1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: So thankful that you guys rock with this podcast, that 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: you have subscribed to this podcast, or that you tell 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: somebody else about this podcast. Whatever you do and showing 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: your support for this podcast means so much to me. 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: And the biggest compliment is when you share with somebody else. 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: So thank you for you know, rocking with your boy 7 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: and Black Tech, Green Money. What we're trying to do 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: here is give you insights knowledge on wealth creation and 9 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: this is particularly for people who are either building or 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: leveraging technology for their wealth and legacy. And so this podcast, 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: this particular episode is going to be a little bit 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: more about what's been going on with me in twenty 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: twenty four and what I plan for twenty twenty five. 14 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: What we tend to do is expect unintentionally. Often I think, 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: I don't think it's you know, something that we do 16 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: just maliciously. But what we think, what we tend to 17 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: do is assume that because the year has changed, that 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: things are just different. And I had this post that 19 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: I put up on I think at my threads a 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: couple of days ago. So just because it's a new year, 21 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: if you don't change the operations the way your habits 22 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: work at et cetera. Then your twenty twenty five will 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: be actually worse than you're twenty twenty four, and that's 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: because the landscape around you is changing. So one of 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: the biggest lessons I learned in business was, like, there 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: is no stasis, Like there is no flat. What we 27 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: assume is flat is just because the numbers may be 28 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 1: the same as they were last year. You know, maybe 29 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: we didn't grow, we didn't grow as much as we 30 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: could ever should have, or maybe we're down just slightly. 31 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: All of those things mean you're down because the market 32 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: is continuing to progress, and you being flat means that 33 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: everything else is changing around you and going in a 34 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: positive direction while you're stuck where you were. So if 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: you have not taken the initiative and responsibility of changing 36 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: your habits and putting systems in place, changing your operations, 37 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: then things will be what they were last year, and 38 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: that means that you will be increasingly behind. And so 39 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: I've already started to feel and then it's a wee 40 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: a weekend. I've already started to feel the pressure of 41 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five and the things that are in front 42 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: of me, the things that are on my plate, what 43 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: happened to me in twenty twenty four was by the 44 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: end of the year September October was on fumes, like 45 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: legit running on fumes, and it's my own fault. I 46 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: will talk more about that. Like I have a few businesses, 47 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: toll Houses. One toll Houses a private social club that 48 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: is designed for the city d well and creative and 49 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial class. And so it's in my hometown of toled Ohio. 50 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: We're sitting right on the water. Water's right outside you 51 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: know where I am right now because my Creatio office. 52 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: Creatio is my market company. That office is right here 53 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: inside Toehouse in the front of the building. So toe 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: House is twenty five thousand square feet that we own. Here. 55 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: There's five bars, there's five lounges. There's a coffee house here. 56 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: There's a jazz club. Jazz and blues is what we're 57 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: doing there. There's a cigar lounge in there, there's a 58 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: pub in the back. There's a coworking space with two boardrooms, 59 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: two conference rooms, a work lounge, there's a private dining area. 60 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: All of these different amenities that we offer to our 61 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: members and somebody. These areas are open to the public, 62 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: like the coffee house and the jazz club, but everything 63 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: else is for members and their guests. So that's Toll House. 64 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: Then Creatio is a marketing, technology and production agency, so 65 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: we do everything from video production, website development, communication, strategy design, 66 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: and more out of Creatio. And that business is a 67 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: business I've been running since two thousand and seven, and 68 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: so Creatio and my team is actually next door in 69 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: the office next to me, and so that team is 70 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: a growing team, and we are really working to, particularly 71 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: for the region that we're in, is help companies and 72 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: organizations reach and engage multicultural and diverse audiences. So we 73 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: specifically work with not intentionally, but specifically. Our customers just 74 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: tend to be governments, nonprofits, school systems, et cetera. Because 75 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: they are trying to reach and engage multicultural and diverse audiences. 