WEBVTT - Saying “Yes” To Opportunity (w/ Erica Peeples) 0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:04.640 Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. You are tuned into 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.040 the Vitamin D with dwn Day podcast and I am 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:09.640 your host, Dawn Day, here to get you excited about 0:00:09.680 --> 0:00:11.640 your life so that you can live life on purpose 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:13.680 and for a purpose. And this is your first time 0:00:13.760 --> 0:00:16.640 tuning in and welcome Vitamin D. It's the fun of 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:19.000 my name. My name is Dawn and you get Vitamin 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:20.840 D from the sun. So I'm here to share light 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:23.920 into your life. And I do this with inspirational insights 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.240 and conversations with celebrities and everyday people like you and me, 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:29.520 Because if you want to be better and you want 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:31.800 to do better, then you're going to have to be 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:34.760 able to see better. So join me on this journey 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.599 of living our best lives and understanding and realizing how 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:42.159 you are your greatest dasset. What's the best compliment that 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:46.720 you've ever received? And I'm not necessarily talking about a 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:50.600 physical thing. I mean, although that does feel good, I'd 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:54.240 say for myself one of the best I've received as 0:00:54.320 --> 0:00:57.200 someone saying like, Hey, John, I really appreciate your energy. 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:02.440 Don't you really make me feel welcome? Don't you make 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:08.840 me feel comfortable? Don't I feel safe? And for myself 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:12.160 that is the biggest thing for me to feel safe 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:15.680 around you because to me, that says peace and when 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:18.360 you look around it, what's all going on in the world. 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:24.679 Peace is the promised land. So many things spell from peace, 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:28.240 and I think you ought to surround yourself around people 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:34.080 and situations that allow you for that piece. We're compliments 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.200 are no longer a visual thing. It's something that you 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:40.720 can feel. It makes me think of uh nd R 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:45.080 and her tract truth. She says, you know the truth 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:50.360 by the way that it feels. How do you feel now? 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:53.160 If your compliment is based on looks or an outer thing, 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:55.680 that's all right too. But for me that was a 0:01:55.720 --> 0:02:01.880 big thing because energy and presence around people are so important. 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:05.080 I mean, we're not gonna be able to exist on 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:08.560 this earth alone. That's not how we function. But I 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:13.560 want to charge you to make peace your priority and 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:19.119 having every extension of you be that of peace, enjoy 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:23.760 and love, because let me tell you something, it feels 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.640 good to feel good. Hell, it feels good to feel 0:02:26.639 --> 0:02:30.760 good when everything around you ain't looking so good. And 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:34.480 it's a beautiful thing of knowing that even when you're 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:38.520 going through the storm, you know what they say, you 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.080 ain't got to look like what you've meant through. Get 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:46.200 your rightem andy right with me and get excited about 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:52.160 your lives. Man, we got Erica. People's up here here. 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.160 Do whatever doubt that's you try. You know, welcome to 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:59.120 my dream. Thank you. I've loved being a part of 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:02.359 a dream I know, and I'm grateful to have been 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:04.840 part of your dream. Thank you, Thank you. You know 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:07.360 as we manifested this because we're here together. Come on, 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:10.040 you know, somebody said this quote, they said, we're living 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.440 the days that we want to pray for. How amazing 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:15.399 is that? Amazing? Like? Really, when we think about nothing, 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.400 that's why it's like you know, they say, gratitude is 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:21.760 everything that is. And the more grateful you are, the 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:24.640 more things that you have to be grateful for, the 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:30.880 more abundance you're tracked. Come on, this is the part 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:35.160 of the lifetime. Listen here. Abundance. That's what we're calling for. 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:40.680 Nothing but abundance, exceedingly and beyond. And you know, talking 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:42.360 about this abundance, you know, we have things to be 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:46.200 grateful for. What are you grateful for today right now? 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.200 Right now? Oh well, I'm grateful to be here. I'm 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.480 grateful to be alive. I'm grateful that I just had 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:57.200 a very successful movie, a very successful movie and trophy wife. 