1 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: decisions we can make to become the best possible versions 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: of ourselves. I'm your host, Dr Joy hard and Bradford, 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: to find a therapist in your area, visit our website 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: at Therapy for Black Girls dot com. While I hope 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so 11 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: much for joining me for Session to seventy four of 12 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into 13 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: our conversation after a word from our sponsors. Whether you're 14 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: watching your favorite series on your phone, computer, or TV, 15 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: the shows that we've grown to binge watch and our 16 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: critique were created by teams of people invested in the 17 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: power of storytelling. Whether it's a YouTube based comedy series 18 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: or an HBO original, the tales told on our screens 19 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: allow us to live vicariously through characters that remind us 20 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: of ourselves, the people we love, and even the people 21 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: we don't. Want to be like? But who are the 22 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: people behind these characters? Who are the talented individuals who 23 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: translate stories to reality. In this week's session, I'm speaking 24 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: with industry powerhouse and Triple Threat writer, director and showrunner 25 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: amy Onna Yobi. Amy is one of the incredible black 26 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: women behind iconic shows like A Media's Awkward Black Girl, 27 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: HBO's Two Dope Queens, and HBO's Insecure. Our conversation explores 28 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: the characteristics of working in film and television as a 29 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: black woman and the necessity of mentorship in the industry. 30 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, please 31 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: share with us on social media using the hashtag tv 32 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: g in session or join us over in the Sister 33 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: Circle to talk more in depth about the episode. You 34 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: can join us at community that Therapy for Black Girls 35 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: dot com. Here's our conversation. Thank you so much for 36 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: joining me, Amy, Thanks Dr Joy. Nice to meet you. 37 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: Likewise Likewise, so, you have been in this entertainment game 38 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: for quite some time. We were aware of a lot 39 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: of your credits, but I want you to take us 40 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: all the way back to the beginning. What was your 41 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: very first credit on IMDb? Oh on IMDb. I thought 42 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: you were gonna be way way back, Like, when was 43 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: the first thing I ever read? I'll tell you right 44 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: now out I remember we Loved Me. Oh yeah, Well, 45 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: the first thing I ever wrote in the first time 46 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 1: anyone ever told me maybe you should be a writer 47 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: was actually when I was in kindergarten, I wrote we 48 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: all had to write stories, like just stories from our mind, 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: and I wrote a story and illustrated it to about 50 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: how I wanted to be a kangaroo. I think it 51 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: was called Why I Want to be a Kangaroo And 52 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: it got published in a Texas children's anthology of fiction, 53 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: and there's a big ceremony and I met Amy Tan, 54 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: like the writer of Joy lat Club. I didn't know 55 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: who she was. I was five. My parents didn't know 56 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: who she was. They're Nigeria and their immigrants. But was like, 57 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: take a picture with Amy Tan. And I remember going 58 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: to this thing and bringing my book that I drew 59 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: the drawings, and that was the first time Amy Tan, 60 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: I believe, was the one who told me you're a 61 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: very good writer. And I was like thanks, Yeah. I 62 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: think the seed was planted then, but my first credit 63 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: it on IMDb. Actually I haven't looked in a while, 64 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: so I'm not sure, but I'm gonna assume it's awkward 65 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: black Girl. Like I feel like it's got to be 66 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: awwerad black Girl because I started writing for that web 67 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: series Misadventures of Awera Black Girl, when I was still 68 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: in grad school. I was in my second year of 69 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: grad school when Eas's team reached out to me and 70 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: asked if I wanted to be a writer on the 71 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: web series. And I kind of knew Issa from college. 72 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: We weren't close, but Blackness we had met, and I 73 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: watched the first episode was like it was so like 74 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: it gave me chills because I was like, I've never 75 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: felt more seen in my life. I am an awkward 76 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: black girl. And so I wrote on it while I 77 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: was in grad school, and then after I graduated, when 78 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: I became a writer's assistant on Happy Endings, which was 79 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: a comedy on ABC. And while I was still an 80 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: assistant on that show, I'm moonlighted at night as a 81 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: realized writer. I love it. I love it. So her 82 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:58,119 Speaker 1: team was familiar with you from you both being at Stanford. Yeah, 83 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: and even to explain that further by her team, I 84 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: mean Tracy Oliver her producer, Tracy Oliver, who is an 85 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: amazing writer in her own right who has a mega 86 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: deal at Apple and has the show Harlem on Amazon. 87 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: Tracy was my little sib at Stanford, which meant like 88 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: I was an upper class black woman who was like, 89 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: let me show you the ropes. Well, she was doing great. 90 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: She didn't need no rope show to her. So we 91 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: just became friends and stayed in touch even beyond graduation. 92 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: She had gone to USC for film school and the 93 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: producing program, and so when she started producing Isa's web sities, 94 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: she reached out to me so and I remember I 95 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: sent her an email because she was like, we're accepting writers. 96 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: Would you like to submit an application? And I believe 97 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: my email was do you know me? That's my application? 98 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: My writing sample is. I'm in grad school for writing, 99 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: so you let me know. And she sent me an 100 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: email back being like, you have been accepted. And then 101 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: that was when I watched the first episode. After she 102 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: emailed me being like we have shows in you or whatever, 103 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: I went back and watched the first episode Offer Black 104 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: because it had just come out, you know, and I 105 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: watched it and that was when I got the Childen 106 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: was like, holy this is a big opportunity. Like, so 107 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: that I emailed her again and I was like, thank 108 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: you so much for this opportunity. I'm so blessed, Like 109 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: anything you need, let me know. And so the Writer's 110 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: Room actually met in my living room, in my apartment 111 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: living room for the next year and a half two years. Wow. 112 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: So I think a lot of us had their feeling 113 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: when we initially found Aquad Black Girl, like, oh my gosh, 114 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: Like this is on screen right, and so it sounds 115 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: like very you knew it was going to be a 116 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,919 Speaker 1: big thing, Like what were the signs for you that 117 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: let you know that it was going to be big? 118 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: It was raw, it was unfiltered, and it captured on 119 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: universal emotion, like not only from the very first like 120 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: thing where it says like two of the worst things 121 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: you can be is awkward and