76 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: We do other things. Those just tend to be the 77 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,119 Speaker 1: people who have us on retainer. Then beyond that, there's 78 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: four other four total real estate properties that we own 79 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: right on the same strip. So I have this building 80 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: that I'm in right now, which is the Toll House 81 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: and Creati operation. The next door is a building that 82 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: we bought earlier in twenty twenty four, So that's another 83 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: ten thousand square feet. Then about two blocks down on 84 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: this same street water there's two more buildings that I bought, 85 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: I want to say, in twenty twenty three, and in 86 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two we bought two other buildings. In total, 87 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: there's sixty thousand square feet that we have right in 88 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: this same stretch, which is the historic Vistula District in Toledo. 89 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: And so I'm committed to this area number one because 90 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: I saw the most opportunity here and the most white 91 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: space for getting my ideas out into the world. Like 92 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: I'm not in a real estate holder from the perspective 93 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: of I'm trying to lease out space. I have enough 94 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: ideas of my own and I'm an operator, and so 95 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: I am interested in starting my own operations out of 96 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: these properties. Now that that doesn't mean like forever, I 97 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: won't lease out or rent out space, but I'm working 98 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: on getting my operations going for the business ideas that 99 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: are very very quickly coming into fruition. So toll House 100 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: being the first physical footprinted business that mattered, I guess 101 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: for square footage like Creatio, we didn't don't necessarily need 102 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: a place where customers could come but we do intend 103 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: to have more space for creatives to be able to produce. 104 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: And so obviously I do a podcast. I've been podcasting 105 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: for almost a decade, if not a decade, and there 106 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: are many people in our community who want to get 107 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: into podcasting, video and or audio, and what we're doing 108 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: is creating space for them to be able to have studios. 109 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: And so you'll see more of that kind of thing 110 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: come up if you're following along in my business journey. 111 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: But the point in telling you all these things, and 112 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: there's also other things, like there's boards I sit on. 113 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: I just actually recently turned off of the University of 114 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,559 Speaker 1: Toledo Board of Trustees. I was the chair to board 115 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: up until a couple of months ago. And I'm currently 116 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: vice chair of the Casino Control Commission for the State 117 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: of Ohio, and I will turn off of that board 118 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: in very short order, just a couple of months. And 119 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: so what's important to me is that I'm doing things 120 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: that feed the mission. And so my life's mission is 121 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: to create content and opportunities that helps black people realize 122 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial success beyond their wildness dreams. So everything I do 123 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: is intended to do that. What happens is because I'm 124 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: involved in so many things and I have a family. 125 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: Because I have so many things going on, I can 126 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: get bogged down with just a to do list. The 127 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: to do list drives my day. My calendar and my 128 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: to do list drive my day. And it's not a 129 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: great way to live. It is a way to live, 130 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: but the businesses end up unintentionally driving me, or at 131 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: least my intention is not for them to drive me, 132 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: but they end up driving me because I'm just doing 133 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: so many things. And mind you, I've been doing this 134 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: with like a virtual assistant, a remote assistant somebody who 135 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: used to live in Toledo no longer lives in Toledo, 136 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: but helps me now remotely. She mostly manages my calendar 137 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: and my schedule and projects for the Creatio team. But 138 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: I have not had an on site assistant in a 139 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: long time, or assistant that I'm seeing regularly on site 140 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: in a long time. And part of that's my fault 141 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: because I don't I have not found what I work 142 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: well with. And Sada, who's my assistant now, is fantastic, 143 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: and even though she's remote, there's so much comfort there. 144 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: She knows what I like, she knows what I don't like. 145 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: She knows how I like my schedule to be outlined, 146 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: she knows when I don't want to take meetings whatever. 147 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: So she's already aware of my proclivity. Is the things 148 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: that I like set up in specific ways. But what 149 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: happens is when you don't have somebody nearby or you know, 150 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: within arms reach, that things just end up coming to you. 151 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: And there's like no barrier between me and opportunities. There's 152 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: to vet these opportunities, because not every opportunity is a 153 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: good opportunity, and not every opportunity is for you. But 154 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: I am the the blessing and like the I don't 155 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: want to say curse, but like the good and bad 156 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: thing that I have in equal parts. I am equal 157 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: part business and creative. And so that's my superpower. And 158 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: so I am really good at operating and really good 159 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: at creativity. And so what happens is because I have ideas, 160 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: I can roll and rock out on those ideas very quickly. 