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Speaker 1: You're coming to bed hunt. Yep, honey, I'll be right there.

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Speaker 1: Just gotta turn out the light. Oh oh, some thing's

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Speaker 1: think I left the downstairs light on. Please don't make

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Speaker 1: me go. Fifteen minutes could save you or more. Mama,

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Speaker 1: what does the chicken say? Uh? Draft draft? Really? Gidraft draft.

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Speaker 1: You're not gonna get it all right. Just make sure

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Speaker 1: you know the big stuff, like making sure your kids

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Speaker 1: Get it right visits n h S a dot gov

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Speaker 1: Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the at use once the

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Speaker 1: last time you took a time out. I'm Ev Rodsky,

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Speaker 1: author of the New York Times bestseller A Fair Play

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Speaker 1: and Find Your Unicorn Space, activists on the gender Division

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Speaker 1: of Labor, attorney and family mediator. And I'm doctor Addina Rukar,

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Speaker 1: a Harvard physician and medical correspondent with an expertise in

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Speaker 1: the science of stress resilience. Mental health and burnout. We're

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Speaker 1: so excited to share our podcast, Time Out, a production

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Speaker 1: of I Heart Podcasts and Hello Sunshine, repealing back the

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Speaker 1: layers around why society makes it so easy to guard

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Speaker 1: men's time like it's diamonds and treat women's time like

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Speaker 1: it's infinite like sand. And So, whether you're partnered with

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Speaker 1: or without children, or in a career where you want

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Speaker 1: more boundaries, this is a place for you, for people

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Speaker 1: of all family structures. So take this time out with

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Speaker 1: us to learn, get inspired, and most importantly, reclaim your time.

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Speaker 1: Listen to Time Out, a fair play podcast on the

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Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

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Speaker 1: your podcast. My guest today is a Leah Williams from

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Speaker 1: Oklahoma and Arkansas. You know I had to say that

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Speaker 1: because I'm a Texas boy. I got to go let

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Speaker 1: everybody whenever somebody comes near Texas, I got little my

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Speaker 1: up front. She is a graduate of Harvard University, Peabody

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Speaker 1: Award nominated producer and founder of Just the Rebel, and

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Speaker 1: television and film production company focuses on contemporary stories that

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Speaker 1: center and celebrate Black women. I have six sisters, so

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Speaker 1: I appreciate that just the Rebels first look deal with

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Speaker 1: CBS Television Studios has been renewed for a second year.

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Speaker 1: She's on the on the show to discuss her career,

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Speaker 1: the journey, and the future of her production company, Just

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Speaker 1: the Rebble, Please work with the money making conversation for

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Speaker 1: the very first time, not the last time. A Leah Williams,

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Speaker 1: how you doing, Lia? You know I'm doing all right

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Speaker 1: this morning. It's lovely to be here with you. Well.

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Speaker 1: The beauty of this doing visual and doing video. I

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Speaker 1: can see this brilliant smile that you have is it

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Speaker 1: has to be a blessing to be able to deliver

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Speaker 1: a smile like that, especially when you meet people. You

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Speaker 1: your pitching ideas and your smile. It's sunshine, young ladies,

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Speaker 1: sunshine tell us about that and tell you about my smile.

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Speaker 1: Absolutely come because you come on out, come on the live.

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Speaker 1: This ain't the first time you've been complimented about this

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Speaker 1: fantastic smile. This smile has been you to close deals.

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Speaker 1: This smile has been you to get in building she's

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Speaker 1: not supposed to be in. I know this smiling, she's

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Speaker 1: gonna go smile you're talking about this person. Thank you

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Speaker 1: very much. But I have to give all that credit

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Speaker 1: to my mother's stay William thing that she would say

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Speaker 1: to me every day. Every morning, she would say this

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Speaker 1: to me and my sister Kia, smile and the world

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Speaker 1: will smile with you. And she would say she would

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Speaker 1: say that, and she always told us to close their

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Speaker 1: mouths and listen. I didn't always do that, but the

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Speaker 1: smile on the world will smile with you is um,

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Speaker 1: something that I've always carried with me and um, you know,

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Speaker 1: there are definitely situations where it is hard to smile,

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Speaker 1: but I definitely try to bring that into all aspects

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Speaker 1: of my life, UM, and especially in the stories that

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Speaker 1: I want to tell. For black people, I think we

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Speaker 1: deserve joy. And you know, it's one of the reasons why,

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Speaker 1: uh my logo for my company, I've wanted to find

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Speaker 1: the brightest yellow possible show case that we deserve joy.