black, Like that was 122 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: something that as a self identified awkward black girl that 123 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: I had always felt like, not only are you at 124 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: the bottom of the social barrel because you're black, but 125 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: you're also in white spaces. Let's be honest, but you're 126 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: also at the bottom of the barrel because you're awkward 127 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: and you don't flow so easily in social scenarios and 128 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: I had always felt that and then like her wrapping 129 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: to herself, like as a kid, I had written songs 130 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: like my mom has walked in on me so many times, 131 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: like singing emphatically into the mirror and being like are 132 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: you okay? And I'm like I got emotions, And it 133 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: was like it was the same thing, Like I was 134 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: more like singing like Gloria Estevon, like B sides, but 135 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: character rapping. It just felt very familiar. And I have 136 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: so many journals filled with poetry from my youth and 137 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: songs and song layers and rap lyrics and spoken word 138 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: and all these corny things, and I'm like, so that 139 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: was all it. But then that universal feeling like the 140 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: first episode, I think, is the stop sign awkward moment? 141 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: What's the protocol for repeatedly running into someone and it 142 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: stop sign? I know, no, seriously, what is it? And 143 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: it's weird. She says like hey to a guy to 144 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: stop sign, and then they start driving and they keep 145 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: meeting at the next stop sign, at the next stop sign, 146 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: and I'm like, yeah, that's my nightmare. So it was 147 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: just universal themes of awkwardness and like realizing that by 148 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: identifying I understand what you're supposed to think about me 149 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: because I'm black and I'm awkward. By identifying it, it 150 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: almost reclaims it in its own way. So it also, 151 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: even though saying two of the worst things you can 152 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: be makes it sound like it's shifting on black awkward people, 153 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: you're also reclaiming it and saying like, hey, I'm going 154 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: to stand in my truth. It also comedically felt very 155 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: similar in tone with like Dirty Rock in the Office 156 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: and these awkward people comedies, like comedies where awkward people 157 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: were the star, and that of course was when it 158 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: came out, so it felt like finally one for us. MM. 159 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: Do you think that there's anything different in terms of 160 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: writing for a web series versus other mediums. I think 161 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: there can be something very different. But I'll say both 162 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: Awkward Black Girl and the web series I created while 163 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: I was an assistant on Happy Endings it was just 164 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: called The Slutty Years. We ran them like TV shows, 165 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: So like, you can't just be calling on your friends 166 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: and hob nobbing together and not having a formal script 167 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: writing it in word instead of using the correct software 168 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: and all the things. It can be nothing like it. 169 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: But to be honest, we ran ours like a show, 170 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: and by the time I got on Happy Endings and 171 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: I was creating The Slutty Years, Like I knew all 172 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: the prep meetings that went into making a TV show, 173 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: so I had those same prep meetings along my schedule. 174 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: And as a result, when I finally got to be 175 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: on set as a staff writer on the Michael J. 176 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 1: Fox Show, I was like, I've done this before, like 177 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: with a lot lower bludget, but I've done it before. 178 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: Like I had already had a props meeting, I had 179 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: had a tone meeting, I had had a production meeting, 180 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: I had done it all because I just copied what 181 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: I saw my boss is doing. Was like, let's do 182 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: it on our tiny scale with our five dollars. And 183 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: so there was I won't say a full comfort, but 184 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: there was sort of this like, Okay, the white people 185 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: got more money, but we can do this. So it 186 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: can be different. But I think it depends on what 187 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: your goal is. My goal was to be a TV writer, 188 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: so I ran my web series like a TV show. Mmm. 189 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: So it sounds like you have had quite a few 190 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: different positions, and I'd love to hear a little bit 191 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: more about that progression you were also the show runner 192 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: on HBO's Two Dope Queens. These queens everybody give it up? 193 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god. Two Dope Queens also the nickname from 194 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: My Tiddy's Out. So what does the show runner do? Like, 195 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: it sounds like you are the head, be in charge. 196 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: So does the show runner do well? Dr? Joy? That 197 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: is actually correct. Show runner runs the show. So that 198 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: it's such an interesting job because I feel like you 199 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: get into TV because you like written word and you 200 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: like character and you like writing and you like being internal. 201 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: And a showrunner is externalizing everything in your brain because 202 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: no one can read your mind. So you might write 203 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: that a character is wearing a skirt, and then here 204 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: comes a wardrobe person who's going to say, okay, what 205 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: color skirt, what length of skirt? Is it short? Is 206 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: it long? Is it type? Is it loose? And you're like, uh, well, 207 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: in my head, I saw this, Or they're gonna say, hey, 208 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: you didn't specify, so here are nine examples that I 209 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: have and you're gonna go, yeah, that one, you know. 210 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: So it's like, as the showrunner, you're externalizing all the 211 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: things that are in your brain for this crew of 212 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: a hundred people to be able to execute them. And 213 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: some people have that built in to their mechanics of 214 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: how they process story, and some people have a learned talent, 215 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: and then some people it's just not for them. Like 216 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: not every writer and television sets out to be like 217 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to be a showrunner, because it's a right 218 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: brain left brain mix that is not necessarily intrinsic to 219 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: all creatives. So sometimes a show creator, someone who writes 220 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: and develops a show, will hire a showrunner who's good 221 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: at that right brain left brain to do the translating 222 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: for the crew. I feel like I've been pretty lucky 223 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: to work for showrunners who are both like creators and showrunners. 