161 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: And that's not always a great thing. It is good 162 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: to be able to move fast, but that doesn't mean 163 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: you always should move fast, because if you've heard the 164 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: old adage, you know, if you want to go fast, 165 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: go alone. If you want to go far, go together. 166 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: I am learning that and living that in real time 167 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: because I've put myself in positions that require me to 168 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: continue to go fast, and I'm paying for that in 169 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: many ways because I've not always brought people along, and 170 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: so I've had to learn as an entrepreneur and as 171 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: a CEO that you know, you can't just always you 172 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: can't always turn on a dime. It's great to be flexible, 173 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: and it's great to be agile, but you will burn 174 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: yourself out if you continue to turn on dimes at 175 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: one hundred miles an hour. And so at the end 176 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: of last year again, you know, September October somewhere around there, 177 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: which is gassed like even an afro Tech and even 178 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: I mean actually probably not Afrotech, because I like, I 179 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: was rested up for afro Tech, but globally just exhausted. 180 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: And I've learned how to operate exhausted. But it's not 181 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: good to operate exhausted. Like I'm not bragging. I'm not 182 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: saying that, yo, this is the way to live grind time. 183 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: I'm not saying that at all, cause it's not great 184 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: to live that way. But I'm coming out of the 185 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: season of living that way, and that means putting in 186 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: position and putting in place operations and systems that allow 187 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: me to have more space in my life. And so 188 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:36,719 Speaker 1: if you don't have space, the things that would come 189 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: to you can't even find an opportunity to get to you, Like, 190 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: if you don't have space in your life, you will 191 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: miss out on other things. And so what I found 192 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: is as it's equally as important to build the operation 193 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 1: as it is to have great ideas. Everybody's got an idea. 194 00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: Everybody's got, you know, things that they believe that they 195 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: will start as a business. Everybody's got great ideas, even 196 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: though I'm sure you I'm sure somebody you know has 197 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:12,439 Speaker 1: ideas that will never come into being, because it's not 198 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: just about having the idea. It's about also putting in 199 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: together the systems and executing on those ideas inappropriate ways. 200 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: And I have not always I've always executed, but I 201 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: have not always executed in appropriate ways, and therefore it's 202 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: caused strain and stress in areas of my life. And 203 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: I'm just like, I can't continue to live like this, 204 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: and so I've been fixing those things, and I dug 205 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: myself so deep into so many of these respects that 206 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: it's like now it's an opportunity to come out and 207 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: coming out of that hole that I've dug so long, 208 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: for so long that you don't just jump out of 209 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: the hole. You have to climb out of the hole. 210 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: And I've been finding myself with opportunities to climb out 211 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: of the hole. And so it's been a process and 212 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: it is a process that I will continue to do 213 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: for the rest of my life, because as you get 214 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: one thing going, other things again coming to play. And 215 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: there are other businesses that will be launching this year 216 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: that will change the landscape once again. But the important 217 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 1: thing is to not make those same mistakes again. And 218 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: so I'm looking forward to sharing more about this particular journey, 219 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: but I want to talk about today how I'm using 220 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: the things that I've learned over last year, over this 221 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 1: past year for my twenty twenty five and so particularly 222 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 1: as it relates to me my professional journey and toe 223 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: housing creatio. So we've been leaning very heavily into AI, 224 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: as you should be. If you're not, what are you 225 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: doing well? Just in some very simple ways and some 226 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: very in depth ways, But the very simple stuff like 227 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,439 Speaker 1: we have again a jazz club here at Toehouse and 228 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: Lucille's Jazz Lounge. So if you look it up onlines, 229 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: just Lucille's Jazz Lounges dot com. That's my jazz club. 230 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: And I was because I do podcasting and I do 231 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: voice stuff, I was doing all the intros for our performers, 232 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: and so what I would find is I would always 233 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: be left with a batch of intros to go record, 234 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: and that's just another thing to do. So like none 235 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: of the things that found their way onto my to 236 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: do list were like super complex things. It was just 237 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: another thing. And like big problems aren't made always of 238 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: big issues, like big problems are made of small issues. 