1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host, 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Rashan McDonald. I recognized that we all have different definitions 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: of success. For some exercisable paycheck. Mine is helping people 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: live their very best life. These are my passions and 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: that's what I'm going to do for you. I want 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: you to stop tripping over small challenges and prepare to 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: rise above the bigger obstacles that life will present to you. 9 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: On my show today, have two guests. I'm gonna introduced 10 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: them separately. One I've known for a long time in 11 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: the in the Steve Harvey Morning Show days. His name 12 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: is Ron gil Yard. He's a trusted marketing and media 13 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: executive who has advanced the initiative of companies and individuals 14 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: in the technology, marketing and music industries for over twenty 15 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: five years. He's a four thinking strategist. Gilliard has been 16 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: able to consistently drive revenue growth, market penetration, and creative 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: developments for all his clients. Also on the show, first 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: time he's on the West Coast. He already told me. 19 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: His name is Will Campbell. He's the co founder and 20 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: CEO of Quantasy LLC. Wills more than twenty five year 21 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: career can be most easily summarized by the quote, if 22 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: you want to come up with new answers, you have 23 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: to ask new questions. With his vision that he's co 24 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: founded and led the growth of the agency to what 25 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: now mounster more than sixty people and one fully integrated 26 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 1: cultural marketing force. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations, Chief 27 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: Growth Officer of Quantasy and Associates, who is also a 28 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: partner with co founder and CEO at Quantasy LLC, Ron 29 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: Gillyard and Will Campbell. Thank you, sir. I had to 30 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: get a lot of you got a lot of talking 31 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: about man, you know what I'm saying. But when you 32 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 1: have something like when offur just letting them know about 33 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: the show, everybody, I was just setting up what this 34 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: show really about. And I hope they took us as 35 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: a compliment. I felt that in the industry that we 36 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: that I try to reach the entrepreneurial space, the information space. 37 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: YouTube guys are to me, it's recognizable talents, like having 38 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: hard type talent, like the high profile celebrity talents. You've 39 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: got some celebrities in your own rights, what you guys 40 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: are doing in this particular brand of business. And since 41 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: you are the co founder and the CEO of Quanta 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: cy LLC, well cowboll, tell us what that what that 43 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: company does? Initially? Yeah, thanks for sean. UM. So we're 44 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: creative services agency. UM. I think the shortest way to 45 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: put it is we help businesses and brands grow by 46 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: Christian culture in the right direction UM. And the services 47 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: that we provide extended entertainment, technology, marketing, branding UM and 48 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: how we bring culture into those worlds to help grow 49 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: businesses and brands. Right. So now that's that's the creative shot. 50 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: Then then run you come in. I see revenue growth 51 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: tied to your name. Explain to me and my listener 52 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: exactly what does that mean? UM? That means finding opportunities 53 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: to to grow the company from a financial standpoint, from 54 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: revenue standpoint, from a side standpoint, and helping our partners. 55 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: You know, the sign of a good partner is someone 56 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: who not only you know, who pays you money. Yeah, 57 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: you're an employee if they just pay you, but if 58 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: you're able to show them ways in which they can 59 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: grow their business and elevate, you know, their business and 60 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: grow their revenue. Then that's the sign of a good partnership. 61 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: So with the clients that we have and hope to have, UM, 62 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: we've always tried to not only you know, be there 63 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: and be creative from the marketing side, but we look 64 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: at that business Will and myself and and other members 65 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: of the team, and we try to find ways if 66 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: they're not thinking about something, to illuminate that for them. 67 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: I used to always say, sometimes you're so busy running 68 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: the store that you're you you spend no time growing 69 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: the store or you know, so just finding ways to 70 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: to increase profitability where it's like just say, you know, 71 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: you can't make the hamburger, clean up the store and 72 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: drop the fries at the same time, somebody got to 73 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: be working a cash register too, you know. And that's 74 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: really what this is all about. When when I try 75 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: to interview people on these shows, I try to get 76 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: information about what money making conversation really is all about. 