1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,719 Speaker 1: So I've been podcasting in radio long enough to see 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: players become owners, and you think about your and it's 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: unfortunate because you're the only person I think about in 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: this class, and that is the the Glenn Becks who 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: get fired and then going to start their own network. 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: And it's then the Tucker Carltons who get fired and 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: then go start and you are the only, you know, 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: number one black, but number one more progressive person that 9 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: I think about, Like, you own your stuff and you 10 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: get to put other people on your platform. And so 11 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: going a level deeper on that, thinking that you shared 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: some of those brothers that presented you with, how what 13 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: can you share like the economics and Okay, I got 14 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: a job, I got a contract with the CNN or 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: a Fox or but I own this and the economics 16 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: are just different. 17 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: Okay. 18 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 3: So so even when I was there, I was never 19 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 3: so when I was at SO, I was at TV one, 20 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 3: Tom Jounmer wanting the show, seeing in at the same time, 21 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 3: and I wasn't an employee of none of either one 22 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 3: of them. 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: I had a media company. I was. It was ten 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: ninety nine. 25 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 3: And let me explain that is and I've given I've 26 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,199 Speaker 3: given these I've given these lectures and classes around the world. 27 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 3: The concept is the concept that you have to have 28 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 3: when you are a quote. 29 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: An employee is me ink. 30 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 3: It's me ink, So whatever your name is, to put 31 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 3: ink on the ev you are a walking, talking corporation. 32 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 2: So I didn't even. 33 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: So when I was an employee, I didn't consider myself 34 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 3: to be an employee. I saw myself as a vendor 35 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 3: and they were the client. So when you apply for 36 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 3: a job, it's no different than when you respond to 37 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 3: an RFP, a request for proposal. When you apply for 38 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 3: a job, you say I can do that job, and 39 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 3: you go in you interview. 40 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 2: Well, RFP is the exact same process, and guess what 41 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: you get. 42 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 3: Hired for the job. Well, if you get hired for 43 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 3: the RP, they the client. 44 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 2: You're the vendor. Your job is to deliver a service. 45 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 3: If they like the service, they continue the vendor client relationship. 46 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 3: The same thing happens when you're an employee. The difference 47 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 3: is that when you are quote an employee, but you 48 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: put your see yourself. 49 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: As as Kim ink or as Dewan Inc. 50 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 3: Or whatever is, you now are looking at the landscape 51 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 3: totally different. So when I worked at the Fort Worth 52 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 3: Star Telegram. I wanted my own equipment. Well why did 53 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 3: I want my own equipment? Because if anything happened with 54 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 3: the job, then I already have my own phone, my 55 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 3: own laptop. I had my own stuff. So when I 56 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 3: went to the Dallas Become newsrok in the morning anchor 57 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 3: the KD Radio, there were times when I was requesting 58 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 3: stuff and they were slow to buy. So finally WAS like, 59 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: you know what, damn that because this other deal, if 60 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: I bought it, it's also a tax right off, and 61 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 3: then if I leave, it goes with me. So when 62 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 3: I took over Dallas Weekly, I remember when I left. 63 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 3: I mean, guess what the scam came with me. 64 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: The printer came with me, the Kodec DC two ten 65 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 2: digital camera came with me. All my stuff came with me. 66 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 2: And what that then did is if. 67 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 3: Anything happens, if whether I quit, whether I resigned, was 68 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 3: I got fired, I had the tools of my craft 69 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 3: to now be able to freelance, because there's nothing worse 70 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 3: than losing an opportunity, losing a job. And then now 71 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 3: you're like, damn, I don't have a laptop, I don't 72 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 3: have a camera. 73 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: I don't have my own stuff. So now I'm trying 74 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: to figure it all out. And so even when. 75 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 3: I was at SO, when I was there, when I 76 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: was at CNN, when I was at TV, I remember 77 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 3: when they told me so a djourin in two thousand 78 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 3: and seven. So two thousand and nine I knew there 79 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 3: was an ad agency. They wrapped Southwest Airlines. My man said, 80 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 3: if seeing it gives your own show, I'm gonna be 81 00:03:58,720 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: the main sponsor. 82 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: So I came to the table with my own sponsor. Dude, 83 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: they would freak the hell out. They never experienced that. 84 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: So then on was sudden they decided, well, we're not 85 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: gonna do a show. 86 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: And so I remember walking out of John Klein's office 87 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 3: and I was one hundred feet out. I called Jonathan Rogers, 88 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: they're not doing Jonathan said, well, they're gonna launch your show. 89 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 3: They're gonna lunch the show. We're gonna launch a show 90 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 3: that was in May. We're announced it at July fourth. 91 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: At Essence Festival. But here was the thing. You fast forward. 92 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 3: That was two thousand and nine, twenty twelve. I saw 93 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 3: what was going on. No after that or nine, I said, oh, 94 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 3: they are never gonna give me my own show at CNN. 95 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 3: I said, CNN has now become my personal venture capitalist. 96 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: So let me explain. 