224 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: And that's what I pride myself onto. I'm very Type 225 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: AI and like I'm a Virgo. I'm a child of 226 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: immigrants on Nigerian. I'm a double virgo actually, so I'm 227 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: like Type A two got Max. So I'm like, you 228 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: want something translated from my braind I got you because 229 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: I don't want you to get wrong. So I feel 230 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: like I was built to be a showrunner. And so 231 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: I will say being on Two Dog Queens was the 232 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: first time that I got to feel that feeling of 233 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: truly collaborating with the talent so closely and being in 234 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: charge at the same time with both Phoebe Robinson and 235 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: Jessica Williams, and it was like putting on a jacket 236 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: that was supposed to be mine forever, you know, that 237 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: was made specifically for me. I was like, this is 238 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: what I'm meant to do. It was so much fun, 239 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: and so that's what I run towards now, or the 240 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: opportunities that let me create and also lead. I also 241 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: think that part of being a leader for me in 242 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: RNs IT to the job is mentorship. So mentoring is 243 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: so important to me, and I think all of my 244 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: like bosses who I really love, work in the way 245 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 1: where it's like mentorship is part of the job. And 246 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 1: that has been really wonderful to know that there's a 247 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: place for me as a showing or as someone who 248 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: loves to mentor and bring up other voices and other 249 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: creators as well. Thank you for that, and I can 250 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: imagine that is, you know, really important. And you've talked 251 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: a lot about your identity as a Nigerian. Your identity 252 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: has a child of immigrants, and it seems like a 253 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: lot of your projects also have like this identity piece, right, 254 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit about like why it's 255 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: important or why it has been important for you to 256 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: choose those kinds of projects. Yeah. I think the reason 257 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,239 Speaker 1: why so much of the work that I create grapples 258 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: with identity is because it's something that I've grappled with 259 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: since birth. And I think storytelling and the medium of 260 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: storytelling is one of the few ways that society gets 261 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:02,079 Speaker 1: to have a conversation with itself. Especially in comedy, you're 262 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: getting to have a conversation with with what you are 263 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: going through now. But so much of storytelling, and by 264 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: that like I mean artistry, music, sound design, like architecture, 265 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: they're all forms of storytelling. You are deciphering a piece 266 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: of you and everything you create if you're doing it well, 267 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: I think the best stories come from something real. And 268 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: as a black kid, a dark skinned black girl growing 269 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: up in North Texas in a super white town with 270 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: parents who had accents, I was always confronted with identity 271 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: and I think because I was awkward and dare I 272 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: say it, goofy As a kid, I also was constantly 273 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: leaning on comedy to help myself feel more comfortable in 274 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: other spaces, trying to be the funny one, trying to 275 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: make people laugh with me rather than at me kind 276 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: of thing. And so I think so much of what 277 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: I create will always grapple with identity because it's something 278 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: that I still grapple with to this day. They're all 279 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: ways days that I'm going to feel not black enough 280 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: by the standards that someone else has set, or not 281 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: feminine enough by the standards that someone else has set. 282 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: It's just like we're constantly being like checked, not only 283 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: as black people, as women, as Americans, as just whatever 284 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: identities we whole. We're constantly being checked by standards that 285 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: someone else is set. Those are all going to be 286 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: conversations about identity. So when I put it in my work, 287 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: it's because I'm trying to figure it out for myself too. 288 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: M m yeah. And I think that that is what 289 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: makes so many of your projects just incredibly relatable, right, 290 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: and you know, like we see ourselves in them. But 291 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: I can also imagine when it is like you, right, 292 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: So it's a you know, maybe a characterization of you, 293 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: but still in some ways you. It may be difficult 294 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: to deal with that being on the screen and like 295 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: have people pick it apart and critique. How do you 296 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: take care of yourself when it is kind of like 297 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: you in these stories. Yeah, and a lot of it 298 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: is the mute button. Is that helpful? Uh? Social media? 299 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: Someone once told me, like, if you read the good reviews, 300 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: you have to read the bad ones, Like you can't 301 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: just read one side and vice versa. Like you're not 302 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: allowed to just live in beating yourself up and you're 303 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: not allowed to just live in praising yourself. That was 304 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: just advice that someone told me, because both make you better, 305 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: you know, So I do kind of believe that, Like, 306 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: but I already in that there are certain review sources 307 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: that I trust, and the ones that are just like bloggers, 308 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: I kind of tend not to internalize what they're saying 309 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: because sometimes a lot of times it's coming from a 310 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: place of being a super fan or being a super critic. 311 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: And then in terms of like staying sane, Like honestly, 312 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: I find that I am just too busy to read 313 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: all the comments. So I will do my little scan 314 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: through like comments section, or like I'll tweet something about 315 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: a moment in the show, and I'll do my little 316 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: scan and then I gotta move on. I got a job, 317 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: so I'm just sort of like, at the end of 318 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: the day, I'm like, I find it a bad tweet 319 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: or someone critiquing my work does hurt my feelings. There's 320 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: no way around it. I don't know what it is 321 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: about social media, but a stranger saying something mean to 322 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: you almost hurts worse than a friend, and I don't 323 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: know why. So when i feel like I'm running up 324 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: against that, I'm like, mute, delete, block, move on. Like 325 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm just like, I have to get away from that 326 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: feeling because I'm like, this person doesn't know me, so 327 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to internalize that. Luckily and pretty busy, 328 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: so I can't dwell in the comments too long. But 329 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: other than that, I just try and move on quickly. 330 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm. More from my conversation with Amy after the 331 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: break and you've talked about, you know, mentorship being really important, 332 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: and I know sometimes this can be a difficult feel 333 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: to be in as a black women, right, Like, they're 334 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: not a lot of us in you know, positions to 335 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 1: kind of bring other people up, and it sounds like 336 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: you are doing your plot to try to, you know, 337 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: open the doors for others. What has your experience been 338 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,199 Speaker 1: with people doing that for you? Has that been difficult. No, 339 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: I don't find that people supporting me as I have 340 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: grown in this industry has been difficult. I think I 341 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: am someone who has worked hard from the very beginning 342 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,360 Speaker 1: to say I need to make the person only other 343 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: side of the table looks stupid saying no to me. 344 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: So when I had my first job as an assistant, 345 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: I remember looking at the people that my boss like 346 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: the early level, like green writers that my boss read, 347 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: and I was like, Oh, they either have an Instagram presence, 348 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: they've come through a program, they've