77 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: It's about these different layers that we have out there. 78 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: And so Will, why did you why did you bring 79 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: up individual like Ron into your company? What? What what 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: visionary needs did you have to have somebody in your platform? Yeah, 81 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's interesting, man, when when we first started 82 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: this company, you know, we saw these different worlds. Uh. 83 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: There were people in the entertainment space, UM, and then 84 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: on a whole different plane there were people in the 85 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: tech space, UM, and then in a whole different world 86 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: there were people in the marketing space. And they were 87 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: all very sort of like disconnected units. But I always 88 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: saw the one space. Always saw how technology works with 89 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: entertainment works with brand development as one thing. And then 90 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: as as Ron and I developed our friendship first, he 91 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: instantly occurred to me and somebody that just got that, 92 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: and it's it's a way that he had been working 93 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: for years and years. He and I started off on 94 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: some entrepreneurial things, doing some things together UM, and it 95 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: came to a point where it was like, hey man, 96 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: I would love for you to come over here and 97 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: help me grow this. We had a similar vision UM 98 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: as well as with my other partner, and so it 99 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: really was just a clear understanding, and he has so 100 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: much knowledge and insight into where we were trying to 101 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 1: take the business. It just made a lot of sense 102 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: for us. Okay, now he now he threw some out 103 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: in I gotta ask you, what knowledge it insight did 104 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: you have Ron. I'm just just being curious here. You know, 105 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: I'm listening to a visionary so a person over there. 106 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: And I love you, you you know, I've always loved you 107 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: a person now because I don't care what was going 108 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: bad or good, You're always wrong. You stayed right there, 109 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: you stayed centered. So what what what qualities did you 110 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: have that rong that that really just just stepped the 111 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: whole process that made it a great partnership. Um, no 112 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: question for will, but I will sometimes sometimes you gotta 113 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: talk about yourself. Okay, other people to talk about you, 114 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: but sometimes you can talk about you because a lot 115 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: of people don't do that. That's what social media is 116 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: all about. Social media is is the form I call it. 117 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: We live in the Mohammad, the Mamahali era, That's what 118 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: I call people. Because you gotta tell people you the 119 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: greatest now because he he branded it, but now people 120 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: are doing it now. So I'm not saying you gotta 121 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: tell the people you the greatest. But there are qualities 122 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: that people see in people like you that some people 123 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: need to like understand that has value. And I met 124 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: you in the record game. You know, when I was 125 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: listening to player music, you had all these radio show, 126 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,919 Speaker 1: radio stations and things like that. That's how my relationship. 127 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: Now you're in a whole different platform, and a lot 128 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: of people don't know how to make that transition. They 129 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: feel like they're stuck. Yeah. So for me, I've always 130 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: had a wee not me mentality. I have always tried 131 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: to analyze. I think my one of my biggest faults 132 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: is also one of my biggest biggest assets. And I 133 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: needed to down downsize the fault part of that and 134 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: and but recognize it. I was never comfortable in the 135 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: space that I was in. I was always looking towards 136 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: the next what's next. When I was an intern, I 137 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: was trying to imagine. I came to work every day 138 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: dressed like I was the director of marketing or director 139 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: of A and R. When I was that, I was 140 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: came as if I was the vice president, and I 141 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: just came to work every day thinking like I'm gonna 142 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: run this particular job that I have is if I'm 143 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: the president of this organization. I'm not, but I know 144 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: that I want to be. So I was always off 145 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: in the future. Um, I think that you know you 146 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,679 Speaker 1: said I'm always calm. I think this is me angry 147 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: this is me, man, sad, glad, whatever. So I'm always 148 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: center and I'm always watching. I learned at the early 149 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: age that you were gonna learn so much more by 150 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 1: listening than talking. So it was I think it's the 151 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: reason Guy gave us two areas in one mouth. The 152 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: other thing is I was in a business that, in 153 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: the music business, my job was to spot talent. But 154 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: I didn't just look for people that could singer dance. 