97 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: So here i am as a contributor at CNN. I'm 98 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: getting paid two hundred and eighty three thousand dollars. Okay, 99 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: So I said, okay, CNN is gonna start funding my 100 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 3: other stuff. So CNN n is April twenty thirteen. I 101 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 3: had the same thing at TV one. I knew what 102 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 3: I wanted to do. I knew my vision was bigger 103 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 3: than the folks at TV one. They were slow, they 104 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 3: were not moving. So I started buying my own equipment. 105 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 3: I was doing that when I was at CNN, even before, 106 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 3: so going back to Dallas Weekly, going back to the 107 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 3: Fort Worth Telegram. So since the second job of my career, 108 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 3: I've been buying my own equipment. So I started buying 109 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 3: my own stuff. So bought this camera, I bought this light, 110 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 3: I bought this mic. I said, now I'm just adding 111 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 3: stuff to it. So check this out. We're at TV one, 112 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 3: and every time we had to shoot anything in the 113 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 3: city out we had to go through this outside production company. 114 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 2: Well, there was some small stuff that we needed to shoot. 115 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 2: I was like, damn, So I said, okay. 116 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 3: I bought my own about three, can't I bought my 117 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 3: Canon x A twenty five. So I then went, Okay, 118 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 3: here's what we're gonna do. I said, when we had, 119 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 3: I said, if we'd shoot, I said, I'm gonna let. 120 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 2: Y'all use my equipment. 121 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 3: But so I'm not gonna charge you a kid fee. 122 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 3: But if my equipment is used, I gotta co own 123 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 3: the content. Now the person listening or watching him, they go, Man, 124 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 3: why the hell would you not charge them? 125 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 2: Because the content was more valuable than the kid fee. 126 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 3: Because the content now goes in my library, I can 127 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 3: use that in perpetuity. 128 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 2: So all of a sudden, I'm sitting here. 129 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: So if you watch My Frankie Beverly and Mays My 130 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 3: Frankie Beverly Mays Special at TV one, every piece of 131 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 3: b roll and every photo and that special came from 132 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 3: my personal archives. 133 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: I co own that content. 134 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 3: So I can restream that sucker as many times as 135 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 3: I want to, and I don't have to ask TV 136 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 3: one for permission to do that. So I was thinking 137 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 3: ahead of understanding, and so as I'm building this thing now, 138 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 3: I'm now I'm acquire my equipment. 139 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: So they canceled my show. Thisce be twenty seventeen January thirty. 140 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 3: If we do a thing called of our re Union, 141 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 3: I call a black church in DC within thirty seconds 142 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 3: the past that said yes, So when we do it, 143 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 3: guess what. I already have my cameras, I already have 144 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: my lights, I already had my switcher. 145 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: It was a couple of things that had to buy. 146 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 3: But I wasn't trying to go rent some stuff because 147 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 3: for five and six years I had been methodically. 148 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 2: Buying, buying, buying. 149 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 3: Buying, And so that's the mentality that you have to 150 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 3: have when you're doing stuff. And so now your focus 151 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 3: is different. Now you see things differently. Now when you're there, 152 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 3: you're like, Okay, how much is this and how much 153 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 3: is that? 154 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 2: The other thing? Is this here? 155 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 3: I think when I buy equipment, I'm thinking multi purpose, 156 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 3: not single purpose. But if I get that I can 157 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 3: do this, I can do this, I can do this, 158 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 3: I can do this, not a purpose make now the 159 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 3: purchase makes some sense. And so that's the problem for 160 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 3: a lot of people who don't understand. When you make 161 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 3: the shift to owning, you now have to think completely different, 162 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 3: and you also have to. 163 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 2: Learn to tell yourself no. People gonna People. 164 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 3: Came to me and they were like, oh, man, man, 165 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 3: then listen and that cannon see three hundred. Oh yes, 166 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 3: that's an amazing camera. But the body of the lens 167 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: is twenty thousand dollars. I need three cameras, I said, 168 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 3: and I don't have I don't have twenty grand to 169 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 3: buy three cameras. 170 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 2: So you gotta learn how to tell yourself no. 171 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 3: So I started a remote equipment with three cannon X 172 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 3: A twenty fives. 173 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 2: Gave me HD had two xl xl R outlets. 174 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 3: It gave me everything I needed had had sd I 175 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 3: out gave me everything I needed to broadcast. 176 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: Now what happened to two? What happened? 177 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: Three years later? I bought three cannon C three hundreds whatever. 178 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 3: Six months later I bought two more cannon C three hundreds. 179 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 3: So today I owned five cannon C three hundreds, a 180 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 3: cannon C seventy, a cannon C eighty two black magic cameras, 181 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 3: and also a Canon D ninety. I had to so 182 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 3: I had to tell folk no old at the beginning 183 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 3: stages to build to a certain level. And that's the 184 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 3: other thing a lot of us do. Many of us 185 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 3: we want to come out flossing. We want to come 186 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 3: out oh man, we're looking good. We want to come 187 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 3: out on all this stuff. Listen, that stuff don't mean 188 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 3: a damn thing. If you in business for one year, 189 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 3: all you said, oh man, we had a great one 190 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 3: year run. I'd rather say now we at a ten, 191 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 3: twenty thirty forty year run. And that's how your thinking 192 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 3: has to be different.