independently made something, they've 349 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: gone to grad school, or they have reps. And I 350 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: was like, okay, I got a year. I gotta do 351 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: all five of those. Because I'm a black woman, like, 352 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:58,719 Speaker 1: I was like, I can't do one of those. Like 353 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: the idea of like I got unscript, somebody find me, 354 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 1: I got my one script. I'm like, what are you 355 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: white and straight and male? Like? Other than that, I 356 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: don't understand that. So I've always been like, if there 357 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: are five ways you can get in, I gotta do 358 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: all five. So once I committed to that because I 359 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: used to be that I got one script girl, and 360 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: then all through grad schools like my one script didn't 361 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: get me, staff didn't get me a deal when I 362 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: was nineteen what And so I realized I was like, oh, 363 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: I can't be that person. I'm a black woman who 364 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: came from outside of the industry. I got three strikes, 365 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 1: so I gotta work three times harder. And so I 366 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: believe in making yourself someone who is hard to say 367 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: no to, someone who is too qualified for people to ignore. 368 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: Now here's the thing. You might not have control over 369 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: their racism and their politics, but I do have control 370 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: over what I can produce as content. So once I 371 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: got into that mindset of like, oh, you gotta you 372 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: gotta put that gas on, you know, I'm like, you 373 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: gotta pedal down to the ground and literally go. Once 374 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: I got that in my head, I was like, yeah, 375 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: of course I'm going to be successful. Like I'm not 376 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: even kidding you know. I was like, I know it 377 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: hasn't happened yet, but it's gonna happen because it has 378 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: to happen because I've done all the things. They're got 379 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 1: to a point where I had a writer's group and 380 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: we used to get together and we would be like, 381 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: have you done all the things? And I was like, 382 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: I have done all the things. I'm in a program, 383 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: I'm working on a hit show. I'm an assisted I 384 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: helped write a web series. I'm creating my own web series. 385 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: I started a Twitter feed and I post jokes every day. 386 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: I have done all the things. Oh, and agents are 387 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: beating with me, you know. So I got to a 388 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: point where it's like I've done all the things where 389 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,159 Speaker 1: I know what's going to happen, and then I just 390 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: had to be patient and keep doing all the things. 391 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: As a result, I think once things start to fall 392 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: in line, I feel that people want to help people 393 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: in their careers who are already helping themselves. I find 394 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: it frustrating, albeit understandable, when people who are not in 395 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: the ade street are asking can I get a job? 396 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: Or like can you give me this? Or I'm looking 397 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: for this, can you help? I understand it, but it 398 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: doesn't make sense when you actually do the work to 399 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: look at the bios of everyone who you admire and 400 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: see all the things that they did. You need to 401 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: get started doing all the things. And once you've done that, 402 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: it's so much easier for someone to say, Oh, we're 403 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 1: in a boat and I handed you an oar and 404 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: you're actually rowing, Like you're not depending on me to 405 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: row us up the river. You have an oar in 406 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: your hand and you're rowing too, so now we can 407 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: row together. All right, Yeah, let me help you. I 408 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: think there is this instinct of like, how am I 409 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: supposed to get there? If I don't have help? Google 410 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: is free, So what I did was google how do 411 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: you write a script? How do you do this? And 412 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: I just started doing the work myself. Formal education is 413 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: only part of it, and the rest has to come 414 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: from you. So when I finished grad school, I'm still 415 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: in school, like I still take classes in writing classes 416 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: and creativity like how to unlock your creativity and all 417 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: the things. And I started indeed, so I'm always going 418 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: to be someone who does all the things. Unfortunately, it's 419 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: hard because I'm like looking for that next level of 420 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 1: success for myself and I have to get back to 421 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: that place where I'm like, I know it will come 422 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: because I'm doing all the things. So that's where I 423 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: want to live. And I have trouble with it. But 424 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: I remember that girl who was an assistant on happy 425 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: Endings and doing all the things, and it's going to happen. 426 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: Let me just sit here and keep doing what I'm doing. 427 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: I think I answered your question. I'm not sure I 428 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: might have got on a tangent. I have a couple 429 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: of follow up questions for that. So you are doing 430 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: your part to try to like make that process easier 431 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: for people with your talent incubator drive. So you are 432 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: kind of putting some processes out there for people to 433 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: do the things that you're talking about. Yeah, and that's 434 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: so much of why I started Tribe, Like I started 435 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: it in the pandemic by myself, with thirty three writers 436 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: who I reached out to and said, Hey, are you 437 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: looking for community in this time when we're all on 438 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: zoom and America's on fire? Are you looking for community? 439 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: And I got a resounding yes, And so I started 440 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: out planning like monthly panels and talks and workshops about 441 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: hard skills versus soft skills and creativity. And I started 442 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: it during like production of the final season of Insecure, 443 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 1: during a global pandemic, when I was directing my first 444 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: episode of television. It was very stressful and the best 445 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: light plans turned into like kind of murky stuff. Like 446 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: I was like doing these panels but kept changing the 447 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: dates because my production schedule was changing and all these things, 448 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, this is really hard to run 449 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: a program by yourself. And luckily, with the renewal of 450 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: my overall deal at HBO and HBO Max, I got 451 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: the chance to hire an executive who could help me 452 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: not only build my slate and help me with the 453 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: work that I want to make for myself, but also 454 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: investing in new work and investing time in building new talent. 455 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: That what tribe is for Tribe is about taking the 456 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: people who have just entered the boat and still have 457 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 1: that ore and are going to row with me and 458 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 1: say I want to go in the direction and the 459 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: speed and the pace at which it is to be 460 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: successful in this industry. And I said, good, great, let's go. 461 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: Let's get there together. I believe there's a myth that 462 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: being a creative is a lonely act, like a lonely 463 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: creative and you've got to write alone in your house, 464 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: and your best creativity is found in solitude. And I 465 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,640 Speaker 1: don't believe that all my best opportunities have come from 466 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: people sitting right next to me, people who I networked 467 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: across with, rather than networking up. And I want to 468 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: build that. I think the only way you build a 469 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: new industry is by starting with compassionate creatives of color. 