1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by FX's Fleischman Is in Trouble, 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: starring Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzie Kaplan, and Adam Brodie. 3 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: The strama tells the story of recently divorced Toby Fleischmann, 4 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: who dies into the world of at bass dating with 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: the kind of success he never had in his youth. 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: Then his ex wife disappears, leaving him with their two 7 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: children and no hint of her return. Effexus Fleischman is 8 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: in Trouble, streaming November seventeenth only on Hulu. Welcome to 9 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: P M Mood then No Talking Points, no Bullshit podcast 10 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: that takes you behind the curtain, off the red carpet, 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: and to the front lines of progress with change makers 12 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: and innovators that are doing the work to shift our 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: culture and expand our social impact. I am so decided 14 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,639 Speaker 1: to welcome to PM mood sec who Andrews who is 15 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: a seventeen year full time poet, a twenty nineteen Grammy 16 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: Award nominee for Best Spoken Word Album. And I mean, 17 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: if you read the man's bio, it is exceptional. You're 18 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: doing backyard hangouts with Oprah and Michelle Obama. You do 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: and Ted talks. You are named by Forbes to be 20 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: like their poet Laureate for Corporate America. I mean, my god, 21 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: you've turned a title of poet, which everyone is associated 22 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: with being broke into something amazing. Secod, thank you for 23 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: coming to PM Moods. So tell me how you've done 24 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: this with lots of creativity, perseverance, innovation, and just stubborn persistence, 25 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, if you can imagine trying to 26 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, when I tell people that I introduced myself 27 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: as a as a full time poet, and they look 28 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: at me like I said, I'm a full time mermaid, 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: you can imagine. You can imagine the challenges of trying 30 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: to create something that people don't think even is even possible. 31 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: So it has been a lot of you know, four 32 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: to two that is taken. But it's also been very 33 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: purpose driven for me, because at the end of the day, 34 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: my purpose has been to create a more commercially viable 35 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: industry for the art form of spoken word, so that 36 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: poets can make a purposeful and a profitable living off 37 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: there of art, so that when other young poets, you know, 38 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: when their parents asked them in the future, what do 39 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: you want to be when you grow up and they 40 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: say I want to be a spoken word artist, I 41 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: want to be a poetic voice, that there will be 42 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: some context for success in that. And I think that's 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: one of the things that we don't have as an 44 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: industry for spoken word artists like you have in comedy, 45 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: like you have in theater, like you haven't even some 46 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: of the you know, a kid can say I want 47 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: to be a dancer, and the parents still might look 48 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: at them like, boy, go get a job, but at 49 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: least they understand the trajectory of a dance so they 50 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: understand that you can sign with a company, that you 51 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: can make a living, that you can't go on World 52 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: of Dance or Americas got talent and then get signed 53 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: and joined and tour and so forth. They have no 54 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: context of what that means to a force spoken word artist. 55 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: And so that's been the biggest joy for me is 56 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: just with the Grammys, with Poetic Voice, with the business 57 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: world of the speaking world, creating that model so that 58 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: poets can actually, you know, follow towards success. Tell me 59 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: you you know, we're initially a teacher, yea, what inspire? 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: And we share that similar background. I too was a 61 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: teacher I taught first and second grade, our special education 62 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,119 Speaker 1: and went to school everything, got my master's in education 63 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: because I believe in it. I just used education as 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: a different tool. Now, how did you make your transition 65 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: from the classroom to the stage. Yeah, so I was 66 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: originally planning on doing law school and becoming me too 67 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: because of the the day. Yeah. Yeah, girl, we keep talking, 68 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: We're gonna mind out. We got relatives. Yeah, I was, 69 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: you know, I was gonna do entertainment law. Um. And 70 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: then I started working in law firms after college and 71 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: decided that I didn't want to do law, and so 72 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: I took up um substitute teaching, you know, as my 73 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: sort of that was gonna be my actor waiter job, 74 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, like flexibility to go on 75 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: auditions or in my case, go on the world tour. 76 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: That was just around the corner always, and and I 77 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: eventually decided to sign on as a full As a 78 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: full time teacher, I taught fifth grade. I couldn't do 79 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: the little ones. You could talk little ones, right, but 80 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: most of the little most of the teachers, the first 81 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: secon grade teachers, they didn't want them to do a 82 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: fifth grade. So it was a good balance um, that 83 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: is very true. See fifth grade, I'm like, that's too 84 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: many hormones. You started to figure out yourself if I'm 85 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: not about that life right, And I see I wasn't 86 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: about that running around the room played with you all 87 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: day life. I was like, I need you to be 88 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: able to understand Sardcastle. That was my room and so 89 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: I you know, I talked fifth grade. But during that 90 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: time I had been pursuing I mean even since middle school, 91 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: I had been pursuing music. I fell in love with 92 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: hip hop and I fell in love with acting at 93 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: the same time, and I kept pursuing both of them 94 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: through high school through college. So during this time of teaching, 95 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: I was still sort of trying to figure out how 96 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: to build a career in entertainment. And I started going 97 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: to poetry over Mikes, and I kind of just accidentally 98 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: fell in love with poetry. Like it was not plan right. 