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Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, even even the drama UM projects that

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Speaker 1: I have, there are some levity to them because I

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Speaker 1: do believe that, um, too many times black stories are

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Speaker 1: relegated to the trauma that we carry versus all of

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Speaker 1: the other amazing aspects that we are as a people. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know the reason I bring that up because when

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Speaker 1: you come on my show. I'm a guy. I'm a

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Speaker 1: very visual guy, and I noticed things and that's my

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Speaker 1: third eye. I can see things and as he blessings

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Speaker 1: and your smile is a blessing and a lot of

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Speaker 1: people don't realize that that's that just those simple gifts

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Speaker 1: that God give you can enable you to, you know,

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Speaker 1: make your dreams come true, enable you to o well,

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Speaker 1: create opportunities that wouldn't be available for ordinary people. And

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Speaker 1: it's it's important to take advantage of all these talents.

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Speaker 1: That's one talent, your ability is that you're very articulate

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Speaker 1: and so and you you know, because when once you

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Speaker 1: say as Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, you know, they always have

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Speaker 1: these stereotypes. And then when they throw this then you're black.

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Speaker 1: That's even deeper stereotypes. And then you're throwing at the

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Speaker 1: front of your resume Harvard graduate. Come on girl, come

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Speaker 1: on now, yes, yes, no, I I'm very proud of

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Speaker 1: the opportunities that you know, my my parents pushed me

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Speaker 1: towards and that I, um, you know, actively work towards.

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Speaker 1: And um, I had a wonderful experience at Harvard. Um

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Speaker 1: you know, go go in there is an eighteen year

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Speaker 1: old after growing up in the South and the Midwest.

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Speaker 1: UM was definitely a culture shock in a lot of

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Speaker 1: different ways. But it just opened me up to so

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Speaker 1: many incredible people, so many incredible experiences, UM, and UM

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Speaker 1: really shaped who I am in a lot of different ways.

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Speaker 1: And UM. You know, one thing that I will say

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Speaker 1: about a Harvard College education, like, it's not necessarily about

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Speaker 1: what you concentrated in, like what your major was. UM.

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Speaker 1: It really was a curriculum that challenged you to think

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Speaker 1: and how do you um open up your perspective on

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Speaker 1: the world. UM. And so uh and you know, so

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Speaker 1: many of the people that I met UM from that

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Speaker 1: time are still uh a huge part of my life

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Speaker 1: in a lot of different ways. UM. I you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm I'm a little sad this morning because this weekend

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Speaker 1: I lost one of my dearest friends who lost her

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Speaker 1: battle with cancer. Double Harvard graduate Christia Donaldson, who was

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Speaker 1: a big sister to me and also a beacon in

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Speaker 1: terms of her entrepreneurial journey UM as the founder of

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Speaker 1: Thank God I'm Natural hair product line. UM. But anyway,

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Speaker 1: Harvard was a wonderful experience and I'm super glad that

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Speaker 1: that's part of who I am, Well, you know, I'm

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Speaker 1: a cancer survivor. So when then in one I lose

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Speaker 1: a friend, use a caller, a friend and I don't

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Speaker 1: know her, but I know she fought the same battle.

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Speaker 1: And I'm fighting all the time. Because just because you

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Speaker 1: surviving doesn't necessarily mean the cancer is not going to

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Speaker 1: come back. But what it does allow me to understand

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Speaker 1: that you have to live your life and your dreams

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Speaker 1: are possible as long as you planned them. So and

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Speaker 1: I see you as a planner, you know, because of

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Speaker 1: the fact that you have never let stereotype stereotype of

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Speaker 1: being an African American female, stereotype coming from the South,

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Speaker 1: coming from Oklahoma, orcanshol and then you went to Harvard,

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Speaker 1: you graduated, How did you migrate to Los Angeles? Leah,

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Speaker 1: you know it was it was it was a fun,

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Speaker 1: windy world. Um. I didn't necessarily, you know, coming from

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Speaker 1: having Southern black parents. After going to Harvard, they were like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: you're going to meddle school. You going to in school?

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Speaker 1: Like what graduate school are you doing? And I really

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Speaker 1: wasn't clear. Um. So I worked in financial services in

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Speaker 1: New York and Chicago and strategy. UM and I did

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Speaker 1: like every you know, other good graduate of my class

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Speaker 1: was preparing my applications to business school. UM and gratefully

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Speaker 1: I am an alum of the Ron Brown Scholar program.

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Speaker 1: And they put on a conference. Um the first time

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Speaker 1: they put on a conference about the arts and entertainment industry.

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Speaker 1: UM and UH, a wonderful man, Charles King, gave a

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Speaker 1: fireside chat about his life as a super agent, and

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Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, this is so interesting.