470 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 1: We've got all the ideas, We're kind, we care about 471 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: the people as much as the work, and that's what 472 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: I'm here to build, and that's what Tribe is all about. 473 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: So can you tell us more about the overall do 474 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: you know? I think a lot of us here and 475 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: I'm so excited for y'all when y'all, you know, announced 476 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 1: these overall deals, but I don't actually know what that means. 477 00:24:58,280 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: So what does it mean to have an overall do 478 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 1: only what kinds of projects have you been working on? 479 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: Is a point of it? Sure so in television, and 480 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: it happens in features too, and overall deals. Basically, you've 481 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: been in business in some sense, and it can be small, 482 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: like you have one project there, you've sold a couple 483 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: of pitches at a certain company and they recognize that 484 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: you have a voice or skill set that matches a 485 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: lot of the work that they do. So you get 486 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: an overall deal, which means you now kind of are 487 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,680 Speaker 1: making projects specifically for that place, for that home company, 488 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: that home studio, that home network, and as a result, 489 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: you are on salary, so you're paid more regularly than 490 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: bouncing from show to show to show, so that you 491 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: can continue to hone projects for them. My first deal, 492 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: or both both my deals have been with HBO. To me, 493 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: HBO is like an artist's home, which makes me feel 494 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: really blessed and fortunate to have a deal there because 495 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: I sometimes, as an artist, like the things that you're 496 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 1: thinking of are very ceffic and you see them a 497 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 1: very specific way. And I find that HBO is a 498 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: place that really supports that and supports my creative process, 499 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: and so I'm really looking forward to continuing to build 500 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: with them. I have a few shows in development both 501 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: at HBO and at HBO Max that I'm just working 502 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: on and plugging away, and hopefully there will be something 503 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: that gets seen sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, all I 504 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 1: have control of is my ability to produce my content, 505 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: so I'm doing my best with that. I'm hopeful for 506 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: the future. I have a lot of stories to tell, 507 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: and I'm really hopeful for the opportunity to get to 508 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 1: tell them. An HBO and HBEL Max, we will be 509 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: tuned in to make sure we see all of this 510 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 1: glory unfood. So you know the other thing that I 511 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: have been curious about is like what actually happens in 512 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: a writing room. So you've been in lots of writers rooms. 513 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: I think probably the one you were in the longest 514 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: was the Insecure Writers Room? Was that your longest stant 515 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: as an interneting room? Show? So what actually happens in 516 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: the writing room? Anywhere from five to fifteen writers sit 517 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: around a conference table and talk all day and there's 518 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 1: not much writing that actually happens in the writer's rooms. 519 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: A lot of talking, and there's a writer assistant who 520 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: types everything that the writer says. We come up with story. 521 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: The showrunner formulates what we're going to be working on 522 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 1: that week and the things that we're trying to achieve 523 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: story wise, a story, B, story, C story, episode one 524 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: the season arts, character arts, all the things, and we 525 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: just talk all day and figure it out, and then 526 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: we start putting it up on a white board, putting 527 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 1: notes on the board like some rooms use in nets cards. 528 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: We use different colors per character, so we'll be Likes 529 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 1: the stories and red Molly stories and blue Lawrences and 530 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:38,680 Speaker 1: green and we write them up on the board. We 531 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: figure them out together as a room, and then the 532 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: writer of a particular episode goes off and takes those 533 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:45,920 Speaker 1: beats and turns them into an outline, and then that 534 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: outline comes back to the room. They get notes, the 535 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,199 Speaker 1: room altogether rewrites that outline. Then in some rooms the 536 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 1: writer then goes off on their own to write the script. 537 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: But in some rooms, the episode gets the group written 538 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,200 Speaker 1: and scenes are divided between the writers. They all write, 539 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: they assemble the script. It comes back to the writer's room. 540 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: We rewrite that as well, and then once we get 541 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: that in a place where we like Issa and or Apprentice, 542 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: will put like a little less like sprinkle of special 543 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,360 Speaker 1: sauce on it the things that they want. The show 544 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: runner will do that, and then it goes to the 545 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: studio and or the network. At HBO, they're the same place, 546 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: so it just goes straight to HBO and then they 547 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: give notes, and then it goes back to the writer's room. 548 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: We rewrite that again, and then it goes to the 549 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: actors and we have a table read, and then after 550 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: the table we get more notes, and it goes back 551 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: to the writer's room and rewrite that again, and then 552 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 1: we start shooting it. And then on set sometimes there 553 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: are questions that come up, and then it goes back 554 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: to the writer's room. And we rewrite that again and 555 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,239 Speaker 1: then we keep shooting it. So I don't know, like 556 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 1: what happens in a writer's room. Story gets created, Like 557 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that's the long and short answer. 558 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: Story gets created. And like I'm having trouble sort of 559 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: like describing the process because it's like organized chaos, like 560 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: we just create. I don't know. That ain't a good answer, No, 561 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: I mean that that is helpful. So I think I 562 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: was only the impression that the writer's room read upped 563 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: before like the actor started shooting. But it sounds like 564 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: the writer's room can still be active even in the 565 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: midst of shooting if like something needs to be rewritten. 