99 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,119 Speaker 1: Nobody was waking up in the morning going I'm gonna 100 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: be a full time spoken word just because nobody knows 101 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: what that is. But I was just like, this art 102 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: form is dope. And I kind of loved being appreciated 103 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: for just my words, Like I didn't have to worry 104 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: about how dope the hook was, and did I have 105 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: a dope feature? And what was the mute? Was the beat? 106 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: You know, a trendying enough for whatever? It was just 107 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: like people were like, yo, your words moved you. Even 108 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: when I was up there as a hip hop artist 109 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: delivering my stuff spoken word style, they were like, your 110 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: words moved me. And that got good to me. And 111 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: so I found myself, why do we not have an 112 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: opportunity to make a living off of our words as 113 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: performance artists? You know? Why does it always have to 114 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: be coupled with something else? And so I found myself going, 115 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: let me do that, you know, let me see what 116 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: explore that. And the entrepreneur in me got excited about that, 117 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: like this is a this is kind of fertile ground, 118 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: this is this is a trail week of blade, you know. 119 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: So I think that was really what pushed me to 120 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: make that transition. I talked for about four years. In 121 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: fifth grade, I remember pulling up to my principal. Pull 122 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: on to the school to have a meeting with my principle, 123 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: and I sat down and she said, you're leaving me, 124 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: aren't you? And I had prepared each you know what 125 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: I mean. I was like ready to go in and 126 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,840 Speaker 1: she already knew and she was like, you said for you. 127 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: She was like I get it. She was like, we're 128 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: gonna miss you and you and we need you here, 129 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: but you're meant for a different stage, for a bigger stage. 130 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: And I appreciated that send off, and so I quit 131 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: my job and three days later I did my first 132 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: CD release show and I made my rent in CD 133 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: sales that night and it's been non stuff ever since. 134 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: That is beautiful one because there's a meme that has 135 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: been going around on social media that asked a question, 136 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: what age were you when you had your first black teacher? 137 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: And I and it is so beautiful to me that 138 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: you have classrooms of children that can say fifth grade, 139 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: because unlike them, my first black teacher I didn't have 140 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: until college and I only had two in my entire life. 141 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: And so just that just that that I so I 142 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: want to commend you for that because I think that 143 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: that's that that's beautiful. Yeah. So you you make you 144 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: see now in your with the CD that you're able 145 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: to make a career and you know, unlike some artists, 146 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: you like you said, you have an entrepreneurial spirit. This 147 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: is a business. You were building a business, not just 148 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: a brand. Um. I always equate that with Jay Z 149 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: when he was just like, you know, I'm a business man, right, 150 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: not a you know, not a businessman. And I think 151 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: that you know too often as artists, you can get 152 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: very connected and should be very connected to your craft 153 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: and you're you're the best salesperson for that craft. You 154 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 1: can try and go out and get agents and scouting managers. 155 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,959 Speaker 1: But if you don't really know how to sell yourself, right, like, 156 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: then no one's going to really be picking up what 157 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,959 Speaker 1: you're putting down. Yeah, that's it. How did you yet 158 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: tell me? What's funny about that? Is so you're not 159 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: both know Teresa, And so I literally just had this 160 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: conversation with Teresa the of the day because I was 161 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: telling her the history of trying to create a business 162 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: that is selling poetry to places that have previously dismissed it. 163 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: And I said, look, I don't know, there's not too 164 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: much there's not too many things that I claim I'm 165 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: the best fad in the world, but I would I 166 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: would venture to say I am among the best in 167 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: the world at selling spoken word poetry in places where 168 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: it's been said it doesn't belong because that alone is 169 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 1: a science and an art form and it's incredibly nuanced. 170 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: And I've worked with masters, sells people, professional marketers, and 171 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: they all come in with you know, they got their 172 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: their resumes and the and the hit lists and there 173 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: and the egos that I've done this and I can 174 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: do this and so forth, and I'm like, Okay, that's cute, 175 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: I get it. But here's what's gonna happen. The minute 176 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 1: that you mentioned spoke spoken words. Here's what's gonna happen. 177 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: If you say these wrong words, you will you will 178 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: instantly remove three or four zeros off of my value 179 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 1: simply by using the wrong words, simply by creating the 180 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: wrong context for what it's it's possible for this art form. 181 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,599 Speaker 1: And so I'm constantly in a place of having to 182 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: train people how how how to sort of be the 183 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,839 Speaker 1: mouthpiece and the voice for my voice for this art form. Right, 184 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: So you're right, it absolutely is a challenge trying to 185 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: figure out how to communicate the possibilities for this art form. 186 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: But that's also the double edged sword. It's I call 187 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,839 Speaker 1: it my joyful challenge because it's it's a challenge. It's 188 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: an uphill battle constantly. But it's also my baby, you 189 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: know what I mean. It's like it's my creation poetic voice, 190 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: it's it's me being able to say to the world. Yeah. 191 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: I know that you thought that spoken word was only this. 192 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: I know that you thought that it was only relevant 193 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: at your company holiday party. But you're wrong. Spoken word 194 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: can have more values in some context than any of 195 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: your other presenters at your most important senior leadership executive meeting. 