155 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: I also looked for people that had a different kind 156 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: of talent and executive talent. And I've worked, you know, 157 00:08:55,800 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: with some really really smart let and dairy if you 158 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: will people. And I said when I got in the 159 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: music business that when they wrote the book about hip hop, 160 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: when they wrote the book about R and B music, um, 161 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: I at least one of the sentence in that book, right, 162 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: And you know, you know, if I get a chapter, 163 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: so be it. And but I became robbing to a 164 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: lot of Batman's right. And I worked alongside Andre Horrell, 165 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: I worked alongside Sean Combs or p Diddy or Puff 166 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: Daddy or Puff or Diddy or whicheveryone we're going with 167 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: this week. So I worked alongside Clive Davis, Jimmy Iveen, Um, 168 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: you know, Irving AI's Off, Simon Rinshaw, some of the 169 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: best in the business to do it. And to be honest, 170 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: when I met Will, I always tell this funny story 171 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: which i'll you know, it's long, so i'll preview. I 172 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: realized Will because water to a drowning man, myself saying 173 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: to an era. And I was like, there's something about 174 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: this guy, and he had similar qualities to some of 175 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: those people that I named that I've worked within the 176 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: music business, and so it was a no brainer for 177 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: me to try to be helpful. And I had a 178 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: perspective and I had this worldview, and you get elevated 179 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: to this in music, you get elevated to this somewhat 180 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: unreal perch of that you know everything when you don't. 181 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: But since I was on that perch, I was gonna 182 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: try to read and consume as much knowledge as possible. 183 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: And I'm not a talkative guy normally, but if I 184 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: become comfortable with you, it's hard to shut me up 185 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: when I think I know something, Well, we'll definitely uh. 186 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: You have the skill the gift of gap. We all 187 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: need to have that and all to these successful in 188 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: this business. I'm speaking to just re introduce you guys 189 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: to my audience. Wrong, guil Yard and Will Campbell Quantitity 190 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: and Associates Quantity LLC, which especially fully integrated cultural Marketing 191 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: force UM runs on the West East coast and Willows 192 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: on the West coast. Now, Will he said something, you 193 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: said that you can sell water to a drowning man. Okay, 194 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: so now the pandemic hit. Now, when the pandemic hit 195 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: in Marching this country said we have to shut down. 196 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: All my staff became employed via zoom and so I 197 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: don't have sixty people, but I got enough that I 198 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: had to keep the checks rolling to create some type 199 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: of synergy and also trying to continue to make money 200 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: a plan to make money. So with the skilled level, 201 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: did you have being able to sell water to to 202 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: the water to a drowning man? What did you do 203 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: when it and what was your perspective when the COVID 204 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 1: ainteen hit and the impacted your business practices? UM? I 205 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: mean it was you know, when it comes to I 206 00:11:54,840 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: think the idea of selling two people, it's about how 207 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: you can help. And now's the question we asked, how 208 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: can I help? Where can I help? UM? And and 209 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: helping people sells itself. UM. And you know, I don't 210 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: think people play enough value on what it means to 211 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: provide value to others. So what we did we really 212 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: looked at UM the people in our world and what 213 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: challenges they were facing, what new challenges they were facing 214 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: in light of the pandemic UM, and where we could 215 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: come in and play a role. And so for each 216 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 1: of our different clients, that were different issues that they 217 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: were suffering to look as. We also looked internally. But 218 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 1: as for instance, UM, knowing that we have in house 219 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: engineering and technology chops, UM, we looked at the event business, 220 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: which had gotten decimated because you know, people couldn't produce events. 