1 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: What's up. I'm Laura Currency and I'm Alexa Kristen. Welcome 2 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: back to ed Landia. Got a great show. Rakia Reynolds, 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: executive officer and founder of sky Blue Media's here before 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: we get to Rakia, Laura and I, as you guys know, 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: talk all the time about random threads and philosophies. So 6 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: this morning you sent me the IKEA catalog. Ikea did 7 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: an audio catalog, all the whole catalog, like four hours, 8 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: four hours, a marathon of audio. The point to me, 9 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: and the thing that we were talking about is that 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: now commerce is kind of unbound. It should have no 11 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: boundaries at this point, and that's really where we're getting to. 12 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: And it's interesting, like if you think about commerce not 13 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: having any boundaries of format, the fact that you could 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: buy anything anywhere and that you should have the ability 15 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: to do that as a as a consumer, it's really exciting. 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: And then what conversely does that do to advertising? Is 17 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: it a podcast? Is it an audio instruction manual? It's 18 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: like an audio catalog from the standpoint of it's trying 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: to story tell and help you visualize rooms in the catalog, 20 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: like what they would actually be showing in the catalog. 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: But I think the big point is this idea that 22 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: you should be able to buy from audio content. Content 23 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: should be commerce period, full stop well and also new 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: and interesting ways to literate or build on and keep 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: a consumer engaged. Right, what's really exciting is creation. Commerce, 26 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: an asset, right, or artifact or thing that's created are 27 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: coming together in a way that I don't think we've 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: ever experienced, not something that's been accessible like this. What 29 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: does the world look like where campaigns become open sourced. 30 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: Let's just say I Ka puts that for our catalog down, 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: and you and I have the ability to come in 32 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: and say, actually we should drop a meditation here, and 33 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: then you can submit that back to a brand, not 34 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: in the form of social media feedback, truly having the 35 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: opportunity and open source campaign to be able as a fan, consumer, etcetera, 36 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: to contribute, influence, contribute. I don't want to just be 37 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: a fan of your company or your brand or your product. 38 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: I want to own a part of it. In a 39 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: different way. I want to own part of that. I 40 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: p that fiduciary relationship means we have a completely entirely 41 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: different relationship that we haven't even been able to imagine 42 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: with our consumer that we trust them enough if they 43 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: are fans to represent that brand, shareholders in the business, yes, 44 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: and create on it. But at the end of the day, 45 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: that all comes back to community. You're talking about trust 46 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: in the consumer. Yes, how well do you know your community? Yes? 47 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: And the thing Laura, totally and the thing that has 48 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: been on my mind. A lot of brand owners, a 49 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: lot of brand stewards not even gonna call them marketers 50 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 1: because it's beyond the marketing organization or the marketing role, 51 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: talk about having community, that they've built a community or 52 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: that they're part of a community. And that may be true, 53 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: but more often than not, brands and people at brands 54 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: are talking about their community as buyers, as buyers transaction 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: transaction I have, we have we have people that like us, 56 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: we have people that buy us, they like this product. 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: We have this community of buyers and that they're like 58 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: community of buyers. That's a sales force breadsheet. We're going 59 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: to talk to for Kia about this, but I think 60 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: that it behooves us to start to really unpack, like 61 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: what makes up a community. I think that right now 62 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: is a really good time for marketers to be thoughtful 63 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: about some of the new structure and new kind of 64 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: points of power, as I would say, that are coming 65 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: to life in the world. There's an army of natural 66 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: born marketers who are rising, and they know how to 67 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: sell and probably in some cases are better product marketers 68 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: and brand marketers then marketers. You've got a major institutionalized companies, 69 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: you know, big corporates, and so if you think about that, 70 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: it starts to become depending on where you stand, is 71 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: either really exciting or maybe a little bit scary. We'll 72 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: be right back and we are back on the mic 73 00:04:55,640 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: with Rikiya Reynolds, founder and executive officer of sky Blue Media. 