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Speaker 1: It was like the first time that I heard the

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Speaker 1: phrase like, you know, the intersection of art and commerce,

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Speaker 1: which was so interesting to me. UM. Malcolm d Lee

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Speaker 1: gave a talk about how he had, you know, put

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Speaker 1: together the best man and UM, I just connected with

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Speaker 1: a lot of different folks that showed me that there

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Speaker 1: was this creative path that I didn't realize was a

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Speaker 1: real career. UM and so I was unfulfilled in what

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Speaker 1: I was doing. I was doing well, but it just

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Speaker 1: didn't completely feel all every aspect of who I am.

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Speaker 1: And so UM, I took the leap. I quit my job.

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Speaker 1: You know, I had friends out in l A who

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Speaker 1: were in very studies as a film school, and I

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Speaker 1: moved out to l A, drove across country from New

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Speaker 1: York and UM a week after I got here, after

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Speaker 1: having some informational UH coffees and conversations with literally anyone

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Speaker 1: that I could connect within my network, UM, I started

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Speaker 1: working in the mail room at Endeavor, one of the

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Speaker 1: major talent agencies which is now called w ME. But

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Speaker 1: UM I started in the mail room. After two weeks,

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Speaker 1: one of the partners put me in the motion picture

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Speaker 1: lit group, which was a great experience to really kind

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Speaker 1: of get to know the industry UM and hone my

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Speaker 1: my ability to you know, read scripts, understand different writers

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Speaker 1: and directors, get a sense of what my taste was

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Speaker 1: in a lot of different ways. And you know, from

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Speaker 1: that one year of working at the agency, UM one

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Speaker 1: of the agents connected me with my first job out

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Speaker 1: of the agency, working for an incredible producer, Effie Brown.

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Speaker 1: Let's go back to that mail room experience, because a

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Speaker 1: lot of people don't realize that that is how you

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Speaker 1: break into the big agency world is the mail room.

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Speaker 1: And UH a lot oftentimes the mail room doesn't come

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Speaker 1: with pay, and your situation would and so a lot

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Speaker 1: of people don't know that. You know, so you work

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Speaker 1: in the middle. This did come with pay. Was a

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Speaker 1: lot of pay. Right, so it feels like no pay

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Speaker 1: don't I'm just feels like no pay coming from you know.

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Speaker 1: I I was had a decent salary and four oh

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Speaker 1: one kme. So like my dad was like, so we wait.

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Speaker 1: And this is the funny point about this conversation that

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Speaker 1: you're having with your parents, Like when I when I

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Speaker 1: told my mom and dad, you know, I go to

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Speaker 1: your age and get a math degree, mind and sociology

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Speaker 1: and then I go work for IBM, and I tell

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Speaker 1: them I'm equit to be a stand up comedian. So

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Speaker 1: that's the extreme. Okay, that's what I told my parents,

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Speaker 1: all right, and they went, okay, we love you, but humble.

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Speaker 1: So you go from Oklahoma, Texas, go to Harvard, right,

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Speaker 1: got this great job in New York, drive across the country,

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Speaker 1: and you're working in the mayor room for way less money.

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Speaker 1: Talk about that conversation, because that's where a lot of

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Speaker 1: people don't understand that you have to sacrifice and then

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Speaker 1: also time you got to take a step back to

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Speaker 1: take it, to take some steps. I don't know if

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Speaker 1: that's a step back though, you know, when you when

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Speaker 1: I hear people say that, because that's part of the

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Speaker 1: process because you said going out on faith. When you're

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Speaker 1: going out on faith, that means that there's a plan

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Speaker 1: in process, and you know, like you know, and I know.

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Speaker 1: If you want to get in the big agency, you

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Speaker 1: gotta get in that mail room. And when you're the

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Speaker 1: able mayor room, you have to be humble on top

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Speaker 1: of your job. You keep walking around there with no attitude.

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Speaker 1: You get to see all the top game you get

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Speaker 1: to see stars come through those wars. You can mega

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Speaker 1: producers and directors that you read about in the entertainment magazines.

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Speaker 1: So you can't be oh my god, and so you

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Speaker 1: have to be professional all the time. So when I

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Speaker 1: don't really see as a step backwards when I hear

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Speaker 1: people say that, because you said it from the beginning,

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Speaker 1: rachae I went on faith, Faith is a plan. I

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Speaker 1: would tell people you have to have a plan when

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Speaker 1: you do something on faith. I'm sorry. And then, but

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Speaker 1: what did your parents say when they told you you

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Speaker 1: told him he was in the mail room. That's the funny,

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Speaker 1: but that's the part of the conversation I want to

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Speaker 1: hear a little. My dad was like, wait a minute,

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Speaker 1: so you're telling me that you went to Harvard and

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Speaker 1: now you're basically a goper. Like and I was like, okay, Dad,

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Speaker 1: I want you to read this book the mail room.