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:00.800 Thank you, thank you, you have. Everybody needs to watch 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:05.960 some two. We're gonna real delay, Jereliah. When we had 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:09.920 the conversation, come on, come on, okay, But you know what, 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:12.280 sometimes it's like that, right. You may think it's a delay, 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:14.960 but it's always right on time. You better talk about it. Listen, 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:16.599 you better bring it up. We're on this hike and 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:18.159 we had to sell that lady that she thought she 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.640 was going too slng. She did this. This lady was 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:24.560 a reference. We were at running and there was an 0:04:24.560 --> 0:04:27.120 older woman coming up the hardest. When I tell you, 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:30.360 I've never taken the left side of running, I thought, 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:32.520 I was, oh, I've done running. What do you mean? 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:34.680 We went up the left side of running, which is 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:36.360 to me the hardest side because this hill out the 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.160 hell is here and it's steep, there's really no steps, 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.560 and saying just up there. So we get on this 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:46.640 hill and there's an older woman, she had to be 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:50.120 in her late seventies maybe eighties, trying to get up 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:52.760 the hill and she was like, y'all just go past 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.840 me because I move a little slow. And what do 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:59.159 you say? Said, No, you're right on time. Hey catch 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.520 it at you man, So like I said, I have 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.680 Erica People's here on the podcast, um Eric is an 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:09.600 actor as a poet, a DJ, and acting teacher. Uh 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:16.920 A manifest a magnificent, beautiful being. Thank you. I am 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:21.800 from Detroit, I represented Hard Hard. I am from Detroit. Yes, yes, 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:25.560 from Detroit, and uh, we didn't know each other in Detroit, 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:27.719 not each other out here in l A at the 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.080 parlor Rest in peace. You know it's closed down now. 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:32.440 We were actually there for the closing of it the 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:36.279 last day, last day, me, you and Anton. Yeah that 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:39.360 was dope. Anton's her brother, the other the other half 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:43.760 of the Magnificent People's due out. But it was so dope, 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.080 you know, to talk. And even on that first day 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:49.599 we realized, along with being from Detroit, that we both 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:54.240 studied at Mosaic. Mosaic for those of you who don't know, 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:56.240 do you remember the slogan? Do you remember the motto? 0:05:56.560 --> 0:06:00.479 Mosaic is a multicultural arts organization who's mission is to 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:05.120 develop young and performing artists. The comprehensive theatrical and musical 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:11.520 training and to provide high quality performances for audiences of 0:06:11.600 --> 0:06:17.600 all ages. Catching Now, y'all, remember you know Jamal Mallory. 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:21.919 Jamal was on the podcast Jamal You know, did I 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:23.440 just make that up? Thought he studied that I was 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:25.919 a No, we were in school together. I made that up. 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.200 I was gonna say, I remember Jamal though that was 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:30.920 at Mosaic, Jamal Mallory. I don't know if Mallory was 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:34.120 his last name. Oh man, I wonder if I made 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.080 He's gonna Detroit. So shout out to Jamal, shout out 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:39.560 to Jaman. But along with study of the Mosaic. So 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:41.800 you went on like you did, really the real deal, 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:44.840 like training with acting. I did. I went to Columbia 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:50.000 for a years, Columbiago in Chicago before me year at school, 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:53.120 and then I left there. Did you for Juilliard? Got 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:58.000 accepted to Juilliard, went to Julliard, graduated from Juilliard, and 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:00.120 then I came to I love that you said I 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.000 went to Juilliard. Then you had to make sure you literated. 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:06.200 I graduated from Juilliard. I did. Did you know they 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:08.400 have a well when I was in school, they had 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:12.560 a cut system. So your second year which is your 0:07:12.600 --> 0:07:16.560 hardest year at school. They put you on probation if 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:21.120 you don't meet certain quiteria for for the program, meaning 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.000 you could be tardy, you could be not as talented 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:27.440 as everyone else, you could just not really be focused, 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:31.120 and or they could put you on probation to make 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.080 you better because you might think you're too good, to 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:37.080 scare you a little bit in a sense, to humble you. 