221 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: We had clients that had events edule that they had 222 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: to cancel. We have friends that are event producers UM, 223 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 1: and so we delivered technology that we had already been 224 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: working on to create virtual events and UM. You know 225 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: people in the business, for instance, working closely with Rich 226 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: Dennis Essence, who's also a visionary, great guy, UM, their 227 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: Essence Festival, which as you know, is a massive, massive, 228 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: massive event people generally it was gonna be canceled. So 229 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: not only do do those six hundred thousand people within 230 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,559 Speaker 1: the Black community missed out on this huge opportunity. There's 231 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: a whole laundry list of clients and sponsors and all that. 232 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: So this would be a big revenue hit right. So 233 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: by by partner with Rich and his team to deliver 234 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: the Essence Fest, virtually he's got a great group of 235 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 1: producers and staff on his side as well. By a 236 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: partner with him to deliver it, he was able to 237 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: help those clients to recover that revenue and still serve 238 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: um his mission and his and his audience and his 239 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: Essence subscribers and so like. I said that that sells itself, 240 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: um and so identifying those opportunities to help people is 241 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: really where it starts. You know, it's really interesting that 242 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: you brought up to Essence because of the fact it 243 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: is a massive live event, and massive live events or 244 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: any live event, you know, it affected individuals tour and 245 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: stand up comedians, singers, or large tours, movie theaters, anything 246 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: that had mass attendance, was affected by the country shutdown, 247 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: as well as still affected by the COVID nateen and 248 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: the virus that may be encountered without proper social social 249 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: distancing and mass Now do you feel that they're because 250 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: of the pandemic that the virtual industry. When I say 251 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: that virtual entertainment side has been even more developed. When 252 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: I watched Damis last night and just watching, uh, you know, 253 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: I've been fortunate to participate in some self produced virtual 254 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: events myself. What do you think the Essence Festival would 255 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: always would consider doing a virtual versions all because of 256 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: the success that had this year? Or you think that 257 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: that the live way is the only way that they're 258 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: going to continue to do business? And what a great question. 259 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: And here and here's what I say. I'm gonna go 260 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: back to go forward. So, as you know, in recent years, 261 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the business skylarking, whether it's Coachella, whether 262 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: it's Essence Festival, showing about music festivals, conferences, complex count 263 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: you name it and from and these were huge revenue centers, right, 264 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: sponsors for products, sales for tickets, for all of those 265 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: kinds of things. But what you've seen recently over the 266 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: last years is how much these a lot of experiences 267 00:15:54,400 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: were working to become more digital anyway, right, so little 268 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: event now you're saying, uh, photo ops for Instagram and 269 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: hashtags to track this and to sell this, because creating 270 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: an epicenter of culture and activity that could then spawn 271 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 1: a global reach right to create or engagement um from 272 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: all around the world. So I think that global perspective 273 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: of a live event is only going to continue. I 274 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: think during purely virtual events, I think there's some fatigue 275 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: around that. And so I think even though they have swelled, 276 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: when the actual physical events come back, it's going to 277 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: enhance the virtual eventage, right because now it's like, hey, 278 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: you can participate in this event um in addition to 279 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: the physical versus instead of right, it's not instead of 280 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: it's how it's how they work together. So now you 281 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: can have a Coachella, a conference kind of s and 282 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: spect but still have a global reach where people can 283 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: kind of participate and grow. So I think that physical 284 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: events will come back, and they'll come back with even 285 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: greater digital extensions and capacity going forward. And so with 286 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: that being said, ron I was talking to the agency 287 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: that represents the Air Force and we were talking about 288 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: virtual events, and they were saying, is you know they've 289 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: not seen enough yet to quantify quantify the success of 290 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: whether these virtual events were because you know, in a 291 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: live event, you know when somebody walks through the door, 292 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: you can that's a person you can you can get 293 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: their information, get their background information, and they can be 294 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: part of the data growth and you can you can 295 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: you can justify uh that action now when you're getting 296 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: into this virtual world, which is a potential new revenue 297 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: growth stream for for you to be able to go 298 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: out there and talk to new partners or old partners. 