196 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: If you don't believe me, watch this, and my life 197 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: has been the living embodiment of watch this. I love 198 00:10:55,040 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: I mean joyful right in facing obstacles, I think is 199 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: what is what transcends most people, right because when you 200 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: look at something as it is, this burden that you 201 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: are carrying to do, that's what people see, That's what 202 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: that's what comes off of you, that's what emanates off 203 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: of you, is the toiling rather rather than the spirit 204 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: of it. So I think that that is brilliant. You 205 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: mentioned poetic voice. Talk to me about what you created, 206 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: what is meant by and what is the meaning behind 207 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: poetic voice because it's different than spoken word. Yeah, yeah, 208 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: I love I love that you even you know that 209 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: you recognize that because you know, it's it's an evolution, 210 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: it's an extension, but there is a difference. I define 211 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: poetic voice as a speaking category that fuses inspirational speaking 212 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: seamlessly with spoken word poetry. That's the sort most simplest definition. 213 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: So it's you know, it's not there plenty of folks 214 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: that are performers and speakers, nothing novel there, but this 215 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: is not. I'm going to perform and then you applaud 216 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: and I speak, and then I perform and you applaud 217 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 1: and I speak. This is sort of a seamless integration 218 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: where you don't really know where the theater ends and 219 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: the poetry begins, the business content ends, and the storytelling begins. 220 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: One minute, it feels like I'm in a story. The 221 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: next minute it feels like you're getting actionable business takeaway. Suddenly, 222 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: wait a minute, he's rhyming. And now wait a minute. 223 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: Now I'm crying because wearing a story and this is 224 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: this is a tech conference, and what the hell is 225 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: going on? You know what I mean? And so it 226 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: makes that sense of wonderment of throwing an audience off 227 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: of their off of their feet, a little bit of 228 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: cracking them open, and ways that they didn't come in expecting, 229 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: which is the power of art. And so infusing the 230 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: power of art into a business context, into a speaking 231 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: context in this way is what creates that new experience 232 00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: and offers creates a higher perceived value for spoken word 233 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: than we've previously had. The challenge that I had, you know, 234 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: people look sometimes at my brand and they go, man, 235 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: you you know you don't like the metric for success 236 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: A lot of times these days is you don't you 237 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: know how many lights do you have? You know, how 238 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: many followers do you have? Your brand is so big, 239 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: I'm surprised that your social footprint is so small. And 240 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: the reason that was very intentional. You know, now we're 241 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: doing a lot more focus on external projects. But the 242 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:32,319 Speaker 1: reason was because I recognize very early, because spoken word 243 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: does not have a perceived value, I want to make 244 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: a living off of this art. I don't want to 245 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: be The trajectory for a poet is basically a spoken 246 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: word poet is you go you do the clubs and cafes. 247 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: Then you start doing colleges, and then that's kind of it. 248 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,599 Speaker 1: Maybe you go teach, maybe you start you know, you 249 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: write books, or you just go get a job and 250 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: you do poetry as a hobby, right, it becomes secondary. 251 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: And I said, I want to content I love this 252 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: art for him. I want to continue to expand what 253 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: that trajectory can be for me as a spoken word 254 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:07,440 Speaker 1: artist by kicking open new doors. And so in doing that, 255 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: that became the challenge, right is how how do I 256 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: extend that trajectory beyond just the clubs and the cafes 257 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: and the colleges. And that's why it was it was 258 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: imperative for me to look at what other doors I 259 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: can be kicking open, like the Grammys. You know what 260 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: if artists have not one Grammys, if artists, if artists 261 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: are dismissed from business stages, if artists are dismissed from media, 262 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: how can I kick open those doors to show them 263 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: the poets have value there? And to create that perceived 264 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: value took me saying I don't want to worry about 265 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: the likes and the follow because that will result if 266 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: I get a million hits on a video, that will 267 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: result I promise you in fifty gig offers for one 268 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: hundred dollars each. You see what I'm saying. And I 269 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: was like, I can't make a living off of that 270 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: see what I want to So I shift it in said, 271 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: I want to I want to increase the perceived value. 272 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: I want to increase the paycheck I want to build, 273 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: which is what I did, build a seven figure company 274 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: off of spoken word. So that now when when someone 275 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: comes to me and says, all right, we want to 276 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: book a spoken word artist, they're not looking at me 277 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: going and surely he'll do it for exposure because that's 278 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: all they're worth. You know what I mean that? Now, 279 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: Oh wait a minute, check this dude's resumes. He's proven 280 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: the concept, So we need to we need to honor 281 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: the value that he's created. And now it's like, now 282 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: let's go get the million hit videos, let's go viral, 283 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: let's do all of that so that we can actually 284 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: create paying jobs and careers off of this. And so 285 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: you still have a piece of your teaching acumen because 286 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: you are now helping other artists, right, other speakers, other 287 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: people connect and kind of master that stage. Talk to 288 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: us about that. Yeah, different different classroom, right, Still still 289 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: still an educator. Um, So I appreciate my principle for 290 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: seeing that in me, because now it's just a different stage. 