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Speaker 1: Like he was trying. He was just you know, he

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Speaker 1: was trying to work with Try to work with your doughter.

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Speaker 1: You're trying. He's like, I don't understand. But like they

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Speaker 1: were super supportive. I was like, listen, and I'm giving

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Speaker 1: myself two years to figure this out. Um. And I

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Speaker 1: you know, I worked there was a company that I

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Speaker 1: had studied for the g MAP with that thankfully allowed

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Speaker 1: me to start working for them. And so I while

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Speaker 1: I was working for you know, all my jobs, working

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Speaker 1: for different people as an assistant, I was also tutoring

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Speaker 1: for the GMAT on the side. You would have different

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Speaker 1: clients and teaching classes virtually, so that supplemented my income. Also,

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Speaker 1: you know, writing coverage scripts to add add money. So

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Speaker 1: you just do what you gotta do. And then, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, my path was always working for other people

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Speaker 1: while also making content on my own with different writers

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Speaker 1: and directors in my network, um and building that way. Um.

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Speaker 1: And so you know, most of the times I would

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Speaker 1: work with people who were very supportive of that. Sometimes

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Speaker 1: that conflicted and you had to kind of I had

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Speaker 1: to kind of navigate that UM. But as my career

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Speaker 1: went on, you know, it all merged and so my

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Speaker 1: jobs at UM, like when I got to working at Macro, UM,

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Speaker 1: that was my job was to make content. And I

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Speaker 1: always told Charles it was my dream job at the time,

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Speaker 1: which was wonderful because I got to learn from him

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Speaker 1: and people like Poppy Hanks and Can Roth and UM

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Speaker 1: really had a lot of UM I'd say, license to

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Speaker 1: not just do short form content, but also to explore

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Speaker 1: and learn about long phone content. And so you know,

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Speaker 1: one of the first digital projects that I brought up

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Speaker 1: in UM became the television show Hint to Side that

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Speaker 1: is now in its second season on Netflix. UM and

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Speaker 1: I was the one that brought in the movie Really Love,

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Speaker 1: written by Felicia Pride and directed by Angel Christie Williams,

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Speaker 1: who also co wrote the script, and UM, you know,

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Speaker 1: after after making that movie, we'll be right back with

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Speaker 1: more money making conversation with television and film producer Leoh Williams,

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Speaker 1: It's finally here, the season of celebration, and no matter

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Speaker 1: how you celebrate with family and friends, whether you're preparing

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Speaker 1: to midnight mass. Coals has just what you need to

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Speaker 1: Cares is donating eight million dollars to local nonprofits nationwide

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Speaker 1: committed to the health and well being of our communities.

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Speaker 1: No matter how you celebrate, when you shop at Coals,

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Speaker 1: dot com. What grows in the forest trees, sure no

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Speaker 1: one else grows in the forest, imagination, a sense of wonder,

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Speaker 1: and our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect

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Speaker 1: from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other.

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Speaker 1: The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest

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Speaker 1: Org Brought to you by the United States Forest Service

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Speaker 1: and the AD Council. And we're live here outside the

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Speaker 1: Perez family home, just waiting for the And there they go,

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Speaker 1: almost on time. This morning. Mom is coming out the

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Speaker 1: front door strong with a double arm kid carry. Looks

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Speaker 1: like dad has the bags daughter he is bringing up

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Speaker 1: the rear. Oh but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Diapers

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Speaker 1: and toys are everywhere. Oh but mom has just nailed

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Speaker 1: the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now

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Speaker 1: the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten,

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Speaker 1: has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad SIPs the

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Speaker 1: bad clothes and they're off. Ah, but looks like m

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Speaker 1: doesn't realize your coffee cup is still on the roof

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Speaker 1: of the car. And there it goes. That's a shame

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Speaker 1: that mug was a fan favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff.

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Speaker 1: Just nailed the big stuff, like making sure your kids

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Speaker 1: are buckled correctly in the right seat for their agent's eyes.