239 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, when I was growing up, I 240 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: had learned that, you know, you don't just go from 241 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: a well running vehicle to needing new rotors, like you 242 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: go from a well running vehicle to brake pads that 243 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: need to be changed. And if you don't fix the 244 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: brake pads, that becomes a different problem. And if you 245 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: don't fix that problem, that becomes a different problem, and 246 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: the problems compound, Like so what could have been a 247 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: thirty dollars forty dollars fifty dollars fix now is a 248 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: couple hundred dollars fix or thousands of dollars fixed, depending 249 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: on what kind of car you got, because you didn't 250 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: get the small thing resolved. So the point I'm making 251 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: in that is what I have found is on my 252 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: to do list, there's a lot of little things that 253 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: just need to get done. And that doesn't mean they 254 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: need to get done by me, though, And that's always 255 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: been our problem is I've known that other people could 256 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: probably do this thing, but I knew I could do 257 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: it faster, and I knew I need to pay somebody 258 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: else due to so I can just get it done 259 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: and be over and done with. And it's not a 260 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: great way to run a business that you play to grow. 261 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: And so what happens to too many businesses like ours 262 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: ours is that we end up having single, you know, 263 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: one person on the payroll. Some of us don't even 264 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: have real payroll. We just take money out the business. 265 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: But for general purposes, most of our businesses don't have 266 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: more than one employee, and so to house, there's twenty 267 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: two people here on staff. And so what I've had 268 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: to learn how to do is not continue to dig 269 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: myself in these holes that I had previously dug in 270 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: other businesses, where I had painted myself in the corners 271 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: because I was the only person doing things, which means 272 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: I was the only person who knew how and why 273 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: we did things certain ways, because all the institutional knowledge 274 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: was in my head. And so what's been important for 275 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:02,479 Speaker 1: me is to allow other people, people and systems technologies 276 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 1: even to take over some of this stuff. So particularly 277 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: again back to Lucille's. I know that was a long 278 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: way back to Lucille's, but with Lucille's even I was 279 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: doing all these voiceovers. So now we're using AI and 280 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: I'm just typing in, Hey, here's the artists we have, 281 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: here's our typical intros. Create these voiceovers. So now I 282 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: use eleven Labs for this. So eleven Labs just creates 283 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: all of our voiceovers for all of these shows, and 284 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: so it doesn't need to be my voice that's introducing 285 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: people to these acts who perform at Lucille. So that's 286 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: one way that we're using these technologies to be able 287 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: to just relieve things from my play, and soon there 288 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: will be somebody else who just does it and I 289 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: don't even got to be involved in it anymore. But 290 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: today it's just me going to the website, inputting the 291 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: artists and spitting it out, and then I send the 292 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: MP three to my guy. Soon again there will be 293 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: somebody else who says, Okay, there's an act coming up, 294 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: make sure we have this voiceover for the intro, and 295 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: I won't even be involved anymore. But again it comes 296 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: as a process of working myself out of the whole 297 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: that I dug myself into. How else are we using 298 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: AI here at Tohouse? So another way we've been using 299 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: AI here at Toll House is just working on our 300 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: events calendar. And so because we have all this member 301 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 1: data and data for people who even just visit as guests, 302 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: we've built this database of interests in, database of profiles, 303 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:40,959 Speaker 1: and database of demographics that we can then build programming around. 304 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 1: So our two words of the year for twenty twenty 305 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: five are partnership and program development here at Toll House. 306 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: So partnership was also our word of the year for 307 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. And what that means was it wasn't 308 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: necessarily that we built Toll House to be the sole 309 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,120 Speaker 1: producers of all of our program I mean, we wanted 310 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: our members to take the front seat on the types 311 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: of programs they wanted to see us do. So members 312 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: became the faces the influencers of the programs that we 313 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: developed here. For twenty twenty five, we're keeping that same 314 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: sentiment alive, but we're also adding in professional development because 315 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: so many of our members, if not a third close 316 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: to it, are on corporate memberships. So that means that 317 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: they come here to work. They come here during the day, 318 