291 00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: And you know, I credit the classrooms, So you're going 292 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: to appreciate the classroom as an incredible training ground to 293 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: become a public speaker. You have an audience every day 294 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: that you have to impress that is not impressed with 295 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: what you did yesterday. They're not impressed by what you 296 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: did an hour ago, like like engage me right now 297 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: with starting fresh right. And so yeah, I've I've moved 298 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: now into helping people to become better communicators because I 299 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: really wanted to expand the impact, you know, like the 300 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: I could. There's an impact that I can make through 301 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: my voice alone and reaching hundreds of thousands and millions 302 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: of folks on live and digital stages, But the greater 303 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: impact is in showing other people how to be more 304 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: impactful on their communities, how to be more inspiring. And 305 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: so I'm involved a lot now in an inspiration training really, 306 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: I mean, you can call it speaker training. But my 307 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: message to the world right now is, look, I don't 308 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: I don't care what business that you are in, you 309 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: are also in the inspiration business. And and this pandemic, 310 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: this crisis is proving that because people have got Yes, 311 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: you have to get people the information that they need. Right, 312 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: people need to know how does the remote working technology work? 313 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: And what's the expected schedule when I have to feed 314 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: my kid in the middle of the day, and how 315 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: do I manage you know, how do I manage unemployment 316 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: or or paycheck protection, loans or like all the information 317 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: is incredibly important right now that the minute that that 318 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: does settles, people need to be inspired to continue pushing 319 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,360 Speaker 1: through this. People need to be inspired to say, now 320 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: that I know how to have the information to teach 321 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: me how to work remotely. Now I need to be 322 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: inspired to work remotely, to do know what I mean, 323 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 1: to not have happy hours start at ten am, to 324 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: not to not like to stay focused on my job, 325 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: to stay loyal to my to this organization, to you know, 326 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: whatever it is. And so that's that's what the message 327 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: that we're sending folks right now. And that comes not 328 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: only from yes, partner with me because I can help 329 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: create an inspirational voice for your organization, but it's also 330 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: let me teach you how to be inspiring because you 331 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 1: have to be inspiring right now. You have to be 332 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: the one that's closing in the distance. That isolation and 333 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: social distancing is creative and there are very specific techniques 334 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: in ways that you can learn to be a more 335 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: dynamic and powerful communicator, to be a more inspiring communicator 336 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: and leader. And my Stage might speaker training program, it's 337 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 1: like stage fright to stage might. You know I call 338 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: a rock star secrets for public speakers because it's basically saying, 339 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,239 Speaker 1: no matter where your voice is, no matter who your 340 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: audience is, you have a stage. I don't care if 341 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: you're a senior executive leader or a dentist, or you're 342 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 1: a lawyer or a teacher or a manager. You have 343 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: a stage. You have somebody that is under your influence, 344 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: and that person deserves to be inspired by you, no 345 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: matter how mundane you think your job or your work is. 346 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: That is a power that you hold alone, and I 347 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: can help bring that power out of you. It's so 348 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: interesting because I never thought, in all honesty that you 349 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: could teach inspiration. I know that you can teach people 350 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: how to be better speakers and how to connect, but 351 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: inspiration is honestly something that I thought you you were 352 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: either born with or you weren't right, Like, you know, 353 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: is somebody walking in your door who pretty much and 354 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: I will age myself, but who sounds like faris Bueller's 355 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: teacher who is completely flattened, monotone, Their their job is 356 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: boring as Hellum, but they're like, I need you to 357 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: help me. How do you turn that kind of person 358 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: into into you into or into into the best version 359 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: of them? I should say yeah, absolutely, And I think 360 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: that's the critical distinction is that you know, it isn't 361 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: safe of training, right. Um, it's saying I used to 362 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: when I when I first created the stage my speaker 363 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: training system. Um, I had so much resistance internally because 364 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't want to be a speaker trainer. 365 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: There's tons of them out there, there's plenty of whatever. 366 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 1: But I realized that I had built a successful speaking 367 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: career and never having been trained as a speaker, I 368 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: had been trained as an artist, and seeing the stage, 369 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: even business stages, through an artist and a performance lens 370 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: is what made me stand out in a business environment. 