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Speaker 1: Learn more than n h t s A dot gov

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Speaker 1: gov slash the Right Seat Brought to you by NITZA

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Speaker 1: and the AD Council. This is ra Sean McDonald. Welcome

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Speaker 1: back to money making conversations as I continue my conversations

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Speaker 1: with television and field producer Leah William Let's pump, Let's

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Speaker 1: pump the brakes now right now? Oh really, low, okay,

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Speaker 1: really look now, that's that's what we're gonna talk a

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Speaker 1: little detail about this because you know, as soon as

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Speaker 1: I read that, it said iconic love story a k A.

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Speaker 1: Love Jones, you know. Okay, you know, and they got

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Speaker 1: my titcher right there. They got my titcher right there,

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Speaker 1: love Chum, that's my movie right there. Okay, Nia long

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Speaker 1: come on now smoking word. Well it's funny because so

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Speaker 1: I you know, when I first found out about the script, Um,

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Speaker 1: I had been following Angel for a while. I really

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Speaker 1: loved her short films. Um, you have become very friendly

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Speaker 1: and brand in the same you know, black filmmaker circles.

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Speaker 1: And she was on the set of a project that

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Speaker 1: I produced, Collamer Park Um. She is also on BT

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Speaker 1: Plus right now. Park is right in uh don't preach

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Speaker 1: y'all right, Beautiful Area, Grateful, wonderful digital series created by

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Speaker 1: this wonderful women, and she happened to be on set

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Speaker 1: supporting her friend Mel Jones and Um, she came up

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Speaker 1: to me when I was going I was gonna go

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Speaker 1: offset to go grab like some Jamaican patties as a

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Speaker 1: treat for the crew and everybody, and she's like, you know,

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Speaker 1: I really want to talk to you. I was like, well,

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Speaker 1: you don't enroll me while I don't get these patties.

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Speaker 1: It was like yeah, So she's like, you know, I

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Speaker 1: really wanted to talk to you because I think I

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Speaker 1: finally found the script that's gonna be my future my

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Speaker 1: first future film that I'm going to direct. And I

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Speaker 1: was like, oh, really, tell me about it. And she's like, well,

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Speaker 1: it's it's basically I feel like it could be the

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Speaker 1: next Love Jones. And I was like, Angel, you cannot

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Speaker 1: say that. Come on, come on, come on, come on

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Speaker 1: down right. It's like it's like Angel, those are fighting words.

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Speaker 1: It was not true. So um, but I was very

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Speaker 1: intrigued and she was really excited. And Angel is you know,

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Speaker 1: she's very particular, and I knew if it was something

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Speaker 1: that was that special to her that I wanted to

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Speaker 1: read it and see um. And so she gave me

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Speaker 1: the script and I remember that weekend I was just

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Speaker 1: gonna like take a little peek at it, but I

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Speaker 1: couldn't stop reading it, and UM, I called her immediately,

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Speaker 1: and I remember, you know, the first time I sat

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Speaker 1: down with her and Felicia, I knew that I needed

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Speaker 1: to bring this into macro and um and yeah, and

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Speaker 1: then from there we developed it UM and producing that

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Speaker 1: with Charles and mel Jones, who had reduced all of

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Speaker 1: Angel shorts prior prior to this. UM, it was just

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Speaker 1: a really um incredible process. And UM, it's a story

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Speaker 1: that you know, I don't I wouldn't say that it

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Speaker 1: is like love Jones. I think it has you know,

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Speaker 1: this kind of like lasting style and it makes this

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Speaker 1: impression on you that definitely like let's just talk about

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Speaker 1: it because so you know, like, uh, Netflix, I love

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Speaker 1: what they're doing with h for African American culture and

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Speaker 1: naturally international culture African African Americans and Africans period. Being

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Speaker 1: able to to launch their projects in a hundred and

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Speaker 1: ninety countries, you're not being restricted to a domestic audience,

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Speaker 1: and so your brand is being a showcase worldwide, you know. Uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, I've been able to learn about wine on Netflix,

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Speaker 1: you know, and then so that so I I I've

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Speaker 1: seen this in the art work. Now art my boy

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Speaker 1: Michael Eally, who you know he did think like a

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Speaker 1: man and think like a man to that executive produced

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Speaker 1: with Steve Harvey, started caring art and my boy Will Packers.