299 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: How does this conversation I just had with Will and 300 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: the conversation I just had with this agency that represents 301 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: the air Force, I'm coming to play with you and 302 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: what you're when you're when you're trying to generate revenue growth. 303 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: I think the thing that I tell someone and I 304 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: didn't I'm not gonna take credit for this quote. Well, 305 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: the two quotes that I try to tell try to 306 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: slip into every conversation that I have with someone about growth. 307 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,959 Speaker 1: One of them is predicting rain doesn't count building the 308 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: arc does. There are a lot of people that could 309 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: tell you what's gonna happen and what they think is 310 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: gonna happen and all of this other stuff, and they 311 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: do nothing and then they're still not prepared when that 312 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: thing happens. Right. Um. The other one is the quickest 313 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: way to failure is always is saying, but that's not 314 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: how we've always done it. And so I think to 315 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: piggyback on the question that you ask will and and 316 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: and also to answer the question that you've just asked 317 00:18:52,880 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: me is and I'll tell this story. We started building 318 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: that virtual platform that Will spoke of before COVID nineteen. 319 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: We we started building it off an idea of what if, again, 320 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: asking different questions, right, um, what if I can experience? 321 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: What if I want to experience the live event? And 322 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 1: then we'll use essence as an example. There are things 323 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: that essence that you are missing out on when you 324 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: make certain decisions right about what you're going to do 325 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,360 Speaker 1: and how you're going to spend your time. Yes, everyone 326 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: is in the stadium at night, but there are seminars 327 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 1: by day. There's you know, they take over the convention center. 328 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: You can go shopping, You could do all of these 329 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: other things and all of these so you make choices 330 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: and you don't get to see other things. Virtual allows 331 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: you to get that rest you need for that Janet 332 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 1: Jackson concert tonight and still see that handle with Rashaan 333 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: during the daytime. Right, and so from a revenue growth standpoint, 334 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: this person has spent money on the ticket, spent money 335 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: on a hotel, renting a car, or engaging in ubers 336 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,919 Speaker 1: and transportation, building that local economy, building money for you know, 337 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: essence Coffers. Where's the revenue, where's the growth potential? I'm 338 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: gonna charge him to log in to see Rashaw's panel, 339 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: and he could still be in his hotel room. He 340 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: or she could still be in their hotel room preparing 341 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: for a concert that they're gonna see tonight. So there 342 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,159 Speaker 1: was always I have a comic con analogy. I have 343 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 1: a complex kind analogy of all of those other things. 344 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 1: So I think the other thing is the barrier of entry. 345 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: We all had to sign into Zoom. I clicked the button, 346 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: I clicked on the link. Someone in your organization let 347 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,479 Speaker 1: me in and where it. But if you wanted to 348 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: gather more information, then I fill out something so that 349 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: same data that you're getting by might be physically buying 350 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: that ticket through ticket Master or whatever for that live event, 351 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: you can gather that gap data and a more accurate 352 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: version of that data digitally. And so all of that 353 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: helps with UM growth and thinking about UM how to 354 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 1: engage both in a physical and digital world. I love 355 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: Before COVID nineteen, I think people thought it was one 356 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: or the other, and we've we always viewed it as 357 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: one Ambia, which is very smart when you when I 358 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,640 Speaker 1: see companies like Disney when they do what they're doing 359 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: with the movie Move On, which they yet to tell 360 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: anybody how much money made so far, when they said, look, 361 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: we got eighty million subscribers and we're gonna charge thirty 362 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: dollars a ticket if we can pull it in ten 363 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: percent of that and still put this in the movie here, 364 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:58,959 Speaker 1: that ten percent that we got, we get we control 365 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,719 