371 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, well, that's teachable, right. So every 372 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: time someone kept saying, well, how do you do that? 373 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: And that was the you know, that's that's a lot 374 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: of times. The pivotal moment that we have in terms 375 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: of evolving and expanding our service to the world is 376 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: that we used to you know, especially artists, entrepreneurs, you know, 377 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 1: go getters. We live in our own magic, you know. 378 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: We this is my genius, this is my magic, It's 379 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: my gift. And that's what I kept saying every time 380 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: somebody asked the question. But it's that pivotal question, someone 381 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 1: asking you how do you do that? Enough times and 382 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: finally eventually you realize I need to have an answer 383 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: for that, like I'm not serving the world in as 384 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: profound and prolific of a way as I could be 385 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: if I could answer the question how do I do that? 386 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: And I never knew how I did that? So I 387 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: began to dissect and codify how I did that, and 388 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 1: I begin to realize that, yes, some of it is 389 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 1: my magic, but that there's also mastery. There's a point 390 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: in which the magic ends and the mastery begins. And 391 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: when you understand that, then you go, these are the 392 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: teachable components of what it is that I do. So 393 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: let me begin to share that part so that I 394 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: can not only not teach someone my magic, but I 395 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: can bring out their magic in these teachable ways. So 396 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: that was really the pivot point for me, and I 397 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: realized that inspiration, Yes, it is a speaker training system. 398 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: But you know when I tell people that they're people 399 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 1: who are battling nervousness, and I tell them, I want 400 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: you to go on stage and I want you to 401 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: focus on who it is that you're there to serve, 402 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: because right now you're trying to say, well, I have 403 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: to reach everyone and I have to do this for everyone, 404 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,479 Speaker 1: and I go, no, that's not true. There might be 405 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: one person, there might be three people that are listening 406 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 1: to you in this crowd that what you say is 407 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: going to prove to be a lifeline for their business, 408 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: for their family, for their relationship, for their life. Possibly. 409 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: Right there's a line in one of my poems that says, 410 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,640 Speaker 1: I spit for the suicide note stuff into the back 411 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: pocket of someone here tonight, right like you could be 412 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: what you could be the voice that saves someone's life 413 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: tonight in some literal or metaphoric way. So that's what 414 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: you need to stay focused on. Left. That be what 415 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: gets rid of your nervousness. And as you go on 416 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: that stage, no matter how the great the audience experiences 417 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: or not, and you focus on the fact that you're 418 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: there to serve. And I think that's the inspiration part 419 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: is that yes, it's speaker training, but the more that 420 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: you focus on the why of the speaker training, the 421 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 1: more that you are pushing yourself to say, I need 422 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: to take this from just speaking to actually inspiring because 423 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: I need to serve that organization, that customer, that workforce, 424 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: that employee, that relationship, that community, that try been in 425 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: that way. And so it's the purpose element behind that 426 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: I think makes the inspiration teachable. You know, you mentioned uh, 427 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: magic and mastery, and I love I love that. I 428 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: it was like it invoked like an imagery for me 429 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: because I think that right now, just going back a 430 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: little bit, in this moment, in this global crisis that 431 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: we're all living through, working through, just trying many people 432 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: just trying to survive through every day, every moment, it's 433 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,199 Speaker 1: different and it's hard. When I started PM mood, this 434 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: was not happening, So the conversations were different. I can't 435 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,120 Speaker 1: get away from, you know, from discussing how this has 436 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: impacted people are how it is impacting because we're still 437 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: living the momentum for people who are struggling to find 438 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 1: the magic in this moment right that you know, they're 439 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 1: they're struggling because they're looking for inspiration from leaders that 440 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,719 Speaker 1: they're not finding. How do can they how can they 441 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: conjure that within themselves? How do people What are some 442 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: of the ways in which people can find just a 443 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: little burst right of magic, of sunshine of light that 444 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,439 Speaker 1: can help carry them through? Because I feel, you know, 445 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: one of the things that has been so inspiring is 446 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: the music. Is the song? Are the words? Is the art? 447 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 1: I think it's so ironic that those are some of 448 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: the first things that are cut when we're talking about education, 449 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: for instance, we cut the arts. Oh, you don't need that, 450 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 1: you need you know, writing, arithmetic and this, that and 451 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: the other thing. But it is, but it is the 452 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: essence of art that is saving many people right now. 453 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:53,040 Speaker 1: So how do you conjure that magic? There's a line 454 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: in one of the piece called the Music Movement of 455 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 1: off of the Grammy nominated album that says, with music 456 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: programs raising test scores by twenty percent, cutting funding from 457 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: music to save money for english and math, it's like 458 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: removing a car's engine to save money on gas. And that, 459 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 1: to me is what is the embodiment of what you're 460 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: talking about, You know what I mean, We're cutting off 461 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: our lifeline because we've we've you know, incorrectly assigned our 462 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: value system. And so I yeah, it's it's a it's 463 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: a challenge. But what I tell people, I've been working 464 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,119 Speaker 1: on a book about the power of inspiration for the 465 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: past few years. You know, God willing, I will start 466 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: to have some space this year, during this pandemic, and 467 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: this can be one of what I call my pandemic projects, 468 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 1: that that will, you know, give me something to come 469 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: out of this stronger than when I came into it. 470 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: Um And in the book, I talk about the need 471 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: to you to seek out inspiration. You know, there's sometimes 472 