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Speaker 1: So I know Michael Eliot, so I saw him in that,

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Speaker 1: so okay as my boy. So it started picking up

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Speaker 1: speed really fast with your boy here, you know what

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Speaker 1: I'm saying. And I got to watch it, and I

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Speaker 1: got to watch a really um you know, I would

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Speaker 1: think that I always say that movies should entertain and educate, yes,

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Speaker 1: and then when you do when you when it does that,

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Speaker 1: then it makes an emotional impact on you. You know,

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Speaker 1: because it doesn't entertain you, you you you out, it

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Speaker 1: doesn't educate you, then what are you watching? You know

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Speaker 1: you have to walk away with. I don't know what

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Speaker 1: I watched it. It It was what okay? So so this

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Speaker 1: movie gave me the three things that I needed. It

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Speaker 1: entertained me, it educated me, and it pulled an emotion

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Speaker 1: and emotion was tied to art. And like you have

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Speaker 1: a beautiful you if you see this, if you're on

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Speaker 1: my podcast audio wise, just as beautiful African art behind her,

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Speaker 1: and it just happens to be women and uh, as

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Speaker 1: we all know, you know, you know, her company just

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Speaker 1: a rebel works on project that brings the voices of

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Speaker 1: black women in their black stories. So this is appropriate

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Speaker 1: this conversation. We haven't. And so when you tell a

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Speaker 1: story that's important, especially in any relationship, you're defining the

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Speaker 1: voice of a woman. What's the key I guess language

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Speaker 1: are angle that you're looking for to make sure that

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Speaker 1: the message of empowerment and proper decision making is put

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Speaker 1: out there correctly. Well, I will say, UM, one of

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Speaker 1: the things that drew me to it. Uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: just even from the initial script, I know that UM,

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Speaker 1: Celicia Pride, the writer who had you know, had been

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Speaker 1: working on the story for a while. Her mangle was

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Speaker 1: to show black women, and you know, young black people

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Speaker 1: as themselves, you know, loving, loving each other, striving together,

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Speaker 1: striving for their aspirations and UM, and showing that in

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Speaker 1: a real way where you you you fail, you you

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Speaker 1: make mistakes. So UM, I think the empowerment comes from

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Speaker 1: just being able to see yourself as a real whole human. UM.

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Speaker 1: You know, I don't necessarily go into projects saying Okay,

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Speaker 1: how can I show the most positive UM, portrayal of

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Speaker 1: a character. I really go into them thinking, you know,

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Speaker 1: is this authentic? Is this interesting? Um? Are they're compelling

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Speaker 1: stakes for this character? And you know whether there's a

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Speaker 1: comedic ask tone to it or a more serious and

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Speaker 1: dramatic tone to it. Um. I just wanted to feel,

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Speaker 1: um real and thoughtful. Well you're thinking this movie touched

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Speaker 1: me uh in a lot of ways emotionally because of

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Speaker 1: the fact that Suzanne Douglas. Uh. One of my first

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Speaker 1: writing projects I did in eight five was with Robert

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Speaker 1: Townsend's Parenthood and she's one of the co stars in

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Speaker 1: that series and and so and I'm Blair I Underwood,

428
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,679
Speaker 1: who I know as well. But seeing Suzanne and she

429
00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,480
Speaker 1: was just one of her last projects that she did

430
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,000
Speaker 1: before she passed away. But that was I was just

431
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,159
Speaker 1: you know, just seeing her the gifts her talent radio

432
00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,720
Speaker 1: on that screen like that. It really just lets me

433
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:36,360
Speaker 1: know the blessings of seeing people like you who are

434
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:40,200
Speaker 1: now able to tell the voices and all out talents

435
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,479
Speaker 1: like like a Blair, like Suzanne, like so many others

436
00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 1: that I'm being able to interview on my show. Now,

437
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,760
Speaker 1: just a rebel is just doing what it's supposed to

438
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:51,840
Speaker 1: do you you flipping the table? You tell me our stories?

439
00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,560
Speaker 1: You know, let me so, I really love is a

440
00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,359
Speaker 1: project that um I did when I was working in Macro.

441
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,920
Speaker 1: And know I know all that, but I'm not understanding.

442
00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,840
Speaker 1: I'm not I heard that Macro. That's my boys. I

443
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:07,439
Speaker 1: just want to make that I got that. You know

444
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,720
Speaker 1: they messed up this interview. I'm talking about you. You okay,

445
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,040
Speaker 1: you she she want to get those little B patties

446
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,640
Speaker 1: with you, Okay, the Jamaican B patties and ches you

447
00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,080
Speaker 1: and told you her next project. You said, girl, tell

448
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:24,159
Speaker 1: me about it, okay you yeah, yeah, just rel That's

449
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,840
Speaker 1: when I read up there amplifying voices and tries our

450
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,240
Speaker 1: best and sure she is showcased an accurate depicting of

451
00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 1: black stories. That's you. Yeah you was at Macro. Now

452
00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,720
Speaker 1: you're just a rebble. Now you gotta first look deal

453
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,680
Speaker 1: with CBA Television Studios and being renewed for a second year.