566 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: It depends on the show in network, the show is 567 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: getting shot like filmed shot at the same time that 568 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: the writer's room is breaking story, so they're still around 569 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: a lot of streaming and cable shows. The room wraps 570 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: before you start shooting. Got it? Okay? More from my 571 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: conversation with Amy after the break, So you did talk 572 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: about like Insecure kind of being your longest stint in 573 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: a writer's room. And it's been some time now since 574 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: we had to say goodbye to get Insecure, and I'm 575 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: wondering what has that been like for you? Emotionally? I know, 576 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: as you was in fans of the show, I think 577 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 1: a lot of us have to make peace with like 578 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: saying goodbye to this thing we loved. But you, of course, 579 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: we're much more intimately acquainted with the show. And so 580 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,080 Speaker 1: what has it been like for you a couple a 581 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: month and later saying goodbye to this thing that was 582 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: so close to you? Well, I will say. The thing 583 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: I try and remind people is that our goodbyes as 584 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: the people who work on the show started so much 585 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: before fans goodbyes, because we as a room broke the episode. 586 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: We cried. Then, then we wrote the episode and reread it. 587 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: We cried. Then, then we table read the episode. We cried. 588 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: Then then we shot the episode. We cried then. And 589 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: then as an EP I was on post so I 590 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 1: saw every single cut of the episode and cried and 591 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: cried and crowed and cried, and then we did a 592 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: final mix of the episode with the final music and 593 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: we cried then. And then it went to air. So 594 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: by the time it aired, I had already shed all 595 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,479 Speaker 1: the tears. In fact, what made me cry when I 596 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: watched the final airing was the documentary that aired right 597 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: after it. In getting to relive those goodbyes, that's what 598 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: made me emotional seeing the finale. I had already uh 599 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: absorbed all of the sad and bitter weak that I 600 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: could absorb off of that finale from all of the 601 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: months of creating it with the team, and so I 602 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: think post all of that and saying goodbye to it 603 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: in terms of like holistically saying goodbye to it, yeah, 604 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: it remains difficult, you know, especially as someone who I 605 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: love being on set. I love it so much. I 606 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: loved directing on Insecure and later directing on Rap Shit. 607 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: I love being in the room. I love breaking story 608 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: with writers, and development is not that. Development is more internal, 609 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: it's more conversations with producers. It's more like thinking how 610 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: it could go. And so I've been in development now 611 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: for almost a year and when we could call it 612 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: six months since Rap Shit because I directed on Rap 613 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: Shit in November December. But like, I miss that so much, 614 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: like being part of the machine that is moving, I 615 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: miss it so much. That's where I belong. I'm happier 616 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: when I am in the mix of the machine, so 617 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: that synergy, that energy making something together with people who 618 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: understand what you're making all at the same time. And 619 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: Insecure in particular was very special because like we had 620 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: so much of the same crew from as far back 621 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: as like season two, and a few people even from 622 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: season one who stayed through the whole series, and so 623 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: we were all saying goodbye, not just to the show 624 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: and the content the characters, but to each other. And 625 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: that is something I miss. Building something great with people 626 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: who understand you're building something great all at the same time. 627 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: It's a really, really beautiful feeling, and that only comes 628 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: through time, Like that only comes from making something that 629 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: lasts more than half a season, which, like let's unfortunately 630 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: lots of shows get canceled before they get that far. 631 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: Like when I watched like Quinta Brunson's stories and stuff 632 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: on Abbot Elementary, I'm like, they get it, you know. 633 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, they are experienced to get now in their 634 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 1: first season, how special it is to be making something 635 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: special that everyone else recognizes as special. They're getting that now. 636 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 1: So many shows like that. You see that you're sort 637 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: of like, Okay, they get it, and I want that again. 638 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: I know it will never be exactly the same as Insecure, 639 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,239 Speaker 1: because it really was the first of its kind in 640 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 1: so many ways, even though it was also continuing the 641 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: legacy of many black shows that came before it and 642 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: many adulting stories that have come before it in its 643 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 1: own way, in its own artistic way, thanks to the 644 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: eye of Momina Matzukas the original mind of Ray and 645 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: the leadership apprentice Penny. It was one of its kind. 646 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: So I'll never have that specifically again. But that ability 647 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: to be in the machine, Oh how deeply I want 648 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,240 Speaker 1: it back, And I can only cross my fingers and 649 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: hope because I'm trying so so hard, but it just 650 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: takes time. Yeah, and I also love that so many 651 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: of you, it seems like, continue to do projects together. Right, 652 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: So it sounds like you were able to direct, and 653 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure maybe some of those same people will be 654 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: working on some of the shows that you are coming 655 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: up with. Yeah, there's been a lot of insecure cross 656 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: pollination and lots of different shows, like shout out to 657 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,839 Speaker 1: Phil Jackson who created Grand Crew, Kiins a young who 658 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: is an insecure writer who is writing for him, you know, 659 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: And obviously Serrita Singleton, who is a shower for Rapture 660 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: got her start on insecure. So there's been a lot 661 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 1: of insecure cross pollination and I'm very excited for that 662 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: to continue for years and years in decades to come. 663 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 1: So earlier, you mentioned that you feel like you are 664 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: trying to like unlock this next level of success for yourself. 665 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 1: What does that look like? Like? What are you hoping 666 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: to grow into doing? Dr Joy? This interview is making 667 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: me sweat. I'm just gonna be honest, like, I'm like, 668 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,600 Speaker 1: is this therapy for me dealing with my weaknesses? I'm 669 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,959 Speaker 1: just like a girl. What does it look like? I'd 670 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,839 Speaker 1: love to know, Like, what do you want to do? 671 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: What do I want to do? Number one thing I 672 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:54,759 Speaker 1: want to do is change this entire industry from the 673 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: ground up. And I do believe as I said when 674 00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 1: I was speaking about Tribe, it starts with investment and 675 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 1: can passionate creators of color. And the reason I say 676 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: compassion is because everybody in this industry has passion for 677 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: their job or some people passion for power. But come 678 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: passionate means you care about the people as much as 679 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: the work. That's what I care about most. That's the 680 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: type of creator I am. Those are the creators I 681 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: want to pour into so I want to change this 682 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: industry and I want my voice on television, But the 683 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,800 Speaker 1: more important thing to me is to change this industry. 