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: they come here to have meetings, they come here to 319 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: you know as their hybrid or remote office, and so 320 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: they're getting work done here. And so how about we 321 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: lean into that and provide them professional development opportunities to 322 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: where they're hearing a talk, or they're listening to a 323 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: fireside chat, or they're engaging in a seminar to help 324 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: them be better at what it is that they're aiming at. So, 325 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: whether they're working somewhere or whether they're starting a business, 326 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: they're going to find the programming that they need here 327 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: to help them be better. As a matter of fact, 328 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: I'm doing a talk coming up on prompting for AI 329 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: that's specific for small businesses. How to prompt AI to 330 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: help get you the information that you need to grow 331 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,919 Speaker 1: your small business. So that's one of the things. We 332 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: also have other talks on things that are not necessarily 333 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: just business related, but things about the kind of foods 334 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: you eat. So there's people in our membership database who 335 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: are very interested in more holistic foods. But the point 336 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: is we used AI. We just dumped all this information, 337 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 1: all the characteristic information about our members, and you know, 338 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: we use that to analyze what types of programming might 339 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: be of interest to people in this population. And so 340 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: I've been using a lot of chat sheept's muscle to 341 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,400 Speaker 1: build out our programming calendar and come up with ideas 342 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: that otherwise we wouldn't have thought of if I've even 343 00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: done it for Lucille. It's like, one of the interesting 344 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: things Seals is it's a jazz club. Jazz and blues 345 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: is what we're doing there. And it's constantly like booking 346 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: an act for a show. And we have a fickle market, 347 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: and so people don't always want to see the artists 348 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,439 Speaker 1: that you think is fire or that may work in 349 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: other communities and other markets. Just because they working in 350 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: the market doesn't mean they're gonna work here in Toledo. 351 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: And so I've been using chat GPT just to provide 352 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: guidance on how I should think about our programming and 353 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,199 Speaker 1: lou seals our talent roster, and it came up with 354 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: this idea going back and forth with it of alternative 355 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: types of shows, and so what we're doing actually is 356 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: the show coming up. I think it's in February where 357 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: we're doing an album show to where there will be 358 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: an mc R host who will be on stage and 359 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: members of the audience can bring an album with them, 360 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: actual vinyl twelve inch vinyl with them or forty five 361 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: with them of a song that means something to them. 362 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: They get an opportunity to tell the story of that 363 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: album or song, and the audience gets an opportunity to 364 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: enjoy that song alongside them. And so that's an idea 365 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: I would not have come up with otherwise. But we 366 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: were going through this analysis with chat GPT of how 367 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: to think about our location and that stage differently, like 368 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: what can we do other than just booking talent on 369 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,719 Speaker 1: that stage, And through that process came up with this 370 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: really creative idea of having an album party an album show. 371 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: So I'm super excited about that one because I have 372 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: a very big record collection and I never really get 373 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 1: an opportunity anymore to share those songs with other people. 374 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: And so you might have people over to your house, 375 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: so you might have you know, maybe you're a DJ 376 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: who still spins with wax, but just to have these 377 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: old records that sit up in your grandmother's you know, 378 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: attic or wherever they are, you know, having an opportunity 379 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 1: to pull those out, dust them off, and bring them 380 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: to a jazz club and blues club and play them 381 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: for people, and then get an opportunity to tell the 382 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: story behind why it means so much to you. I 383 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: think it's super duper special. On the creatio side, how 384 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: we're using AI is you know, for number one, very 385 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 1: surface level action is to just help us with emails. 386 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 1: I want to respond to emails in specific ways. Just 387 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: train a particular GPT on this is how I respond 388 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: to emails, will just spit out a response. We use 389 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,640 Speaker 1: AI a lot for writing scripts, and so we get 390 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: from clients this is the goal of this particular effort, 391 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: whether it's a commercial, whether it's a documentary or whatever. 