454
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,520
Speaker 1: Tell us about those projects. I know how to bring

455
00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,760
Speaker 1: it back a leah. I love well. Before we do that,

456
00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,520
Speaker 1: I just do want to say the experience of working

457
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 1: with Sudan Douglas was absolutely incredible. I mean, she was

458
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,240
Speaker 1: just a light on set every single time. And I

459
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,560
Speaker 1: remember like when she her first day that she came

460
00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,199
Speaker 1: to set, um uh prety some partner Mel Jones, and

461
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,880
Speaker 1: I went to read her and she just like grabbed

462
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,119
Speaker 1: our faces and she was like, you two are the producers,

463
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,960
Speaker 1: beautiful baby girls. And it's just but it wasn't any

464
00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:19,240
Speaker 1: type of like you know, um, there was nothing um,

465
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:21,560
Speaker 1: you know, negative to what she was saying. She was

466
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,160
Speaker 1: just saying it was so much love and so much affirmation.

467
00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,040
Speaker 1: And she just every time, um, every time I saw

468
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:30,879
Speaker 1: her on set, she would always pant with the side

469
00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,600
Speaker 1: and just and just tell me, like keep going, like

470
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:35,800
Speaker 1: you have to do what you're doing. It's just so

471
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,640
Speaker 1: wonderful to see you as a young black woman producing

472
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:44,480
Speaker 1: and um being in charge. And that was just so wonderful. Well,

473
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,200
Speaker 1: the the CBS television studios think you're wonderful too, just

474
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,920
Speaker 1: like a rebel. Yes, no, they are wonderful partners there.

475
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:55,879
Speaker 1: I love to just tell you this, just like Ms.

476
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,720
Speaker 1: Douglas said, do you and this is not condescending. You're

477
00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 1: special because I'm gonna jay this. I've been in rules

478
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,200
Speaker 1: pitching projects. You know, you have to have a gift

479
00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,639
Speaker 1: to give against people to give you money to be

480
00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,719
Speaker 1: creative in this world. Okay, they're not just passing out

481
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,120
Speaker 1: checks that they don't because I've been trying to get

482
00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 1: a few of them. And people like to believe I'm

483
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 1: really talent, and people like to believe I'm really successful.

484
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:25,320
Speaker 1: So when I meet a talent like you who come

485
00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,439
Speaker 1: along and was able to tell our stories, you know,

486
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,719
Speaker 1: and this is just one example. Really, love is just

487
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,560
Speaker 1: one of examples. That gentifier is just one example. Well,

488
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,040
Speaker 1: she's gonna go with her voice and her control and

489
00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,160
Speaker 1: the ability to be able to communicate, whether it's sitcom,

490
00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,919
Speaker 1: h it's dramas, or whether it's film or whether it's docuseries.

491
00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,280
Speaker 1: That's your craft. And you know the fact that you

492
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,320
Speaker 1: decided one day in New York City said this is

493
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,720
Speaker 1: This is fine for somebody else, but this is not

494
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,000
Speaker 1: fine for Leah Williams. That's the blessing of who you

495
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:59,440
Speaker 1: are today. Okay, that's the blessing when you saw Malcolm Lee,

496
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:04,080
Speaker 1: you know throughout some names early interview Macom Lee, Charles Kane,

497
00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,680
Speaker 1: you know, you know, you know, you know, I haven't

498
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,240
Speaker 1: dropped the Mike Earl in this interview with Leah Charles Kane.

499
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,840
Speaker 1: You know, I heard him Michael Lee. That's why I

500
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,760
Speaker 1: was blessed to hear them speak and share their experience. UM.

501
00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,440
Speaker 1: I was really blessed to connect with James White, who

502
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,040
Speaker 1: wrote the movie Ray that had come out the year before,

503
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 1: and UM, you know, in our conversations, UM, we you know,

504
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,639
Speaker 1: we exchanged information and he asked me like, have you

505
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,080
Speaker 1: ever read a professional script before? Like no, but I

506
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,360
Speaker 1: haven't actually, and he was like, tell me about the

507
00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:42,000
Speaker 1: type of movies that you like and so. And he

508
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,960
Speaker 1: had asked for my address, and I remember like a

509
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,720
Speaker 1: week or so later, I got this package, UM that

510
00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:54,360
Speaker 1: had all these printed out scripts uh closer, UM, Thomas

511
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,360
Speaker 1: Crown Affair after Sunset, some other some other things. Because

512
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,440
Speaker 1: he wanted to meet her. You know, we read a

513
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,040
Speaker 1: range of scripts and he was like, and if you

514
00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,200
Speaker 1: ever want to talk about them, let's talk about um.