74 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: Sky Blue is a multimedia strategic communications firm focus on people, 75 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: products and places. Rikia, we have waited so long to 76 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: say this. Welcome to Atlantia. Welcome Rikia. Oh my gosh, 77 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: thank you so much, y'all. This is such a long 78 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: time coming, Like for real, I'm excited to be here. 79 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: You're just celebrating your tenure anniversary, recently named to Forbes 80 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: one thousand like last week. Congratulationslations to you, thank you, 81 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: thank you. Working with some of the biggest talent and 82 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: brands in the industry. Tell us about the origin story 83 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: of how sky Blue came to be. Oh, I love 84 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: you know, I love a good origin story. I like 85 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: to call it the story behind the glory. Um. I 86 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,119 Speaker 1: recently actually on Instagram recently recap the last decade because 87 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: we're in our celebratory tenth year at sky Blue Media. 88 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: So I broke it down into sort of business growth 89 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: stages or the stages of business, so like zero to 90 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: three and then four to six and what did that 91 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: look like? Um, So, I will say the story behind 92 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: this glory is that I started sky Blue Media. I 93 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: was a former TV producer. I worked in magazines. I 94 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: had a five year stint in working in higher education 95 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: for a large university, working on I was actually pursuing 96 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: my degree in counseling psychology, working with students who were 97 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: suffering from you know, going to college and what it meant. 98 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: So I was advising a lot of students as as 99 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: a counselor. So I worked for five years in higher education, 100 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: then went onto TV, then went onto magazines. And working 101 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: in TV, y'all, it was more than an emotional roller 102 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: coaster because in the world of TV, you're on, you're off, 103 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: your you have a hiatus, you go dark and I 104 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: was like, I can't keep doing this. But one day 105 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: they called us into the office and I was like, 106 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,559 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is so exciting. They were like, okay, 107 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: we're having a special meeting and they said special, but 108 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: I took it as like they're giving us like something exciting. 109 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: They brought us in they had envelopes for everyone, and 110 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,679 Speaker 1: I was like, oh my gosh, bring getting a bonus 111 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: right when I needed this bonus. It was like super exciting. 112 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: And so we opened the bonus and it was like 113 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: an additional check and I was like, oh my gosh, 114 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 1: like we've done such a great job. I was working 115 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: on all of these shows and they were like, okay, 116 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: so this is the last check for everyone. We're laying 117 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: everybody off. And I was like, oh, I'm sorry, this 118 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: is not a work bonus that we're getting. So I 119 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: was I was pregnant with our second child, my husband 120 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: was just finishing greadful. I mean, when I tell you, 121 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: I was like trying to figure out like are we 122 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: gonna have old meal for dinner or tuna fish sandwiches 123 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: for dinner? Like it was it was that like my 124 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: friends are like we like to say, like a struggle sandwich. 125 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: It was like a struggle sandwich. And so at that 126 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: point I was like, I don't really have anything to lose. 127 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: I've always been a risk taker. Why don't I sort 128 00:07:56,120 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: of jump off this cliff of entrepreneurship, start my own company, 129 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: take all of the things that I've learned from, you know, 130 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: from TV and magazines and counseling, psychology and studying all 131 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: of these amazing people, and sort of disrupt the traditional 132 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: model of public relations. And then I started my own 133 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: agency taking all of the things that I had learned 134 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: in TV, you know, producing traditional pr psychology, and then 135 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: formed my own digital communications multimedia coms agency like you 136 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: just imagined it forward. And what I think is interesting 137 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: what you told us off Mike, and I want to 138 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: actually ask you about, is that you don't call yourself 139 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: a CEO. You can call yourself a chief, which is 140 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: probably aligned to your philosophy and your ethos and your values. 141 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: Tell us why you don't call yourself a CEO? Right, So, 142 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: I think we need to analyze words more. We need 143 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: to look at the etymology of words, We need to 144 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,719 Speaker 1: look at the origin of words. And there are a 145 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: lot of culture vultures out there, people appropriating. There's so 146 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: much miseducation, and so when I get to the point 147 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: where I feel like I am educated completely, fully and 148 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: amazingly or acutely aware of my surroundings and the words 149 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: and why we use them, then I may incorporate them 150 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 1: back into my lexicon. But for now, with the foundation 151 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: that I have been taught, with the history that I 152 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: was taught as a child and then as a and 153 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: as an adolescent and as an adult, I don't think 154 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: that I was educated to the point where I should 155 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: be using any of the language that was delivered to me. 156 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: We're very intentional with what we say, Like we don't 157 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: say things like oh, that's tone deaf. Instead of saying 158 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: like that's tone deaf, we may say, well, it lacks 159 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: the nuance needed to inform the conversation, so we won't 160 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: say or it's a blind spot. Will say, hey, you 161 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: know what, let's make sure that we cover all parameters. 