Speaker 1: one hurt percent. And the thing that you know, one 366 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 1: of the major reasons of just hearing numbers like that 367 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 1: and talking to a growth expert and talking to a 368 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: founder or a visionary can consider both of you, guys 369 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: visionaries when I when I talk about the futures that 370 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: the technology aspect, and one thing is always angering me guys, 371 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: is that blacks has always been viewed as less, less 372 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: capable of delivering the technically advanced or the the technically 373 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: perceived well organized platform. Do you what what do you 374 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 1: have to fight against will when you talk about your 375 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: your business when people are not saying people are doing this. 376 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: Let me just get that cleared up. I'm just talking 377 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: about my experience and dealing with people having a having 378 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: a point of view that can be limited based on 379 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 1: what they perceive I can do as an African African 380 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: American or as a company. How did you walk through 381 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 1: that next step and and present your company is capable 382 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 1: of doing everything? You know? UM, The short answer is 383 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: sometimes you can show them better than you can tell them. UM. 384 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: And I think that you have to UM put your 385 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 1: faith in your team and in the work and do 386 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: what you can. UM. Now that said, there are a 387 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 1: lot of barriers to access that we face, UM, limitations 388 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: to resources that we face, and so at the same token, 389 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: I'm fully aware of that, and I think just because 390 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,439 Speaker 1: maybe I've been able to have some success doing X 391 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: y Z doesn't guarantee that the next person in my 392 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: position is going to have a fair shot. And so 393 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: I don't just look at it it's like, oh, well, hey, 394 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: look we did it. And even though that there's those 395 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,719 Speaker 1: that have done more and have had greater success than us, 396 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 1: I know that there's always like various limitations and so 397 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,640 Speaker 1: UM with that in mind, we still spend a lot 398 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: of our time trying to break down those barriers with 399 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: some of the philanthropic work that we do, with some 400 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: of the advocacy work that we do. I serve on 401 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles County UM Small Business Commission for that 402 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: exact reason, to find ways to advocate for resources and 403 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: opportunities for small businesses UM in in l A, which 404 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: is Learne thee UM minority so UM. For me personally, 405 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,640 Speaker 1: it's about continuing to trying to partner with the right 406 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: people gain access for instance, and this opportunity to be 407 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: able to partner with you will share knowledge and information 408 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: to so an audience that's come to trust what you're 409 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 1: doing and what you have to say UM, and then 410 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 1: just continue to focus on doing really good work UM 411 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 1: so that people you know, gain trust in what you're doing. 412 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 1: We know that reason. I bringing that up because I've 413 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: been fortunate to be in this business, especially on radio side, 414 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: from two thousand and listen watch agencies to go from 415 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: black agencies to determ multicultural agencies and then they started 416 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 1: giving up the money and the money seems to be 417 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 1: lesser for the from the black side of the agency 418 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 1: is trying to target that particular audience and so now 419 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: we're in the middle of a pandemic, and we've seen 420 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: a tremendous surge. When I say surge, I'm talking about 421 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: Black Lives matters. We've seen HBCU donations. We've seen companies 422 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: announced that they have money set aside for minority supplier development, 423 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: but not let you know that minority suppliers also include 424 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: white women. Okay, but and so when you're dealing with 425 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: all these things, do you feel there's an opportunity now 426 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: to really put your business into the forefront run or 427 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: will most of you guys can answer it one at 428 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: the time. I just want to get a sense of 429 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,880 Speaker 1: looking at what we are the landscape now. Are we're 430 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: able to really jump out there now and participate? Um? 431 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: You know, I would say it's a certain degree, yes, Um, 432 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: I think that what we're seeing, And just to shure 433 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,360 Speaker 1: some positive light on it, I think the the global 434 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: awakening that you've seen has has a lot of people 435 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: doneuinely reacting to the recent events and genuinely saying no, 436 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: we can't allow this to continue, and genuinely trying to 437 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: engage in conversations and looking to support black businesses and 438 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: trying to find out what they can do when we 439 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: see the rise of ally Ship, and I think that 440 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: there's a certain genuine nature of that um and I 441 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: think there's a recognition of some of the some of 442 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: the some of the black budses getting our portunities have 443 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: been doing great work for decades, you know, phenomenal work 444 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: for decades. So I do think that there's a little 445 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: bit of a broader opportunity that I think that we're happy, 446 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: but it's not enough, right. The playing field has not 447 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: been leveled, right. The system hasn't been dismantled yet. But 448 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 1: to answer your question, I do think that we're seeing 449 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: opportunities open up and some more focus, but but the 450 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: work is nowhere near close to being finished. It's not 451 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: it's not. Before I before I wrapped up the call, 452 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: they want to thank you guys for the time and 453 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:17,959 Speaker 1: you've given me to just talk about your brand, talk 454 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: about YouTube visionaries from a standpoint of what you deal 455 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: with now for the pandemic, while the pandemic and post pandemic, 456 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: because we have to always think that there is a future, 457 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: and if you don't plan for the future, then then 458 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: there's no opportunity to see success. Now, there's an app 459 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,199 Speaker 1: called the True Voice and mindfulness app for women of 460 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:43,159 Speaker 1: color Ron what exactly is that? Wow? True voice, so 461 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: true Voice. UM. We looked out over the landscape and 462 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: now I'm talking to two black men here talking about 463 00:27:54,000 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: a female APPA. And so we have we try to 464 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: look filling through the lens of business, but also through 465 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,479 Speaker 1: a cultural lens. And we noticed that in the world 466 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: of mindfulness and and as we deal with we deal 467 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: I hear people talk about wearing the same we're all 468 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: in the same storm. I mean, no, we're all in 469 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: the same boat. We're all in the same boat. And 470 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 1: no we're in the same storm. We're definitely in different boats. Right. 471 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: And so when you look at these apps and meditational 472 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: apps and things like that, that we're very general market 473 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: and there weren't very specific two um the cultural realities 474 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: of women of color or people of color. And again, 475 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: predicting rain doesn't count building the arc does. We decided 476 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: that we wanted to play a miss, that it would 477 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: be great to introduced something that had that hits some 478 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: of the cultural beats of that These other mindfulness or 479 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: um apps, these mindfulness apps were missing out on the 480 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: other part of it is you know, see your other 481 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: question earlier question. Once again, an industry was was growing 482 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: and being valued at hundreds of millions, if not billions 483 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: of dollars, and people of color to the degree that 484 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,240 Speaker 1: they were being thought of We're only thought of as consumers. 485 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: You weren't thought of as stakeholders in these businesses. And 486 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: we had seen that in so many other industries before that. 487 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: We decided that it would be good to introduce something 488 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: like this as fathers of daughters, as friends that have 489 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: each other to lean on and talk through other things, 490 00:29:56,280 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: someone who believes in counseling. Um Will's mother, it's a 491 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: clinical psychologists, grew up, you know, spent her career in 492 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: that business. It was something that we saw the value in, 493 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: an importance of, and so it wasn't much like you know, 494 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: to put it in layman's terms, think of calm or headspace, 495 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: but through the lens, the cultural lens of minorities or 496 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: women of color. It's really uh, thank you for that, 497 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: that great response. I know that as a black man 498 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: and uh and seeing like you said earlier, Will the 499 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: cultural rage worldwide about what happened with the George Floord. 500 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: You know, I'm talking to black men. You know the 501 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: experience of work we have to deal with when a 502 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 1: policeman I don't. I don't comfortably. I don't feel comfortable 503 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: when the policeman stops me because I don't know why 504 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: you're stopping me, and it doesn't. And when he got 505 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: pulled out of Mercedes Being, I told Steve name Smith, 506 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: I said, the game and changed. They pulled him out 507 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: of that wouldn't have beat up car they pulled him 508 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,479 Speaker 1: out of. They pulled him out of Mercedes Being. And 509 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: so it does that that level of disrespect showed itself. 