515
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,240
Speaker 1: And because at the time I had a former classmate

516
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,200
Speaker 1: who had a script that she wanted me to produce.

517
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,320
Speaker 1: And I was like, I don't how do you give notes?

518
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 1: And James White walked me through that. UM, And obviously

519
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,400
Speaker 1: I learned some more. Once I came to l A

520
00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 1: and started working for a lot of the wonderful folks

521
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,680
Speaker 1: that I've had the opportunity to work for and taking

522
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 1: classes with Film Independent and all of that good stuff. Um,

523
00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,600
Speaker 1: but it was it all started with that amazing conference

524
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 1: from the Ron Brown Scholar Program. I'm speaking with the

525
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,040
Speaker 1: leoh Williams. She's the rebel of Just the Rebel production

526
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,800
Speaker 1: company focuses on television and film that shifts the culture forward.

527
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 1: Their home to the fearlessly creative, those who are on

528
00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:50,760
Speaker 1: a bashed specific ethic coloration that we all can relate to,

529
00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 1: that will tell our stories that we feel that us

530
00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,120
Speaker 1: so important to us. I want to thank you for

531
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,880
Speaker 1: coming on money making Conversations. I am a fan, okay,

532
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,320
Speaker 1: I'm a fan of you. You know, you know, don't

533
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,200
Speaker 1: don't don't don't throw that sweet out there. This is

534
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:08,040
Speaker 1: all about professionalism, okay, Just like I'm saying, it's just

535
00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,240
Speaker 1: like when remember Susan Dugtas grabbed your face and go, girl,

536
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,560
Speaker 1: I'm so happy to see you because I'm You're younger

537
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:16,920
Speaker 1: than me, so you know, I know, like I said,

538
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,320
Speaker 1: I met Susanne nineteen five. Robert Townsond gave me my Really,

539
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,280
Speaker 1: I always tell him he saved my writing career as

540
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,560
Speaker 1: a sitcom writer. If he didn't give me that job,

541
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: then I wouldn't be interviewing you today. So we all

542
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 1: have these these mentors, these these angels who coming to

543
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,560
Speaker 1: our lives, who keep us moving forward. And you're an angel,

544
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,720
Speaker 1: and I want you to continue to share these creative

545
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,080
Speaker 1: blessings with us on the screen, long form, short form,

546
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,440
Speaker 1: big screen, small screen, digital, social media, YouTube, whatever you

547
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,680
Speaker 1: got out there, you keep dealing and I keep watching. Okay,

548
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,240
Speaker 1: thank you so very much, thank you for coming on

549
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:58,520
Speaker 1: my show. Mrs Leiah Williams. You have a bless absolutely.

550
00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:00,880
Speaker 1: If you want to see any my interviews on Monty

551
00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:04,120
Speaker 1: Making Conversations, please go to Money Making Conversation dot com.

552
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 1: I am rou Sean McDonald. I am your host. In

553
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,640
Speaker 1: this season of giving, Coals has gifts for all your

554
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,040
Speaker 1: loved ones. For those who like to keep it cozy,

555
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556
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,120
Speaker 1: owned or founded brands by giving gifts from Human Nation

557
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Speaker 1: and shame moisture and in the spirit of giving, Coals

558
00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:51,240
Speaker 1: Cares is donating eight million dollars to local nonprofits nationwide.

559
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,000
Speaker 1: Give with all your heart this season with great gifts

560
00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:57,560
Speaker 1: from Coals or coals dot com. There's a monumental shift

561
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Speaker 1: in power at work. Employees are speaking up. Turnover is rising,

562
00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:07,600
Speaker 1: salaries are increasing, hiring is tough, and burnout is real.

563
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564
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Speaker 1: HR from powerless to powerful. Join a DP on February.

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Speaker 1: Reserve your spot now. Go to get the Plan dot

566
00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,280
Speaker 1: IDP dot com to register for the work interrupted summing

567
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Speaker 1: Piece of the Planet. Charlemagne the God here and you

568
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,520
Speaker 1: don't want to miss Hello Somebody with Senator Nina Turner

569
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,640
Speaker 1: on the Black Effect Podcast Network. I love Hello Somebody

570
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:41,160
Speaker 1: simply because I love Nina Turner. She's fearless. I'm Nina Turner,

571
00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:46,800
Speaker 1: hell raising humanitarian sister in the Struggle and Recover, an

572
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:51,840
Speaker 1: Electric official. Listen to Hello Somebody every Thursday on the

573
00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:56,960
Speaker 1: Heart Radio at Apple Podcast or wherever you get your

574
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Speaker 1: podcast