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:41.120 And then they cut you out of the school if 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:44.720 you don't make it past probation, and during the whole year, 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:48.720 the whole year you're on probation. Luckily, thank god, I 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.800 was never on probation. But there were six people that 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.640 were cut checked out of school the year that I 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:58.040 went to school, so they did not graduate. Like, what's 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:02.000 the estimate of the class eyes Comma specifically, typically they 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:08.880 have sixteen twelve to sixteen people per class. My year 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:13.480 had the most. We had twenty two people and then 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:20.840 we lost six. That's into sixteen. Yeah, Like people that's 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.400 their dream, like I'm going to Julie are like blood 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:27.040 sweat and tears, Like, oh yeah, and it's still blood 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:33.000 sweating tears once you get in exactly. So then you said, 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:36.800 all right, I didn't dabble those in New York. I'm 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:41.440 about to go to the l like what the stars are? Yeah? Yeah, 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:45.280 well that kind of happened, not really. So I graduated 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:47.719 from Juilliard. I stayed there because I did a lot 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:50.880 of Broadway off Broadway and Broadway shows that did a 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:53.880 couldn't it was supposed to turn into a Broadway show, 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.559 but they call it off Broadway. And so I did 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:00.480 a lot of theater when I first graduated, and I 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:03.240 traveled around a lot. In fact, I did Joe Turners 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:07.560 Coming Gone with uh, but directed by del Worry Lindo 0:09:08.040 --> 0:09:12.160 in California. Actually I did that at Berkeley, California for 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:13.800 three months. It was the best time in my life, 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:16.840 best job out of school ever. Del Worry Lindo was 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:20.240 amazing to work with. I learned so much from him, 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:23.120 and he's so passionate. And to see him as a 0:09:23.160 --> 0:09:25.840 director and know him as the actor that inspired me, 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:27.760 and then to work with him as a director was 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:31.640 just an honor, uh and a privilege. But then I 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.040 did I did an episode Law in Order, and then 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.840 I also did a couple of commercials in New York, 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:41.640 and then I decided to come to l a, okay, 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:44.040 so before we get salary, since we've now you're booking 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:48.520 gigs and stuff, do you remember what it felt like 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:51.559 what you were doing the first time you either saw 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:55.760 yourself on television, heard yourself on the Brady, or tells 0:09:55.880 --> 0:10:00.680 like the first time you experienced you weren yes, I 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.120 do um. The first time was Law and Order, and 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:07.360 that was that was a hot mess. It was almost 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:11.880 because literally, I think I had decided I wanted to 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:13.600 cut my hair. It was the first time I cut 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:16.280 my hair, which most of you don't know. My hair 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:19.800 is normally short when it's not in braids, and I 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:23.239 cut it right before right, like think you before I graduated, 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:26.840 and I was going through this weird hair stage right, 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:29.679 So it's like my hair was like kind of perm 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:31.360 not pern. I didn't know what I was doing. I 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:33.319 was trying to find myself, trying to figure it out, 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:36.920 and I book Law and Order with this hair. So 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:40.840 the first time I saw myself, I was like, so, 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.640 we're not going to do that again, right, But it 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:45.679 was exciting because it was it was my first time 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.320 to see myself on screen and at the time, Lawn 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:50.160 Order was one of the biggest shows, so That was 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:52.920 kind of your rite of passage coming out of Juilliard 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:55.080 was if you make it to lawn, order made it 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:59.239 wow and you did it fast. Yeah, that's something about accomplishment, 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:04.680 ghost is it is? It really is? You know. It's interesting, 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:08.200 is though, staying focused and accomplishing your goals also, Uh, 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:09.960 this has been coming to me a lot of staying 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:14.160 in the moment and being present and enjoying the journey. 