162 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: So for us, it's really about the intentionality of words. 163 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: I've actually had a client that is of the deaf 164 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: and heart of hearing community, So in terms of being 165 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: informed and sometimes for folks, there's I think that there 166 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: is like personal empathy and collective empathy, and once we 167 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: get to a space of collective empathy where we can 168 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: like put our thoughts aside and really be intentional. Um. 169 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: I noticed that on calls I will take a little 170 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: bit of time or process my thoughts, But with words, 171 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: I really tried to slow it down to say, why 172 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: are we using these words? What will it mean to 173 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: someone else, and how will it impact someone who may 174 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: hear this or experience this later on down the line. 175 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: So we typically will look at all of our words, 176 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: but no chief, no chief in this executive officer over here. 177 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: As you were introducing sky Blue at the top of 178 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: the conversation, you said you were going back through chapters 179 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: right where there are points along the way that shaped 180 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: or evolved the way you approached your work. Yeah. I 181 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: think there were two pivotal moments in my sort of 182 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: sky Blue media career or history. One was sort of midpoint, 183 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: maybe three or four years in. I was faced with 184 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: so many different challenges where I was not hiring people, 185 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: I wasn't hiring the right people, and so I had 186 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: the wrong people surrounding me. I had someone steal mail, 187 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: steal money, all of these things. It was like a 188 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: compounded stressor for me, and what I learned was how 189 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: to respond to things during a crisis because I was 190 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: in a constant crisis. Constant I mean with employees, with news, 191 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: with all of these things that were just happening to me. 192 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: It was a compounded stress moment. So for me, it 193 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: was a pivotal moment to learn how to maneuver through 194 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: chaos and crisis. And then I will say sort of 195 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: bad us forward when we really started at the beginning 196 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: of my career, people because I'm a black woman, would say, 197 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: we want you to work on all of our black marketing, 198 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: or we want you to work on this, or we 199 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: want you to work on that. And it became like 200 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 1: this multicultural marketing way of bringing us into companies like, oh, 201 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: you know, larger corporations would be like and I would say, 202 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: you don't just bring someone in because of the way 203 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: they look. It's their expertise. Let me build this a 204 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 1: little more. So it's not just you know, the black market, 205 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: but it's the indigenous cultures market. It is the Latin 206 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,599 Speaker 1: X market, it is the l g B t q 207 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: i A market, it is the Asian American and Pacific 208 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: Islanders market. So I started doing a lot of research, 209 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: bringing in people that had their PhD in sociology, bringing 210 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: in people that were experts in their field to do 211 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: think tanks, workshops, professional development to inform our teams in 212 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: order to effectively communicate. And then we started bringing those 213 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: folks in as consultants to have brand extensions to our 214 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: work because I don't think that everyone out there should 215 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: be doing the work that they're doing because they're not 216 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: an expert in their field. Just because you did one 217 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: project or um, you have one case study, I don't 218 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: think that you should. You know, you can be doing 219 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: the work. I think when people become seasoned in their fields, 220 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: that's when you can put it on your website. That's 221 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: when you should say this is you know what we do. 222 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: So I think for me getting into the space of 223 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: like research and expertise and really sort of refining what 224 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: are offerings are and were we were able to go 225 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: beyond the lens of marketing, public relations, social media, and 226 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: digital media. I think there have been all of these 227 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: pivotal learning moments in my career. UM and then the 228 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: work that we get to do, and then the people 229 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: that I've sort of surrounded myself with and the folks 230 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: that are running the company in a way that I 231 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: never thought would run. You talk about and Laura's told 232 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,719 Speaker 1: me about this, but I want to get into it more. People, products, places. 