392 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: It's often putting together that shot list, the script and 393 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: all of those things. The creative treatments we're doing a 394 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: lot of that stuff with chat gpt now writing blog 395 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: posts for just putting thought leadership, and so I may 396 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,120 Speaker 1: have ideas on particular things that are happening in the marketplace, 397 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: things that are happening in our community, things that are 398 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 1: happening globally that would be good to distribute on creatios 399 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: platforms on social media. And I don't always need to 400 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: spend an hour or two hours or half an hour 401 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: writing a blog post when I can put the general 402 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:53,360 Speaker 1: ideas down and just work through on Claude writing out 403 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: a blog post and tailoring it for our audience. And 404 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: one quick thing is like we use chat chip to 405 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: do a lot of analysis, and I use Claude to 406 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: do more writing. And there's a lot of people I've 407 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: heard that use it the same way. And I really 408 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: believe that it's more the user interface than it is 409 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: like the technical you know, offering. That's just this is 410 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: my own personal hot take. Because chat GPT you can 411 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: get really great content written content out of chat gpt also, 412 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: but the user interface on Claude is so much more 413 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: aesthetically pleasing to write on. So I think that is 414 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: you know, even claud I mean, take the alternative approach 415 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 1: like Claude you can do really deep analysis, but chatchipt 416 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: it looks like an analysis machine. It's kind of like 417 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: how you know Apple and Microsoft used to be back 418 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: in the day, Like Apple was for creatives and microsofte 419 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: for business people. It's like, that's kind of like that, 420 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: you know, way of a corporate business people, I should 421 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: say corporate business people like Microsoft and creatives like Apple. 422 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: But clawod tends to be more leaning because of the 423 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: user interface. It's a beautiful place to write chat ept 424 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: if I'm just doing analysis. Again, it's a great place 425 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: to provide analysis and insights. We also do voiceover work, 426 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, so getting those documentaries who need voices using 427 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: eleven Labs. I use eleven Labs for that. So what 428 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: am I doing, you know with these businesses pecifically the 429 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,920 Speaker 1: real estate? So I talked about we have these four 430 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: properties on the in the right here in the Pastrulia district, 431 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: and I've been very intentional about only acquiring properties that 432 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: are in this same area because I want to own 433 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: this area, and we're doing a pretty good job towards 434 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 1: that goal. We're sixty thousand square feet now and across 435 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 1: four buildings and there is a market that we're opening 436 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: this year. We're doing We're gonna move the cigar lounge 437 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: out of Toll House and put it in one of 438 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: the other buildings and make it publicly accessible. There will 439 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 1: be members only areas, but Vistula District, where my businesses 440 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: are located, is on the outside of downtown, and for 441 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: our purposes, we need more bodies in the area. And 442 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: so what's been important for us is to create concepts 443 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: that just bring more foot traffic, more drive traffic in 444 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: the area. That helps the whole ecosystem grow, the whole 445 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: area grow. And so we're moving the cigar lounge out 446 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: of Toll House into one of the buildings and it'll 447 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: be members only area, and then another part of it 448 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: will be open to the public, will have a bar 449 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: and air food concept. And then the market, which just 450 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: followed along on my personal stories. You'll see more about 451 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: the market to come. But the market. We live in 452 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: a community that has like a Fresh Time fresh market. 453 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: We don't have a whole food I think we're supposed 454 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: to be geting the Trader Joe's, but there's an opportunity 455 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: there for us to create more premium offerings, better options 456 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 1: for the community. This is not necessarily like a food 457 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: desert effort to help, you know, dissolve that. I believe 458 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,400 Speaker 1: that that is a worthwhile effort. I believe that there's 459 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: people who should be tackling that effort. I am not 460 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: necessarily personally making that effort to solve a food desert issue. 461 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: I am building a business to compete at the highest 462 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: levels with the whole foods, the Trader Joe's, the fresh markets, 463 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: the arawines like that's where we are targeted. So I 464 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: want to build a premium market that is that emphasizes brand, 465 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: and you'll see more of that in my conversations here 466 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: on this podcast, my YouTube channel, and my social media, 467 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: so follow along for that. I'm in. There's some other concepts. Know, 468 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: we've been thinking about other wine concepts, bush and shops, 469 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: small businesses that feed the ecosystem, the local ecosystem where 470 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: there's gaps in the marketplace. But what's important to me 471 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: is that there are that I'm taking advantage of these 472 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: opportunities because these opportunities won't be available forever and there 473 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: are real market opportunities. And you'll hear me talk more 474 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: this year about how we're going to scale these things 475 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: because as you recognize or you might have thought that 476 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: these businesses don't necessarily scale, they could if I position 477 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 1: in certain ways. But I'm trying to specifically target local opportunities. 