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.560 It's just as much as important as it is to 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.560 accomplish your goals, because once you accomplish them, you still 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:21.960 have more goals. So you're like, yes, I did that, 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.160 but I'm trying to do this now and I need 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.439 to do this. But if you're like, wow, this is 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:30.679 happening right now, and I'm gonna sit in this and 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:33.280 live in it. And even when it's not happening, I'm 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:35.640 gonna live in that because I know that it will happen. 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:39.840 You know, it's a beautiful thing everything. My former barber 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:46.280 Shotts Low, what it does Low, he's the journey is 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:50.319 the experience, and the experience is the journey. That is 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.960 very true. You know, I was told in school over 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.600 and over again that it's a marathon, not a sprint, 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:02.320 and that just reminds you to slow down a little bit, 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:06.400 stay keep running, don't stop running, but know that you 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:08.480 got You may have some ways to go, and that's okay, 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.320 because you need to pace yourself to make it through 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:13.960 that journey. Because if you try to sprint to the 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:17.240 end and you still got twenty more miles, you're gonna 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:19.400 fall out. And then if you're not being president, you're 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:21.640 gonna be so caught up on looking so far ahead 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:24.599 and then psyching yourself out versus Okay, one step of 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:26.920 the time, they say, what's the fastest and the best 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.600 way to eat the elephant one bite at a time. 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:36.120 I've never ate an elephant, but I'd love to try it, 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:39.520 all right, So all right, so you book law and 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:42.360 Order and then you you you skirt out of your 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:43.880 way over LA. Now, did you come to l A 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.360 with a job or you would come seeking a job? 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:49.760 So the thing is for me, I'm led by my 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:54.000 intuition and I'm led by God more than anything. And 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:55.959 for me, no, I did not come here with the 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.400 job as the answer. But I did feel like I 0:12:58.400 --> 0:13:00.840 needed to be in l A. And I felt like 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.959 it was time we were told coming out of Juilliard, 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:05.800 especially when you do a showcase. You do a showcase 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.120 in l A showcase in New York, and that's when 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:11.760 all the agents and all the casting directors, directors, they 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:14.840 come and they watch you and they're like, we want 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:16.400 this person. You did great, you get up. You get 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:18.600 an envelope at the end of your showcase, which is 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:22.240 very scary and embarrassing because if you have a small envelope, 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:24.800 guess what, nobody wants to see you, right, we have 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:28.040 a big envelope and everybody's that you're the one. You're 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:32.760 the pride of choken, token child or a student. So anyways, 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:36.840 long story short, I left New York and I had 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:40.560 a boutique agency and a very big commercial agent. I'm 0:13:40.600 --> 0:13:44.800 signed with Abrams and leading artists, and I was booking 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:48.400 commercials and I was doing well leading artists with theater. 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:50.000 But they didn't want me to go to l A. 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:52.480 They told me that if I went to l A, 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:55.040 they would have to drop me, which means I wouldn't 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:57.840 have an agent come into l A. And I said, Okay, 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.920 it was hard, it's a little scary, but I felt 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:02.320 like I needed to go to l A. I just 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:04.640 felt like it was time. So I had a job. 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:08.680 I was working at Disnease Jazz Club. Disnease Disseease Jazz Club. 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:15.960 It's in um It's kind of uh Central Park. It's 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:22.040 in the New York, in New York, and I bought 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.680 a car for five hundred dollars. My dad found me 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:29.200 this car. Now, this car was your typical like g Poopy, 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:31.920 made a loud noise when you turned it, like the 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:35.320 side door was bent in. I didn't give up. Excuse 0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:37.400 my language, don't give a fuck. I was going to 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.120 l A and I just need a car to get 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.440 me there. So I said to my money, my friend 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.200 who I went to Juilliard with, shout out to Max. 