233 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: That's what you do well, and that's how you think 234 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: about your business. Can you explain that a bit more? Yeah, 235 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: I love you know, like alliteration, and and I have 236 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: to when I'm remembering things. But on the people's side, um, 237 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: I think really early on and Laura knows this, really 238 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 1: early on, we were able to work with Ashley Graham 239 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: for the first five years of her business and build 240 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: her brand and you know, work with her on what 241 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: she or her presence in how she was entering the world. 242 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: So from a people's standpoint, we worked with Serena Williams 243 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: on her apparel brand for HSN and then when she 244 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: went independently, we still, you know, we still have the 245 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: honor to work with people such as you know, icons 246 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: like Serena Williams. We work with people such as m 247 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: Night Shamalan, and people such as Marley Dais who started 248 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: hashtag one thousand black girl books, social activists like Alicia Garza, 249 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: authors like Glenn and Doyle and love You a gi Ye. 250 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,479 Speaker 1: So like, you know, we look from a people standpoint, 251 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: We've got some amazing people that we get to work 252 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: with on and I'm honored and privileged that we get 253 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: to learn from them and work with them. On the 254 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: product side. That p is getting to work with larger 255 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: tech companies like Dell. UM we work with soft Bank, 256 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: we work with Airbnb, UM, and I'm like forgetting a 257 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: couple of folks, but I'll just leave it at that. 258 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: And then on the place space, I think you leave 259 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: it like soft Bank Airbnb, you pretty much got it 260 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: locked up. You're good. And let me be specific, the 261 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: soft Bank SB Opportunity Fund, that's what we work on UM. 262 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: And then yeah, on the places space. So just I 263 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: worked with cities like Memphis and their storytelling. Cities like 264 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: Philadelphia hired us, you know years ago on o hey, 265 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: we have all of this research, how do we distill 266 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: this and make it into a great story. So cities 267 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: from a place ending standpoint have hired us on storytelling 268 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: for them. What are the signments, projects, opportunities, challenges people 269 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: are calling with right now? And then what you project 270 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: over the next you know, twelve to eighteen months. What 271 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: are the areas within comms um that we really need 272 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: to be thinking about as an industry and just sort 273 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: of trends and signals you're picking up based on your conversations. Yeah, 274 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: I think I would say a lot of people call 275 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: on us now, and I want to be clear, all 276 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: of our clients have been with us for years. We 277 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: we don't typically take on projects, and I always tell folks, 278 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: you know, we're in it for the long term, in 279 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: the long run. You know, some of our clients have 280 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: been on our board for five years because we don't 281 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: believe in you know, coming in for a sixty day 282 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: project or a six month project. I think right now 283 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: we've actually had to say no to a lot of 284 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: companies because they are calling us. They see our clients 285 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: perfectly position in the marketplace on what to say and 286 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: how to say it. So it's one of the things 287 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: that it pains me sometimes because I'm like, if we had, 288 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: you know, a larger team, or if I wanted to 289 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: take on more clients, that would help said corporation or 290 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: help dead person. But we've closed the door, you know, 291 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: sadly enough to to a lot of folks just saying hey, 292 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: we are we're not taking on any more clients. And 293 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: so what we did start to do was we created 294 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: this monthly tool kit on effective communications. So every month 295 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: we put out this tool kid, like, here's what you 296 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: should be saying, here's how you should say it. Here 297 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: the words that you should refrain from. And we we 298 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,719 Speaker 1: give it to companies that were unable to work with 299 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: right now due to our capacity um so that they 300 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: can use it as an internal learning tool with their 301 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,360 Speaker 1: comms and marketing teams. What's been the reaction to them 302 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: and are there things that you know, you're you're seeing 303 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: clients maybe not be aware of and saying like, this 304 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: is something I'm to be implementing as a result. Oh goodness, 305 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: I mean so many you know, they're you know, large 306 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: corporations that have come to us and said, hey, we 307 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 1: didn't know that we should be you know, considering or 308 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:17,239 Speaker 1: looking at Indigenous People's Day instead of Thanksgiving, or you know, 309 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: not being super overt with our messages around July fourth 310 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: because not all black people were