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: there is this you have the luxury of waiting for it. 473 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: I used to have that luxury when I first started 474 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: working in the business world, and somebody might hire me 475 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,360 Speaker 1: to create a custom piece or whatever every blue moon. 476 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: That was very rare. But most of my poets, we 477 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 1: just came from within me. It was just I'm mad 478 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: at my mom and I'm a writer mad at my 479 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: mom home. Or I'm you know, loving my mom and 480 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: I'm a writer love my mom poem, you know. And 481 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: now it's like, yo, I gotta knock out this cloud 482 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: computing piece by Wednesday, you know, And so it's a 483 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: different relationship that I have the inspiration now now have 484 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: a lover being able to just wait for it. I 485 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: have to go hunting for it. And I think that 486 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,479 Speaker 1: this is the time for that now because there's so 487 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: much noise right now, there's so many distractions, there's so 488 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: much negativity and fear of loss and pain and uncertainty 489 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: that we have to be more intentional about every thing 490 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,400 Speaker 1: really in our lives. We have to be intentional about 491 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: our morning routine. We have to be intentional about our 492 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: our you know, mobility. We have to be intentional about 493 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: everything during this but we also have to be intentional 494 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: about our about the hunt for inspiration. We got to 495 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,239 Speaker 1: go hunting for it. And if you hunt for it, 496 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: you'll find it. Right if you start paying attention to it, 497 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: you'll you'll see that thing that your kid did that 498 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: just you look at him, is like, oh God, that 499 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: was so moving. That's such a symbol of how we 500 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 1: need to be in the world. That was inspiring. Let 501 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 1: me write that down and man, this thing that this 502 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,639 Speaker 1: this politician said, this class roots activists said on television. 503 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: That made me going, that's what I'm feeling. That was inspiring. 504 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: Let me drop that down, right, and we begin to 505 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: we begin to hunt and to gather, and to hunt 506 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: and to gather, and to hunt and to gather, so 507 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: that when we have the need to be inspiring, we 508 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,359 Speaker 1: are pulling from the source of being inspired. First. We 509 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: have to be inspired to be inspiring, right, And that's 510 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: the thing that people have to realize, is that you 511 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: got to go out and hunt for that inspiration so 512 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: that you can live and inspired life first, so that 513 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: then you can help someone else to be to be inspired. 514 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: And so pay attention, stick that antenna up and start 515 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 1: and start documenting the ways that you're moved, the simple 516 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: thing that you're that move you. Because inspiration is a 517 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: very you know, amorphous, intangible concept. You know what is inspiration? 518 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: What does it mean to be inspired? It's very subjective 519 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,360 Speaker 1: and personal for each of us. And so I think 520 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: that we have to pay attention to that was inspiring 521 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: to me, That was inspiring to me, And the more 522 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: that we do that, the more that we'll realize, oh, well, 523 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: if that's all inspiration is, If that's all that it 524 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: took to inspire me, I'm sure somebody else feels like that. 525 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: And if that could inspire me, I could do that 526 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: for someone, I could say that for someone, I could 527 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: give up. I could take something and recontextualize it in 528 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: a way that does that for someone. And now inspiration 529 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 1: becomes a more accessible and you begin to access it 530 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: as a superpower that you've always had in you. You 531 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: just didn't know how to. You know, you didn't you 532 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: didn't have a cape in it and a spandex. You know. 533 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: I love that. Um. One of your incredibly inspiring moments 534 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: I would imagine would be when you found out that 535 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: you were nominated for Grammy in twenty nineteen. Yeah, you 536 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: are the first spoken word artists poetic voice to be 537 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 1: nominated in what was it, thirty years? So uh, you know, really, 538 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: if you're thinking about in the context of spoken word 539 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: poetry and spoken word poetry albums for thirty years, I 540 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: take nothing away from Doctor May Angelou and Nikki Giovanni 541 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 1: who won twelve years ago, seventeen years ago, one or nominated, 542 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: But they're also in our community. They're not They're not 543 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: thought of, and nor do I think of them. Think 544 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: they think of themselves as spoken word poets right, a 545 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: much more sort of literary right, literary poets who had 546 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: a book and then they read the book as an 547 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: audiobook and that got nominated as different than an album, 548 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: and ours was a top to bottom spoken word poetry album. 549 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: So that's why we say thirty years. What was that like? 550 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: I mean, let me just tell you the clips of 551 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: a full orchestra. The string theory behind um or in 552 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: or intertwined with your voice and your messages was beautiful. 553 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: It was it was It was. Um, It's something I 554 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: don't even think I used the word awe struck often, 555 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: but I'm going to use it now. Um what what retire? Now? What? Um? 556 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: What did that feel like to get that call? It 557 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: was in some ways indescribable. Um. You know, I went 558 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: after this with everything I had and yet and I 559 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: was met at every turn with that's awesome that you're 560 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: doing that. But really, you know what I mean, Like 561 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: like there was such enthusiasm and also such skepticism, like 562 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 1: come on, I don't want you to just like are 563 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: you what? Are you gonna tell me that you're gonna 564 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: fly to the moon next? You know what I mean? 565 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,479 Speaker 1: It was just kind of like like you're you're chasing 566 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 1: something that feels kind of impossible because, um, because of 567 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: the fact that we were always up against audio books 568 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: or But to be honest, also what drove me was 569 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: that because you know, you can't tell me impossible and 570 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: then make me think, I think it's gonna be a deterrent. 