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:50.360 Thank you. Max had Um had an extra apartment and 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:53.120 he was trying to rent it. He had a room 0:14:53.160 --> 0:14:56.000 for his department, and he let all of us know. 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:57.880 I'm like a Juilliard chat. Hey, you know I got 0:14:57.920 --> 0:14:59.560 a room for win. Anybody in l A want to come, right, 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:00.960 And I said, I on it. I wasn't. I didn't 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.280 even leave New York yet that I wanted. I sent 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.800 on the money like two months before I left. I 0:15:05.840 --> 0:15:08.360 was just paying rent over there to keep my place, 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.720 to cure my place until like a save up enough 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:13.120 to get from l from New York to l A. 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.440 And so I saved up. It wasn't a lot, I think, 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:19.680 I said up like six thousand dollars or something. I 0:15:19.680 --> 0:15:23.240 thought that was like enough. I didn't know you just 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.640 second one step at the time, right, I just needed 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:29.800 to get here, come on, So I got in my car, 0:15:30.280 --> 0:15:32.880 drove my brother actually jove with me. He didn't move 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:35.280 at that time, but he wrote with me, and we 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:37.800 drove from New York to l A two day trip, 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:41.920 two days to not busted in two days. Y'all busted 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:44.680 it out in two days, two days because say, there 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:47.840 were three of us, my brother and his friend, and 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:51.880 we took turns like one person was sleep drive, fault, 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:54.520 get sleepy, next person drive. So we just kept rotating. 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:56.560 I heard the hell lot of that, and we made 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:59.080 it in two days. Got here, got into my apartment, 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:00.760 and that's say I knew I had to get a 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:05.240 job because my six thousand dollars was already halfway go, right, 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:10.720 my little six about half way go. So I literally 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:16.600 just my stuff in the car, just like packed up bags, 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:20.120 like got rid of my apartment, left the furniture In fact, 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:23.360 I left my apartment until very close friend of mine, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.880 miss Jessica Beett's, she was in New York. That's why 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:28.360 I left my apartment too, and I said I'm out. 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:33.120 He and I came, and then I had to get 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:36.600 a job because it was expensive in l A. Not 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:38.640 that New York wasn't, but it was a different kind 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:41.480 of expense. And so because now I had gas and 0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:43.840 I had insurance, I had to pay for. Now I 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:45.560 had my rent had to pay for. I don't think 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:47.480 I've ever told this full story, by the way, So 0:16:47.520 --> 0:16:51.120 this is this just like foreshadowing or going back, I 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:53.960 don't know what you call it. So anyways, I got 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:58.440 a job at Wolfgang Puck as a waitress. That wasn't 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:00.280 enough though, because they didn't pay as much as they 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.520 pay in New York. I was making like five hundred 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:06.680 dollars a night in New York as a waiter with tips. Here, 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:10.199 I've made like a hundred and fifty if that on 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.320 good two days, and you gotta share your tips with everybody. 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:18.880 The differences you get paid hourly, So I made more hourly, 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:21.760 but I didn't make more on the daily. Right, So 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:25.080 I remember, and I'm gonna make this story short. I 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.280 had to get a job. I get two more jobs, 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:29.800 so I was working at Wolf Game Puck. Then I 0:17:29.800 --> 0:17:32.800 got a job of Kitchen twenty four and I worked 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:36.360 the overnight shift, so I would leave from Wolf Game Puck, 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:40.160 go to Kitchen twenty four, worked from nine pm till 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:43.760 nine am, get up. And then I found a job 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:46.800 dog sitting, and then I found a job working with babysitting. 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:49.959 So I had like four jobs at one time just 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:55.359 to maintain that's hobby. Something people don't tell me it's 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:59.080 not possible, because this is how bad do you want it? 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.159 And you'll know your desires and your wants based on 0:18:02.440 --> 0:18:08.760 your choices. Yeah. Wow. It's also faith more than anything 0:18:08.840 --> 0:18:13.879 because I couldn't really see, but I could see, m 0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:16.679 hmm what was for me? I knew what was for me. 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:19.240 I was just like, Okay, that's what I gotta do 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:21.800 it for right now until it happens. That's so important. 