free and you know, 311 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: this is how we are looking at Juneteenth, or this 312 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: is how we're looking at the word feminist, because typically 313 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: the word feminist is assist, gendered, white woman and not 314 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: inclusive of all communities, or this is how we're thinking 315 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: of the world. I mean, there's there's so many. So 316 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: we put one out for Women's History Month and said, 317 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: this is how people are going to be acknowledging it. 318 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: Make sure you are careful around this language. Not every 319 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: woman looks at, you know, sort of Women's Month in 320 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: this way because not all folks were included. So when 321 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: you look from a lens of historical irrelevance going back, 322 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: you have to really really go back and say where 323 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: did it start? What is the origin? Right we talked 324 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: about origin, what is the origin story? And how did 325 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: this come about? And did it include all people? And 326 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: if it didn't include all people, let's sort of remix 327 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: the vocabulary a little bit and say this is how 328 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: we're going to be approaching it now. Not all companies 329 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: have to do that. I mean not all companies serve 330 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: all communities. I mean, I can't speak for everyone, but 331 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: I would think that where we are in one, you know, 332 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: we should be more on the gender list side because 333 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 1: of the way that you know, folks identify. We should 334 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: be thinking about every single word that we're putting on 335 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: an email because you don't know how it will impact 336 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: someone I think we're beyond diversity and inclusion and we're 337 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: at the space of belonging and mattering. Do people feel 338 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 1: like they belong in your space? Like, do they feel 339 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: like they should be there? I think I read a 340 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: great research a poor a while ago and it said 341 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: that not belonging, not feeling like you belong inside of 342 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: a company or space is akin to physical pain. So 343 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: pay attention to the people that call out of work. 344 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: It's not and it is akin to physical pain. So 345 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: I think we just have to be It just goes 346 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: back to that intentionality. I have a question, Rikia, like 347 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: we're in this time where we're in massive social upheaval. 348 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 1: Still millions and millions of people just in this country 349 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: out of jobs, you know, health crisis like we've never 350 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: seen in the history of the world, in the history 351 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,239 Speaker 1: of the world and the history of the I mean 352 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: think about right. My daughter by the way side now 353 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: asked me the other night, um what I did when 354 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 1: I was a little kid during the virus and I said, oh, honey, 355 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: we don't have the virus. And I had a moment 356 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: like I was like, WHOA. So I guess the question 357 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: to come back to is we're in unprecedented times like 358 00:20:55,880 --> 00:21:01,679 Speaker 1: everyone has said too much and instead of brands going 359 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: backwards in terms of kind of reverting into fear and 360 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: non communication, not talking about things, not addressing things, not 361 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: kind of driving their reputation forward and their perspective for it. 362 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: How do they imagine it forward like you did in 363 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: your own career. How do you both be bold and 364 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: empathetic at a time like this. I do think in 365 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:33,880 Speaker 1: my field, in the world of communications, I think folks 366 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: need to pause and hit the breaks. Um they're people, are, 367 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: you know, scrambling and trying their best. I see it 368 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,400 Speaker 1: and it's like, Wow, you'all are really trying. Let's get 369 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: the right people in and that's good. You know, was 370 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: the year of words and beyond should be the year 371 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: and years of the works? What is the work that 372 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: you're doing so you set all those things in T twenty, 373 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: What is the work that you're putting in, you know, 374 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: in one What does it look like? What councils have 375 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: you formed? What does it look like in terms of 376 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: your employee hiring, your employee resource groups, the comms people 377 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: that you've brought on, the marketing people. Who are the 378 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: people that really do have the seat at the table. 379 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: Who are the decision makers? Who is scanning your language? 380 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: Who is helping you to inform your decisions. If I'm 381 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: sitting here typing an email to you in Google automates 382 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: and finishes it, am I really going to be intentional? 