend to everybody called bever Relations 525 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: as Herman Wall by learning to live a big, authentic 526 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: and unapolotic life and how you can't too. One of 527 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: the most fulfilling speaking events was your tour of HBCUs. 528 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: UH talked about HBCUs. Did not attend one, but I'm 529 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: a big proponent. I promoted, I amplify HBCUs Equal Black Excellence. 530 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: Tell us about how impactful that tour was that your 531 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,400 Speaker 1: girlfriend from Boost took you up with as the sponsor 532 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: HBCU College Tour. Yeah, you know, I also went to 533 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: a p W I you know. I went to New 534 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,679 Speaker 1: York University, where I did not graduate because I was 535 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: already in my career and so my boss was like, well, 536 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: you can actually teach the fort and now you're missing 537 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: out on big presentations and meetings. You know, the rubber 538 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: hit the road. So I actually left UM, but probably 539 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,080 Speaker 1: only a year left to get my degree. But it 540 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 1: didn't stop me. But I always tell people it's one 541 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 1: thing to drop out of a prestigious school like m 542 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: y U and another thing to drop out of a 543 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: you know a school, the Trump University. Let's put it that. So, UM, 544 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: I like you. I'm a very big fan of HBCUs. 545 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:28,439 Speaker 1: And so when I had the opportunity to go and 546 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: speak UM it was a boost mobile toy. It was 547 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 1: really an amazing moment for me because it was my 548 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: first ever speaking engagement UM, and so I learned a lot. 549 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:40,959 Speaker 1: I was on the panel with people who did a 550 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: lot of public speaking, and when I realized is that 551 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: they had very wrote, very scripted kind of things that 552 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: they would talk about and every stop would be the 553 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: same line. So from Morehouse to Howard, from you know 554 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: fam you Tube, you know, uh, Morris Brown, they would 555 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: say the same kind of things. And I also realized 556 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: that they were giving people are highlights real and I said, oh, yeah, 557 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: that's not going to help the kids, giving them a 558 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: highlights real. We need to let them know about the 559 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: real challenges that they will face in the workplace being black, 560 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: going into corporate America. What can they expect and how 561 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: can they how can they navigate these issues? And so 562 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: that's when I decided to come really clean. I started 563 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: telling people about my most authentic self, and then the 564 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: book I talk about, you know, finding out three things, 565 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: and that's how you develop your own personal brand. Who 566 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: are you at your core? How are you being perceived? 567 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: How would you like to be perceived? If you can 568 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: answer those three questions really honestly, And that's where the 569 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: introspective work comes in. That if you can answer those questions, 570 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: you can develop a personal brand. And once you develop 571 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: your personal brand, I have a chapter call brand You, 572 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: and that talks about how you can maximize and actually 573 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: sell people into your personal brand, have them by into 574 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: with and that's what I was able to do on 575 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: that tour. But I gotta tell you you know which, y'all. Um. 576 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: As I've mentioned several times just in this interview, I'm 577 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: from Harlem. And when I was in these all white environments, 578 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: especially when I was a kid in the eighties and 579 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: as an advertising receptionist, um, people were horrified that I 580 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: lived in harm and they would say things like are 581 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: you saved, don't you want to move? And things like that. 582 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: And when I would go over to Europe, I would 583 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 1: always tell people I was from Harlem, versus saying I'm 584 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: from Manhattan. You call him as a neighborhood in Manhattan. 585 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: So I could have easily said I'm from Manhattan and 586 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: that that means everything. You know, Manhattan is what you 587 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: see when you think of New York City. You really 588 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: only think of Manhattan and now Brooklyn, but really Manhattan, right, 589 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: And so I could have said that, but I chose 590 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: to always lead with Harman. And can I just tell 591 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: you something, from being authentic about my brand and about 592 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: who I am and where I'm from, I have made 593 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: so much money from harm from being from Harlem, because 594 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: now all these big brands come into Harlem and they 595 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: want an authentic and they want someone who has recognized, 596 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: recognizable from a national point of view, or someone who 597 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: is very locally connected, and there I am. So I 598 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: learned doing that on that HBCU tour. I learned to 599 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: be my most authentic self and not to hide these things. 600 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: That's even the reason why I put in the book 601 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: that didn't graduate from and y you. I thought it 602 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: was important to put that in there, you know. So yeah, 603 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: it's the authenticity is what wins for me. Well, I'm 604 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: talking to Bettie Smith. She's she's been booked, she's blessed, 605 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: and she's busty, but more fortantly, she has a fantastic 606 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: book called be Relations. You can hear her own series 607 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 1: ex Relations of Radio Andy Bettie Smith. I want to 608 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations. Thank you 609 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 1: so much, my love. It's been a droid. It's been 610 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: really great chatting with you, and I'm so happy that 611 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: we finally met after all these years. Absolutely, you know, 612 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: the beauty of you is that I know it won't 613 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: be the last time we're gonna talk. But secondly, our 614 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: lives are so relatable and I feel your kinshift towards 615 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: you and I'm i'm I'm a blessing that haven't happened 616 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: in my life are being received in your book, and 617 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: so it's my responsibility to promote your book and getting 618 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: into the hands as many people as possible. Again, thank 619 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: you for coming on Money Making Conversations. Ms. Bevy Smith Cool. 620 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: If you want to hear more Money Making Conversations interviews, 621 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: please go to money Making Conversation dot com. I'm wis 622 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: Sean McDonald. 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