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:24.879 You gotta have a vision. And you know, I showed 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:28.000 this to everybody, and I remind myself all the time, 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:31.400 don't let what you see make you forget what God said, 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.080 because it's if if it's put inside you, it's inside you. 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:38.160 For a reason. God hasn't sold the tease. He doesn't 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.880 tease to take away. There's nothing that you're lacking because 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.119 it would not have came to you that part, that 0:18:44.200 --> 0:18:47.359 whole part. But you gotta stay committed. What are you 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:50.879 willing to do it for it? How uncomfortable are you 0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:53.760 willing to get? Well, here's this, God said, he will 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.400 make you uncomfortable in order for you to grow. Hey, 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:58.560 they said, I asked God to go and started raining. 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:03.440 I mean, you planted the seed and now it's time 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:06.800 for the harvest. But what's it gonna take for that 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:09.560 water to come? What that looks like it can't be 0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:12.960 actually the form of literal tears. It's a cleansing, it's 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.480 a washing away. That's huge. That's huge. And trust me, 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:20.480 I did a lot of crying. Yeah, and go ahead, 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:22.680 Oh you did some crying. And we just say. In fact, 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:26.320 the night before I got trut the game, I was 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:29.840 on my knees crying. I had a breakdown. I breakdown 0:19:29.840 --> 0:19:31.840 because I was like I had left l A at 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.520 that point, moved to New York, and I moved back 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.800 to New York. Oh, back to New York. How long 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:39.800 did you say like before you got from New York 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:45.240 seven years, seven years and I was doing you know, 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:47.600 I found an went to acting classes, I found an agent. 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:51.680 I was a manager. Sorry, I was getting callbacks, but 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:54.760 I wasn't booking anything. And I was like, why am 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:58.199 I staying here? Just go back to New York where everybody, 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:00.320 you know, they loved me and I was working. Go 0:20:00.400 --> 0:20:02.280 back to New York. Your friends living there and moved 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:05.159 back to New York. And you moved back to here 0:20:05.160 --> 0:20:09.440 with Jessica. No, actually, Jessica had moved out somewhere else. 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:12.120 She was still living in New York, but she moved 0:20:12.119 --> 0:20:14.040 somewhere else, and then I moved with my friends. Now 0:20:14.080 --> 0:20:16.359 what's she playing? What she doing music or was she acting? 0:20:16.640 --> 0:20:20.960 She was doing music music. We actually met through Mona Scott. 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:29.359 She was doing music. Another story another day. After seven years. Yeah, 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:31.560 but went back to New York, New York, and I 0:20:31.600 --> 0:20:34.119 said I'm gonna I said, I wasn't gonna work. I 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:37.120 didn't put my whole entire faith into my career at 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:41.480 this point, and I was gonna figure it out, but 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:43.000 it was only going to be through acting, and I 0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:46.000 was gonna make money. That's what I said. And It 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:48.400 was hard because I wasn't making any money for like 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:51.440 a month or two. But luckily I had a friend 0:20:51.440 --> 0:20:52.760 who was looking at who let me stay with them 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:55.800 until I can get on my feet, you know. Um. 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:57.720 But anyways, I had a breakdown. I was crying and 0:20:57.720 --> 0:20:59.119 I was talking to God and I said, you know 0:20:59.640 --> 0:21:02.560 what is got to give because I need to I 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:05.399 need a door to be open. I need I need something, 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:08.840 I need some help. And I thought I was doing everything. 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:12.280 I was fasting. I was, you know, putting my all 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:16.040 into this so it has to work. And nothing happened. 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.200 And then I got a phone call that same night 0:21:22.000 --> 0:21:25.280 from my friend Country calling me to get me in 0:21:25.320 --> 0:21:29.199 touch with Columbus Short because they couldn't find me. And 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:32.119 we were friends. We were all friends and anyway, so 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:35.320 he calls me. I get ahold of him and he says, 0:21:35.359 --> 0:21:38.159 I have I feel so honored to be a vessel 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:43.080 of God and give you this opportunity. Real life. I 0:21:43.080 --> 0:21:46.680 couldn't I couldn't write this. It's a movie. Real life, 0:21:46.720 --> 0:21:50.760 this really happened, really happened. I said, Okay, he said, 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:53.320 I've been trying to find you, but I have this 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:56.399 role for you, have this part that you're perfect for 0:21:56.800 --> 0:21:58.399 and I'm gonna put you on the phone with the 0:21:58.440 --> 0:22:01.840 producer so that we can get you out here. The 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:06.640 producer was Manny Hayley. Manny got me on the phone 0:22:06.640 --> 0:22:08.359 and said, yeah, you know, let's just you know how 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:10.800