684 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 1: I want more people who look like me in the 685 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: spaces that I get to be a part of. And beyond, 686 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: when I look at the writers, like there's like a 687 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 1: mid level writer problem where there are a lot of 688 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: lower level writers and a lot of upper level writers 689 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: of color and not a lot of mid level because 690 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: people aren't being encouraged to matriculate upwards. People aren't being 691 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: supported in their failures. And I think we have to 692 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 1: support people of color and their failures, just as we 693 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 1: support as the industry supports people who don't look like 694 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 1: us all the time, Like I have to be given 695 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: space to fail. And I think what's hard as a 696 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: creative of color is very often you don't get opportunities 697 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 1: until you've proven you've already deserved them, whereas lots of 698 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 1: people can bet on a straight white man's potential. And 699 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: I really hope that if I can keep moving up, 700 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:13,240 Speaker 1: I can start betting on other people's potential on their behalf. 701 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 1: That's what I want. So beyond that, yes, I want 702 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: to be a showrunner again. I want to run my 703 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: own show. I want to run multiple shows. I have 704 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,760 Speaker 1: it in me, like my brain just operates that way. 705 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: I can do it. So it excites me. When I 706 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: think of the idea of running two shows at once, 707 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,839 Speaker 1: I think people will be like terrified. For me, I'm like, yes, 708 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,919 Speaker 1: something for my head to do, because I just think 709 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: of myself. Or I'm like something for my head to 710 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: do instead of just the admired in doubt. I'm like, 711 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,279 Speaker 1: the idea of like running multiple shows at once is 712 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,439 Speaker 1: really exciting to me because not only am I like, yeah, 713 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: Amy gets to run two shows, but I'm also like, yeah, 714 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: I get to have two number two who are ready 715 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,520 Speaker 1: to be show runners, and I get to build them, 716 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: and I get to mentor them, and I get to 717 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,359 Speaker 1: pour into them and get them ready to run their 718 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,480 Speaker 1: own show. That's how deep I believe in mentorship, is 719 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: that I want to run shows so I can create 720 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: more show runners. I believe that the reason people are 721 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: storytellers is because stories can last forever. So I'm in 722 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: this to be immortal. I want to be immortal, and 723 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: by doing that, it means that my ways, my methods 724 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 1: of telling story, my ways of training the things I 725 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: believe in the way I operate cannot die with me. 726 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 1: I must pour into the next generation to be immortal. 727 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: So for me, the reason I want multiple shows on 728 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:30,280 Speaker 1: air is so that I can create multiple show runners, 729 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: that they can create multiple shows that are all being 730 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: led by compassionate people and we actually change this industry. 731 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: This is a marathon, not a sprint. I got sprint 732 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 1: energy and I really want to win now. But I 733 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:42,839 Speaker 1: also have to remind myself all the time that this 734 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: is a marathon and I'm just getting started and secure 735 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:47,920 Speaker 1: as the foundation to what I'm going to be tomorrow, 736 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: and I'm so excited to get there. I hope it 737 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,840 Speaker 1: hapn't sooner rather than later, But I don't have control 738 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,200 Speaker 1: over the timeline, just the dream, So I'm focused on 739 00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: the dream. Yeah. Yeah, that that that does sound like 740 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 1: an industry that lots of people would love to be 741 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,439 Speaker 1: a part of and that we as viewers would really 742 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:10,760 Speaker 1: get to benefit from. Yeah, because by telling very specific stories, 743 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: you actually tell universal stories. I think it's easy to 744 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: believe that hitting the four quadrons like men, women, age 745 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:22,879 Speaker 1: eighteen to forty four, children, that that's how you get 746 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:26,799 Speaker 1: the most people. But I think by being really authentic 747 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,879 Speaker 1: to you, you can actually capture more people than trying 748 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 1: to service like, quote unquote a mandate. So that's why 749 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 1: Awkward Black Girl hits so many people is because its 750 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 1: authentic too. It's key creator and then you find your tribe. 751 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 1: So that's what it's about. So one of your most 752 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: recent endeavors is podcasting. So you have kind of stepped 753 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: into the podcasting space with your co host Great Edwards. 754 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: You all host the podcast The Antidotes. Will tell me 755 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 1: about what it has been like trying out a new medium. Yeah, 756 00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:00,279 Speaker 1: co hosting The Antidote has been awesome. Grace, we were 757 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: friendly before Insecure, but we really became like work wives 758 00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 1: on Insecure and had each other's backs and just like 759 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 1: we're really really close. And as Insecure was ending, you know, 760 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 1: we saw the light at the end of the tunnel 761 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: and we're like, ah, we won't get to work together again. 762 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: Like what happens now? Like how do we find a 763 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: way to stay connected in a professional sense? And we 764 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: landed on podcasting because we really wanted something that was regular, 765 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: that could keep us in contact kind of on a 766 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: weekly basis, and also because it just development of a 767 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,319 Speaker 1: podcast moves faster than development of a TV show or 768 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 1: a movie. So we were like, we can actually control this, 769 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:39,920 Speaker 1: Like we can like say we want to make it, 770 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 1: and we're making it tomorrow. So the idea for the 771 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 1: antidote even just came from Liga. Everything was going wrong 772 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: last year and we were like, what's our antidote for this? Like, 773 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:51,960 Speaker 1: what's our antidote to this bad news that we're talking 774 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 1: about on the phone. Like we'd be like spiraling for 775 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: like twenty minutes on the phone and be like I 776 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 1: need answered doe to this, And then we were like, 777 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: is that the podcast? Like because the world just keeps 778 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,360 Speaker 1: getting worse week to week to week, So is the 779 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: podcast finding ways to cope with that? And in so 780 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: many ways, Grace is my antidote, and I know I 781 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: am hers. So getting to collaborate on this podcast and 782 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 1: get to be each other's antidotes week to week while 783 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 1: also empowering people to discover their own has been really exciting. 784 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 1: We really just set out to be funny, to feel 785 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: connected and to help our guests feel healed and like 786 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:32,279 Speaker 1: they're not alone, and I think we're achieving that. I'm 787 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,280 Speaker 1: really excited about the guests we've had from Tracey Ellis 788 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 1: Ross Yes or Leicester to Robin Bede to a Looke 789 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: is coming up soon. And Tunday Oinen, who's one of 790 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:47,080 Speaker 1: the best teleton instructors of all Fun Time and Nigerian shows. 