510 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: But what also came out of this was it was 511 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: really interesting. And a a lot of my white friends called 512 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: me that weekend and go, I didn't know that was 513 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: That's the question they said. I didn't know. They said you, 514 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: you actually have to deal with this. I said, yeah. 515 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: And so being able to almost live my life through 516 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: a lens of honesty. Now I'm not saying I didn't 517 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: because I'm Rushan McDonald. I'm gonna tell you how I 518 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: feel and what I fear. But if people are looking 519 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: at me with a sense of understanding what I have 520 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: to deal with will help us win. And when I 521 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: when I and that's why I wanted to bring YouTube 522 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: gentlemen on the show, because you're in a world that 523 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes people don't appreciate you and we'll say 524 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 1: you can only do this, and we talked about the 525 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,719 Speaker 1: African American experience, but I know for a fact you can. 526 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: Guys can do any experience. And so but sometimes you say, 527 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna win here to win here the financial pictures. 528 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: So with that being said, well are you what is 529 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: the future of your company? What is you? You? You 530 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: you broke wrong into this? Wrong is the growth right partner? 531 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: What is the future of your company and your brand? Yeah? 532 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: I think that it's um to one is to get 533 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: better at making the pivot. I think that as we 534 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: go forward, you know, one of the single most important 535 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: skills that we can develop is the ability to pivot. 536 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: And that's how you play the long game, right, um 537 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 1: because so much information that is coming out of so fast, 538 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: things happen, things change all the time, and so really 539 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: honing the skills that make us good at being able 540 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 1: to pivot. And then I think when you layer that 541 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: with what we talked about earlier on even the reason 542 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: that you that you're doing and show in terms of 543 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: helping people, and when you layer that in how can 544 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: I help people? Helping people sometimes means being philanthropics. Sometimes 545 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: it means provided a service for a fee. In terms 546 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: of developing a business, right, So, I think for us, 547 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: it's focusing on those two things. How do we continue 548 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: to add value in markets in UM with partners UM, 549 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: and how do we make sure that we're always prepared 550 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: to pivot? And you know, we don't get too we 551 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: don't fall in love too much with any one idea 552 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: or any one project that we can't you know, take 553 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: the blinders on. So I think the future of the 554 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: business is that being open minded, being curious, being flexible UM, 555 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: and always leading with UM. How do we help push 556 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: culture in the right direction? Awesome guys, UM, I do 557 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: my monthly. I do it a ninety thousand fan club 558 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 1: newsletter goes out twice a month. UM. I love to 559 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: put the true Voice app description banner in there, if 560 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: you don't mind. I have to have a platform called 561 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: HBCU Awards. I'd like to drop that banner there because 562 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: I'm about authenticity, about organically telling the story and true 563 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: voice I downloaded. I have a daughter. She's twenty four 564 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: years old. She's graduating from college. Trying to find her 565 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: voice and any platform that allows her to feel comfortable 566 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: and communicating and seeing people like her and comfortably communicating 567 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: those values. It's important to me and I just wanted 568 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: to offer that uh Ron will live. I thinew she 569 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: set up this interview. If you get that banner to me, 570 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: I appreciate dropping in there, and again, thank you for 571 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 1: coming on the show. Man. I appreciate your time. I 572 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:37,799 Speaker 1: know you're busy, fellas. I know you're busy fellas. Thank 573 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 1: you for your time. Thank you for your time, thank you, 574 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,840 Speaker 1: thank you for having us. It's great to see you. 575 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 1: Great to see you still being great at what you're 576 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: great at. So whatever you call, we'll be there. I 577 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 1: appreciate you well. Man, welcome to the family. Brother, welcome, 578 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: appreciate all right, Y'll be safe man, Thank you, Bye bye. 579 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: If you want to hear more Money Making Conversation interviews, 580 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 1: please go to Money Making Conversation dot com. I'm with 581 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 1: Sean McDonald. I'm your host.