383 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: Am I really gonna go and click more keys? Or 384 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: am I gonna scroll that little arrow over, finish the 385 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,439 Speaker 1: sentence and put a period? Most of the time scroll 386 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: it over and put a period. Can you tell us 387 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: about some of the other projects, including the AI platform 388 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: that you're working on. And I'm actually building an ethical 389 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: intelligence platform as a product of all of the work 390 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: that we've done in the equity and communications space with 391 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: sky Blue Media UH to help marketers and communicators make 392 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,440 Speaker 1: more informed decisions when they're writing and marketing. So that 393 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: will launch sometime later this year. Who are you building that? 394 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: So girl, listen, I'm actually building my advisory board now. 395 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: So are brought on two advisors who are advising me. 396 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: And I just secured my first angel investment, so I 397 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: know I'm not supposed to thank you, But he is 398 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: the vs knees okay, Like he's invested in a lot 399 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: of companies. When I pitched him over the phone without 400 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,120 Speaker 1: a deck. He was like, Rakia, the world needs this. 401 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: I don't make investments like this. I've not done this 402 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 1: in three years, but this is what the world needs. 403 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: And then with a media company, a big media entity, um, 404 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: I am building a community of women who are not 405 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: quite forty yet but not they can't be on the 406 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: under thirty list. I noticed in the market space, we 407 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,360 Speaker 1: have all of these like milestones lists right like it's 408 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm on the under thirty lists, I'm on the over 409 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: fifty list, But what about the people that are right 410 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: in between, like I'm i might not be forty, I'm 411 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: thirty seven, I'm getting there, or I might be a 412 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: little over forty. And so I found that that there 413 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: was a good market space and place for people that 414 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: were in this forty issue. There they you know, they 415 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: figured it out. However, they still have questions. They still 416 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: need a community. There's someone's mentor, but they need a mentor. 417 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: They've sponsored people, they've done all the things, but they 418 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: still need someone to do all the things for them. 419 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: So I think in the world of micro communities and 420 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: the trend of micro communities, where it's the kitchen table 421 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: is where we need to be focusing. What do you 422 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: think the future of talent is when you start to 423 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: actually invest in micro communities. I think in terms of 424 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 1: talent as it relates to community, there are folks that 425 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: will crumble because they've not built the community before they 426 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,199 Speaker 1: needed the community. And so people are scrambling now to 427 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: make sure that they've built some sort of community and 428 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: they built it when they needed the community. So build 429 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: communities before you need the community. Built community because you 430 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 1: want community, because you value community, because you want to 431 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: foster community. Don't build the community as you need it. 432 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: What would be your advice to just get started in 433 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: that capacity? So if there are creators listening or brands 434 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: who want to build community, how do you get started? 435 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: So I think there are a couple of ways to 436 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: answer that, but I would start with folks that are 437 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: in the nano influencer space. A SOS very early on 438 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: started working with nano influencers, and they were working with 439 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,400 Speaker 1: like really nano influencers, folks that had like five hundred 440 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: and six hundred followers on Instagram. And they did that 441 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: because they saw the spike in the engagement, because their 442 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,479 Speaker 1: communities really trusted them. So I tend to look at 443 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,680 Speaker 1: folks is lower followings because I do know that it's 444 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: in organic following, So looking at their messages, how they're posting, 445 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,879 Speaker 1: how their people are commenting. You could have someone that 446 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,679 Speaker 1: has a thousand followers and they get three hundred likes 447 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: or engagements, and I know we don't measure it on that, 448 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: but just sort of for an optics standpoint, I sort 449 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: of like will go in just to just kind of look, 450 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: and then you could have someone with like ten thousand 451 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: followers with three hundred likes, and you can easily sort 452 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: of deduce that these folks don't have a really engaged audience, 453 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 1: or they have fake followers, or their people don't really 454 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: care what they're posting. And you have to understand because 455 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: of algorithmic changes frequently and the rug can be pulled 456 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: out of under your foot at any given time. Build 457 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,919 Speaker 1: a trusted community that and that's really that's really just it. 458 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 1: Build a trusted community. Asked the people, like, if you're in, 459 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: if you're into you know, sort of influencer and you 460 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: want to build a community, ask your people why they 461 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: are following you? Post a photo? Why are you following me? 462 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: Someone might say to me, I might think that people 463 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,239 Speaker 1: are following me because of business. Hey, rich kid, we're 464 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: following you because you give business advice. And they don't 465 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,959 Speaker 1: give two shakes a ship about my business advice. They 466 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,239 Speaker 1: might just say we follow you because we like your 467 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: blue glasses. And when you post yourself wearing different color sneakers, 468 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: so then it's like, oh, they like what I'm wearing, 469 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: So I need to serve the audience. Can we talk 470 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: about story creation? How do you think about building from 471 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 1: ground zero? The story and the story are like the 472 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:40,360 Speaker 1: strategic story of a brand, a person, a place, a product. 