791 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: He's fam like, our guests are popping and Grace and 792 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: I have such wonderful energy together that I I am 793 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: so happy about what we've created and I hope that 794 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 1: people are latching on in finding their antidotes right along 795 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 1: with us. I love it. So you all had the 796 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 1: idea floor a podcast and then the name of it 797 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,960 Speaker 1: came to you. As you will continue to talk. It 798 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 1: was more like we had the idea of a show. 799 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,600 Speaker 1: We were like, is there a show around having antidotes? 800 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 1: I think that was the order was like it was 801 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:20,359 Speaker 1: their show, and we were like, how would we ever 802 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,000 Speaker 1: get this made? And then we're like, let's make it 803 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: a podcast. So I think we had the idea. If 804 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:29,440 Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken, we were coming up with show ideas 805 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 1: and then sort of like back channeled into podcast because 806 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 1: we were like, that's something that we can control, whereas TV, 807 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,200 Speaker 1: you know, I'm always going back I'm a control for 808 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: freak and so I'm always going back to what can 809 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 1: I control? What can I control? What can I control? 810 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:48,799 Speaker 1: And I can't control the script to screen pipeline, but 811 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,120 Speaker 1: a podcast is a little easier to control. Mm hmmm. 812 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 1: Do you think you might ever toy with the idea 813 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: of a fictional kind of a podcast. There's such an 814 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:00,759 Speaker 1: emphasis now in this indo ture you on I P 815 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 1: like having I P before, like selling a show or something. 816 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 1: And I love the idea of a podcast serving as 817 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:11,480 Speaker 1: i P. I will say, because podcasts are really hard 818 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 1: to make, like there are a lot of work to make. 819 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:15,759 Speaker 1: Part of me is like let me buy a short 820 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: story and make that my IP because it just be easier. 821 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 1: But I do love a scripted podcast. I really enjoyed Fruit, 822 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: which wass podcast that she produced, and obviously you know 823 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:32,439 Speaker 1: Homecoming or Homegoing Homecoming that was on Amazon. Yeah, that 824 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,319 Speaker 1: that was the scripted podcast first. So I think I'm 825 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 1: more in the market as a producer of looking for 826 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:40,360 Speaker 1: scripted podcast that could be the i P that becomes 827 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: a show. I'm really interested in that right now as 828 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:46,480 Speaker 1: opposed to creating my own. Well, where can we stay 829 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:48,799 Speaker 1: connected with you, Amy? So we know when all of 830 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: these shows are coming out and what's your O T Next, 831 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:53,840 Speaker 1: what's your website as well as any social media handles 832 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,919 Speaker 1: you'd like to share? Sure? Yeah, everything is my name. 833 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,080 Speaker 1: It's a M y A n I O b I 834 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:05,439 Speaker 1: on Instagram, Twitter, and the web amyaniobi dot com and 835 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 1: at Amyanniobi on everything. And also my company is called 836 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:13,120 Speaker 1: super Special. The idea of the name comes from it's 837 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,120 Speaker 1: the opposite of superficial. Superficial is what people think of 838 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: Hollywood as. But we're the opposite of that. We're genuine as, 839 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: we are fully ourselves and it makes us special. So 840 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 1: you can find my company at super Special on Twitter 841 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:31,160 Speaker 1: and Instagram, and the website is www dot b E 842 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 1: super special dot com. I'll just also add and if 843 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: you are interested in the tribe writing program, information that 844 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,840 Speaker 1: can be found on our Instagram which is at super 845 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 1: special and also on the website www dot b super 846 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:48,440 Speaker 1: special dot com. Backslash tribe t R I B E 847 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:50,560 Speaker 1: will be should include all of that in the show 848 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:53,040 Speaker 1: knows so that nobody misses any of those. Thank you. 849 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: So we do have a little game we want to 850 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,600 Speaker 1: play if you have Yeah, yeah, let's do Yeah, let's 851 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: do it. I want to play. Okay, all right, So 852 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:04,640 Speaker 1: this is a quick who said what now? Game from Insecure? 853 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 1: So from some of the famous lines from Insecure. So 854 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 1: we're gonna read it and then you tell us who 855 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 1: said it. Okay, I let's see how I do. I 856 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,040 Speaker 1: think there's at the beginning, but it all brings together 857 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:16,719 Speaker 1: after a while. So help me. I hope I do 858 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,399 Speaker 1: a good job. Okay. So the first one is, oh, 859 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:22,440 Speaker 1: so now y'all want to be woke when it's been 860 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:26,160 Speaker 1: in the lawn clock since day one? Well, beat beats. 861 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:33,400 Speaker 1: That was okay. I was like, that's gotta besa okay, okay. 862 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:37,320 Speaker 1: The second one is, no, we've given white people enough time? 863 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 1: Frieda that lost Freda, look at you girl. I was 864 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,759 Speaker 1: the writer's room. I gotta know this. If I miss one, 865 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be bad. Okay. Number three Radio check ain't 866 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 1: even got a store no more Kelly. That was Kelly, Yes, okay. 867 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:01,280 Speaker 1: And the final one, Yeah, it's like a pre son 868 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,919 Speaker 1: you know my heart? Okay, Yeah, it's like a free 869 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:09,880 Speaker 1: sign you Molly. That's all it was? Okay, good okay, 870 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:17,680 Speaker 1: good god, good good good okay, A perfect one. Anything 871 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:20,400 Speaker 1: I'd be like, where was I I was daydreaming in 872 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,080 Speaker 1: the writer's room. No no, no, oh, I'm so happy. 873 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, what. Thank you so much, Amy, this 874 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,440 Speaker 1: has been such a pleasure. I really appreciate you chatting 875 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 1: with us. Thank you, this is awesome. I so stand 876 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 1: everything that you are doing. I am such a supporter 877 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:39,759 Speaker 1: of Therapy for Black Girls. I actually found my therapist 878 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:42,920 Speaker 1: on the website. There are people black girls dot com. 879 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:46,759 Speaker 1: So I I am such a supporter. We we all 880 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:50,120 Speaker 1: deserve care, self care, mental health check in. So thank 881 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 1: you for everything you're doing to spread that, spread that 882 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:59,320 Speaker 1: again across our community. I appreciate it. I'm so glad 883 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,720 Speaker 1: Amy was able to share her expertise with us today. 884 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,680 Speaker 1: To learn more about her and her work, visit the 885 00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 1: show notes that Therapy for Black Girls dot Com slash 886 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,399 Speaker 1: session to seventy four, and don't forget to text two 887 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:12,279 Speaker 1: of your girls and tell them to check out the 888 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 1: episode right now. If you're looking for a therapist in 889 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:18,719 Speaker 1: your area, check out our therapist directory at Therapy for 890 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:21,879 Speaker 1: Black Girls dot Com slash directory. And if you want 891 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: to continue to get into this topic or just be 892 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:26,960 Speaker 1: in community with other sisters, come on over and join 893 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 1: us in the sister circle. It's our cozy corner of 894 00:46:29,719 --> 00:46:32,759 Speaker 1: the Internet designed just for black women. You can join 895 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,080 Speaker 1: us at Community Not Therapy for Black Girls dot com. 896 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:39,600 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Freda Lucas and Elise Ellis 897 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:42,400 Speaker 1: and editing was done by Dennis and Bradford. Thank you 898 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: all so much for joining me again this week. I 899 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:47,360 Speaker 1: look forward to continue in this conversation with you all 900 00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:49,239 Speaker 1: real soon. Take it care