571 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: If anything, it's an attraction, right um. But what was 572 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: also a driver was the fact that some people didn't 573 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: know that it was as impossible as it is, because 574 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: they were shocked to find out that our category. The 575 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 1: reason why it's so impossible is because the spoken word 576 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: best spoken Word Album category has been dominated by all 577 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: the audiobooks. Right. Well, that's that's the challenge. I just 578 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 1: I want to make sure that's clear, because some people 579 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: look and go, why was it such a big deal. 580 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: You're a spoken word artist, that's the spoken word granny. 581 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: Why not? Right? Well, the reason is because we're not 582 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:13,239 Speaker 1: ever competing against spoken word artists. Were competing presidents and 583 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: celebrities and giant publishers that have these huge, huge books 584 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: and industries behind them that share the same category as poetry. 585 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: And a lot of people were shocked to hear that. 586 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: They were like that they shouldn't be together. Like when 587 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: I think spoken word, I don't think audio books. I 588 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: think the art of crafting spoken word poetry, not the 589 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: narration of a book. And so that was really what 590 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: made it so insurmountable. And so when we when we 591 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: got the win and we got the nomination, you know 592 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: that morning, so I'll tell you, I'll paint the same 593 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: for you. I I woke up and I had a 594 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,280 Speaker 1: whole lot of stuff going on in my life, and 595 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: my church had just said that they reinstating this super 596 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: early morning Wednesday prayer and I never go to those 597 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: kind of things, but I was like, you know what, 598 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: I got a lot going on right now, All right, 599 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 1: let me go handle that right and then and then 600 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: I found out so that was like five thirty in 601 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: the morning that was supposed to be happening. And then 602 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 1: I found out that the Granny announcement was going to 603 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:25,239 Speaker 1: be made at around five fifteen on CBS News. And 604 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:26,960 Speaker 1: so I was like, well, I was already playing on 605 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 1: being up. That's awesome. So I got up and I'm 606 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: making my coffee and I'm sitting down. I'm ready to go. 607 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: My wife's like, yo, we gotta go, we gotta go, 608 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: and I'm like, hold on, I have to hear this announcement. 609 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,479 Speaker 1: And they kept going the news kept going, you know, 610 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: and coming up the Grammy nominee announcements, but first and 611 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: they can't be crazy, And I was like, wait, I 612 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: was telling tell my wife, wait, I canti find this out. 613 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: So she was like, well, it's supposed to be up 614 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: on the website. Why don't we just drive the church 615 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: and we can find out on the you know, on 616 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: the website. When we pull up and halfway uh there, 617 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: I got a call from my Thin brand manager who 618 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: who was like, did you see the news? And he 619 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: was like, we got it, say Coo Andrew was in 620 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: a stream theory nominated and we were just like I 621 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: pulled over and my wife started screaming, and I'm in 622 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 1: the car and we were like, I remember hearing these moments, 623 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 1: these famous stories you hear of like yeah, Button Pepper 624 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:18,880 Speaker 1: the first time they hurt themselves on the radio, and 625 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,359 Speaker 1: they pulled over and we're dancing in their car, you know, 626 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: and I was like, this was that kind of moment 627 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:25,879 Speaker 1: for me. Suddenly I'm just I'm just screaming and my 628 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:28,720 Speaker 1: wife's kind and we're having this amazing moment. And then 629 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: we pulled up five minutes later and we walked into 630 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: the church and we just got our prayer on and 631 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: our gratitude on, and we was like, you know what, 632 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 1: there could be no better place for me to be 633 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: right now than to be in this sort of room 634 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: and spirit of just gratitude, pure praise and worship and 635 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: gratitude for all that I have in my life. And 636 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,239 Speaker 1: let me take this moment right now. And you know, 637 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: I wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't prepared for it, 638 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: even though it was something that I completely chased mentally, 639 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: I hadn't even cleared space on my calendar for the 640 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 1: next round of campaigning. And I told my team, we're good, 641 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 1: the boats are in, We're good, you know. And then 642 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: suddenly we got the nomination and I was like, oh, 643 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 1: we didn't even make space for this, you know. So 644 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: it was it was crazy, but it was. It was 645 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: a joy to be nominated. It was a joy to 646 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 1: be in the same category as Michelle Obama. It was 647 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:18,359 Speaker 1: a joy to get beat by, you know, the most 648 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: beloved first lady and and one of the best selling 649 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: autobiographies ever. Like all of it, it was just win 650 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: after win for me. So I got no complaints. That 651 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: was gonna be My next question was going to be 652 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: about Michelle Obama. I'm given the fact that you were 653 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: talking about audio books, but I'm thinking, if there is 654 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: anyone that I would ever want to be beat by 655 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: in life, it's gonna be her. Exactly. It's gonna be here, like, 656 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: oh man, who are you beat by? Michelle? Oh? Okay? 657 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: Well I told one of my friends called me and 658 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 1: he was like, yeah, I was talking to my life. 659 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,439 Speaker 1: You know, it's my ten year old daughter. And I said, 660 