473 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: How does your team do that differently? I think it 474 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: for us starting the stories, it depends on the person. 475 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 1: There's no cut, copy and paste answer to that. But 476 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: I think what we like to do is start from 477 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 1: the beginning. We're huge fans of like historically, what does 478 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 1: this mean? I like to break things down. I also 479 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 1: like to understand the way that our brains work. Our 480 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: brains work in stories. Everything is the beginning, middle, and end. 481 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: There's a one to three, there's an ABC. So how 482 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 1: do you do that with the storytelling? What is the beginning? 483 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: What do you want to say? How do you want 484 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 1: to attract people? Why do they care um. We used 485 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: to say in the office all of the time. You know, 486 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: there's no new news. If you don't have any new news, 487 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 1: you don't need to tell a story. Or you know, 488 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: all marketers will say, what is that they're there. We 489 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: firmly believe in that. Like, if you want to go 490 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:37,879 Speaker 1: out to market with the story and you want to, 491 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: you know, proclaim it to the world, make sure you 492 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: have it. They're there. Make sure you know your why 493 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: before you start to tell other folks. Make sure make 494 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: sure you understand the importance of the impact that you're 495 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: going to sort of extend out to the world. I 496 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: think all of us are rushing to tell a story 497 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: because we're like, we want to get a message out. 498 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: We or for people that are influencers, we want to 499 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: get followers, we want we want to attract people. But 500 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,719 Speaker 1: do you believe your own story? Do you believe it? Like, 501 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: do you believe it? Can you nurture that one story? 502 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 1: You don't have to talk just to talk, you know, 503 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: save it for you know, save it for something else, 504 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: for the group chat, and save it for the group chat. 505 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: Hype your girls up in your group Chad, do it? 506 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: Don't know WhatsApp that's why, that's why I am. I 507 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: love the idea of people in micro communities because the 508 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: conversations are a little more closed off in their slag channels, 509 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 1: you know, their slag groups. You know, I have a 510 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: list of what'sapp groups that I'm involved in, or telegram 511 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: groups or um now you know people are taking it 512 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: off of What's happen and starting their own apps. What 513 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: is the most effective channel for creators or talent today? 514 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: But I think you work with what works best for you, 515 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: and it goes back to meeting your audience where they 516 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: are and how they're consuming media. It's not how you 517 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: want to tell your story, it's how are people receiving 518 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: your story, consuming your story and relating to your story. Okay, Rikia, 519 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: before you go, we need to do our game. I'm 520 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 1: gonna be really intentional about our words. What would you 521 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: get rid of in the world could be anything. What 522 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: would you buy, what would you acquire? And what would 523 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: you do yourself? What I would get rid of is clutter. 524 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: I keep a lot of stuff, y'all. So that's my 525 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: first thing. My husband would be so proud. Um. I 526 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: would get rid of a lot of stuff in my closet, 527 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: things that this girl cannot fit in anymore. I fit 528 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: into anymore and still dreams to fit into. Let girl, 529 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,120 Speaker 1: you are not a six. Throw the clothes out. Forty 530 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: ish was for ish and four ish is about seven 531 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: sizes away. Yeah, I'm girl, you are not going to 532 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: be a six again. And stop dreaming. Get in that 533 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: good tin and you're gonna be Okay, what would you buy? 534 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: I would love to acquire other companies. They're right at 535 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: the cusp of doing the things that they're supposed to 536 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: do in the right way, so that we could work 537 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: with him on doing the right things in the way 538 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: that they should do them for the future. Give us 539 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: an example. I can't do that because I am trying to. 540 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: I'm actually trying to acquire a few companies. Okay, but 541 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: you'll you'll come back and tell us once acquire Yes, okay, 542 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: And what would you do yourself that you're not already doing. 