478 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: But there will be software plays that I will talk 479 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: more about on this podcast that provides scale globally. So 480 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: we're building the technology because I'm very adamant on not 481 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: subscribing to a whole bunch of other software to plug 482 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: in to help us run our business more efficiently. We're 483 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: building that software because I have an agency that builds technology. 484 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: So not only at Creative do we do video production, 485 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: website development, we build software. And so we'll see more 486 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: of that effort pointed in house to where will be 487 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: completely vertically integrated, where you'll have this private club, this 488 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: grocery store, this butcher shops and guard lounge, all premium 489 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: offerings vertically integrated and underpinned by a marketing company. And 490 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 1: that's super important to me because we can own the 491 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: whole stack and create more opportunities that way. So that's 492 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: what's happening in my twenty twenty five And what I 493 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: want to leave you with is kind of how we 494 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: started is just because it's a new year, and just 495 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: because we roll the calendar over, your year will not 496 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: necessarily stay the same. Your year will not necessarily change 497 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: or be better if you don't change your operations, your habits, 498 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: and your daily activities. If you do the same things 499 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: you did last year, your year will potentially be worse 500 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: than twenty twenty four because just as you are staying stasis, 501 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 1: just because you're not changing, and you know, you might 502 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: make the same amount of money you did in twenty 503 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: twenty four that you will make in twenty twenty five, 504 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: or you might be the same way in twenty twenty 505 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: five that you did in twenty twenty four. You might, 506 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: you know, have the same output in twenty twenty five 507 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: that you did in twenty twenty four. Well, the market 508 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: around you is actually growing and getting more efficient and 509 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: getting richer. So if you're staying flat, everything else is 510 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: changing around you, which means you are declining. And so 511 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: while it may look on its face as everything is 512 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: the same, nothing is the same because the system around 513 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: you is getting more efficient and richer, there's more wealth 514 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: being created, and all of these things. So I want 515 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: you to spend some time if you have not done 516 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:09,479 Speaker 1: it yet mapping out your twenty twenty five Give the 517 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 1: first couple of weeks of the year to yourself and 518 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: really map out what you want this to look like. 519 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:18,719 Speaker 1: If you're great, you would have started in the end 520 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty four. But it's not too late to 521 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: really get a handle on what you want this year 522 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: to look like for yourself, because I've already noticed there's 523 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: certain things about the third things that I didn't like 524 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: about my daily life in twenty twenty four are already 525 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: starting to creep back into my days, and it's up 526 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: to me to make sure I extinguish that number one, 527 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: but get a hold and grasp of the things that 528 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: need to be operationalized and standardized so that by the 529 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: end of twenty twenty five, I'm not again completely gassed out. 530 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: And so just because it's a new day, just because 531 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: it's a new year, does not mean that everything is changed. 532 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,479 Speaker 1: Change the things intentionally and be specific about what you 533 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: want this year to look like. So that's my word 534 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: for you. That is the first episode of Black Tech 535 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: gree Money for twenty twenty five. It's a new season 536 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: of the Black Tech gream Money podcast, and so I'm 537 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 1: glad you spent this first episode with me just to 538 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: set the landscape of what we're gonna do this year. 539 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: So if you enjoy this and you're looking forward to 540 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: this next season of Black Tech, Green Money, I know Masking, 541 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: just go ahead and share this episode with somebody, put 542 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: something into comments. I really appreciate that like this episode 543 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: because that just helps the algorithm give it to more people. 544 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: So if you like this, if you got some value 545 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: out of it, share with somebody, comment on it, just 546 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: hit like subscribe, And I appreciate everything you bring to 547 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: this podcast, every single one of you guys who've been 548 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,719 Speaker 1: rocking with me for a five seasons so far we're 549 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: going into our sixth season. From the bottom of my heart, 550 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. Let's get to it.