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, hey, you know uncle sak who um just 661 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: got you know, nominated? I mean, I just got you know, 662 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: did the Grammys celebration? This is this was after the 663 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: awards and and she goes, really wow. She goes did 664 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 1: he win? And he was like no, he didn't win. 665 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: And she goes, well who you know? Who who did 666 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: he get? And he was like, well it was Michelle 667 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 1: Obama and it's ten year old kid win. Well yeah 668 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: for her, it was like, well of course, man, you know, 669 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 1: but come on, if Michelle Obama is going to be 670 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: in a category, she's gonna win. Come on. Um No, 671 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: that's extraordinary. One of the last question that I always 672 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,040 Speaker 1: asked my guests on PM mood um and I feel 673 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: like for you you've already you've given us so much 674 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: um in terms of how you find inspiration. But to 675 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:46,919 Speaker 1: put a finer point on it, I asked guests, how 676 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: do you get in the mood to change the world. 677 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 1: What is it that you do? How do you get 678 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: into that space, that headspace um to do the work 679 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:01,320 Speaker 1: that you do. How do I get in the mood 680 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:11,279 Speaker 1: to change the world? I would probably say that it's 681 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: probably three things. I get in them. I get in 682 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:21,239 Speaker 1: the mood to change the world by first identifying how 683 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: it is that I need to serve the world and 684 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: being purposeful in that, you know, that's really what drives me. 685 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 1: That was the beauty of the Grammy nomination. It was 686 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 1: not that it was not just that it was the 687 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: wind for me as an artist, but even more that 688 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: it was the wind for our art form, and that 689 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,400 Speaker 1: it was helping to helping me to serve my purpose 690 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 1: of creating that model of possibilities for spoken word artists 691 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,400 Speaker 1: that didn't believe, you know, things were possible beforehand. So 692 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 1: that spirit of serviceness, a spirit of service, is the 693 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: first thing that I think gets me in the mood 694 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 1: to change the world. I would say the second thing 695 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:58,280 Speaker 1: is is the spirit of collaboration, you know, surrounding myself 696 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,920 Speaker 1: with people that are that than me, that are greater 697 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,920 Speaker 1: than me at things that that that fill in for 698 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: my weaknesses with their strengths. UM. That pushed my creativity, push, 699 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,719 Speaker 1: push my envelope. I mean, that's what the string theory was. 700 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,720 Speaker 1: The string theory is a fifty It's the fifty person 701 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:19,760 Speaker 1: neo classical orchestra that has everything from electronica and bagpipe 702 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 1: and you know, DJ's in addition to your your your 703 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 1: string quartets. And the thought of what an orchestra that 704 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: is innovating classical music could do with a spoken word 705 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: artist that's innovating spoken word poetry. That was exciting to me. 706 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:35,399 Speaker 1: That got me in the mood to say, let's let's 707 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: go change something. Um And that was one of the 708 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 1: greatest compliments. I'm one of my competitors, actually, Alex Eric 709 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:46,360 Speaker 1: Alex alexandrakis trying to pronouncing his name, was one of 710 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,759 Speaker 1: my fellow nominees and he came to me afterwards and 711 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: he said, you have forever changed this category. And that 712 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: was so gratifying for me because it took that spirit 713 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: of collaboration for us to do that. Um, and then 714 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: I think the third thing, it's just, you know, just 715 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: hope and belief in yourself and joy and kind of 716 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: that passion that goes along with doing what you love. 717 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 1: You know, they say you do what you love and 718 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:12,359 Speaker 1: love what you do. And I really try to bring 719 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,760 Speaker 1: that into the spirit of everything that I'm doing because 720 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: right now when I'm in a new place of trying 721 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: to save the world and trying to serve the world, 722 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 1: and I save the world, and it makes sure I 723 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: correct that of serving the world, and because the world 724 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,280 Speaker 1: has such a high need, and the message that I'm sending, 725 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,600 Speaker 1: my sending to my community, to my clients, to my tribe, 726 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: to their communities is that, yeah, I get it. I 727 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,839 Speaker 1: get that the live gatherings were shut have been shut down, 728 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: But the live gatherings were for the purpose of finding inspiration. 729 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 1: Live gatherings for the purpose of creating togetherness, right, so 730 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 1: the need for togetherness is still there, the need for 731 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: inspiration is still there, and it exists now more than ever. 732 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 1: And that's where it is that I'm trying to make 733 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: sure I'm partnering with my clients organizations, letting them know 734 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: all way that we virtually from where we are can 735 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: still help them inspire and serve that need for inspiration. 736 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 1: That to me, that serving that need and the joy 737 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 1: that comes with that, that's real big for helping me, 738 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,960 Speaker 1: helping me to get in the mood to tampact as well. 739 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 1: Beautiful Secu, thank you so much for joining PM mood. 740 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 1: You are a gift with wonderful Thank you for having me, 741 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: and thank you for saying that I appreciate it for joy. 742 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to PM mood as always, you can 743 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,880 Speaker 1: hear episodes every week for free, and my daily political podcast, 744 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: Woke a F Daily, is on Patreon for just five 745 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,759 Speaker 1: dollars a month at patreon dot com slash woke a F. 746 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 1: That's five dollars a month for five shows a week, 747 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: so check it out. If you're in the mood for 748 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 1: more of me, Danielle Moody, follow me on Twitter and 749 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:56,279 Speaker 1: Instagram at D two cents d e E two c 750 00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:00,399 Speaker 1: e nts, and as always, stay in the PM mood 751 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: to change the world.