543 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: I'm a good vacation lady, Like I mean tears y'all 544 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: because I don't get to go on vacation. Um, but 545 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: is that like a thing like you're all saying, like 546 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: what would I do? I would go on at vacation. 547 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: I would go on some sort of sort of vacation 548 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: to recharge and center myself at least every other month. 549 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: What's the first place we're going somewhere? Oh my gosh, 550 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: I would love to go to mad I do want 551 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: to do I'm in I like my families from the Islands, 552 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: so I'd love to just do something like I'd love 553 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: to go to St. Thomas. Um. I need the sand 554 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: and the water, like that's who I am. But then 555 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: I want to do I want to do a camping trip. 556 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: I'm afraid of the woods, Like I don't like snakes, 557 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: I don't like any of that kind of stuff. But 558 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: I want to like get myself to do like a 559 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: camping trip, just to say, Rickia, you did the camping trip. Um. 560 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: I want to go to the desert. I want to 561 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: tree in a lake. Yes, I want to go to 562 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: Joshua Tree. We have so many things to do. We'll 563 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: do that. I'm like, I just want to go to 564 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: dinner with the both of you, but I'll do it 565 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: any of those places. I love that. We were like 566 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: what would you do yourself? And it became what are 567 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: we gonna do? You just tell us where we go? 568 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: Where are we going? Rickia? Because we'll be there, Rickia Reynolds. 569 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: If people want to get in touch with you, learn 570 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 1: more about sky Blue, do business with you. How do 571 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:48,680 Speaker 1: they get in touch with you? Um, you can just 572 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: follow me on Instagram, Rickia Reynolds, because that's the easiest 573 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: place to find me at Rikia Reynolds are a k 574 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: I A Reynolds like the rep love it Rickia. Rickia, 575 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: you are like a breath of fresh air. And uh wow, 576 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: I hope the industry gets a lot more of you. 577 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: And I'm so excited about your ethical language AI technology. 578 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: Just one last parting thought, what about an eyewear line, Rickia. 579 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: You know what someone said that before, I would love 580 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: I've been wearing glasses since the kindergarten, so it's a 581 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: no brain to be continued, Rickia Reynold, Sky Media. Okay, 582 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: so big, thank you Rickia Reynolds for coming by Atlandia. 583 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: So many important things for us to consider and think 584 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: about as marketers and communicators. I love what she said 585 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: that before was the year of words, not works, and 586 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: now we are moving into works, which is really the 587 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: call to action to the industry. More of out what 588 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: are you gonna what are you gonna do? Not just 589 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: say I think that it is more important not just 590 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: as people, but as people who are building companies, building agencies, 591 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: building brands, building products that we are intentional in the 592 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: language that we use. And what I love that she 593 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:30,880 Speaker 1: said that I think can be easily passed by it was, UM, 594 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 1: the trend that I'm all in for is micro or 595 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,600 Speaker 1: nano influencers at the kitchen table. And the point there 596 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: was these are intimate conversations. The more brands and marketers 597 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: take some time and maybe even take some budget to 598 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: really invest in the works into communities and doing it 599 00:34:56,120 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: in a meaningful, truly meaningful way to those communities. UM, 600 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: there's some exciting things that will come out of that. 601 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: And I think real long term partnership can come out 602 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: of that, UM where potentially these are co collaborators in 603 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: your product, in your brand. Well. And as I think 604 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: about coming back to the top of this episode and 605 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: talking about shareholder, really thinking about sitting around a table 606 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: having influence because you have expertise, you have understanding, your 607 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:29,720 Speaker 1: your thought leader in what it is that you're bringing 608 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 1: to the table that is what shape's decisions. This is 609 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: a really interesting provocation to think about as marketers is 610 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: it really about one to a million, or is about 611 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,239 Speaker 1: one to four? And I think we'll find that it's 612 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: one to four over and over and over and over 613 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,840 Speaker 1: and over again. Laura hit it with the list of 614 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:51,719 Speaker 1: all of our friends and family I heart who have 615 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 1: been so good to us and helped us get back 616 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: on air. Big thank you to Bob Connal, Carter, Andy, 617 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: Eric Gayle Val, Michael Jen. We appreciate you. Thank you 618 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: so much for this opportunity. We'll see in two weeks. 619 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 1: M