1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,559 Speaker 1: It's black folks. Man, we don't always have an opportunity 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,239 Speaker 1: to be opportunity, right because once we graduate college, man 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: were thinking about these loans that we gotta pay back. 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: We gotta go get this job. You know, we gotta 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: do all the things that our counterparties don't have to 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: worry about. So we don't have canceled opportunity to just 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: be opportunistic. Where As if I had a nest Egg 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: and my family sent me up, you know what I mean, 9 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: I can go out there and make a hundred thousand, 10 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: two hundred thousands dollar in the state. I'm Will Lucas 11 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: and this is black tech, green money. I'm gonna ens 12 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: you to you to some of the biggest names, some 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're black 14 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: and building or simply using tech to secure your back, 15 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: this podcast is few Derek Moore, A k A. Mo 16 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: Clint Gray, and Emmanuel E. J. Reid. I've found us 17 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: a Slimming Huskies Pizza Biria, a fast cash you artist 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: in pizza shop with the love of hip hop and 19 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: R and B culture. The Nashville based company now both 20 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: restaurants in Antioch Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as well as Ellenda, Georgia, 21 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: and Sacramento, California. I talked with Clinton mo about the 22 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: Italian history of pizza places and how they take on 23 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: a pizza restaurant instead amplifies black culture and how that 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: takes each slice and topping to another level. Yeah, I 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: would say, you know, our um initial vision concept was 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,479 Speaker 1: all about being um, you know, authentic. We we wanted 27 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: to uh you know, basically put our story, our culture 28 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: of everything that you know creates of the Black experience 29 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: on our walls. You know, we grew up you know, 30 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: on the era of adult nineties, uh, you know, hip 31 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: hop music videos, movies such as uh do the Right Thing, 32 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: and you know we even got you know, Boycott styles, um, 33 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: you know, on our wall in our restaurants because you know, 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: you know, we we felt like there was room for 35 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: a concept and restaurant brand, not just pizza actually, but 36 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: just something that told, you know, the story of a 37 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: Black culture in a high end way. And so you know, 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: the only thing you know Italian about our concept is 39 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: the pizza. Everything else is African American culture and our 40 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: way to tell that story to the world. Yeah, And 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: I was reading something where you positioned this as music, 42 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: art and good food obviously, and so how how does 43 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: the music part fit into Like what is the experience 44 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: like for somebody who's not been to a slim skis 45 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: what is the experience like inside one of your stories? Um? 46 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's a piece of art music, man. That's 47 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: uh something that we uh we lived by uh slim huskies. 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: And the music is aside from music, aside from the pizza, 49 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: um uh. In the art in the music is it 50 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: is probably maybe maybe a little bit more important than 51 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: the art, um, because when you come into slimmer Huskies, Um, 52 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: it's a field that you get when you listen, when 53 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: you hear the music through the speakers. And that's something 54 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: that that what Clint talking about. It's been authentic as 55 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: an Afrian American culture. Man. Like we noticed that we 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: would be going to all these restaurants and stuff, but 57 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: we wouldn't be We wouldn't hear our music, you know 58 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. We wouldn't see our our art on 59 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: the wall. Um. But you got a bunch of black 60 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: folks in a bad cooking, you know what I'm saying. 61 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: Or patronizing them the spot right. So so the so 62 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: the music says off the ril you know what I mean. 63 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: This is aside from looking at all the employees. Uh, 64 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: this is a black owned business, you know what I'm saying. Um, 65 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: but inclusive though, so like that's very important for us 66 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: to make sure that you know, as black as it is. Man. 67 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: You know, this is an inclusive business. So you know 68 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: the me as green you feel me. So you know, 69 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: we ain't turning nobody away or you know what I mean. 70 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: But our culture is uh, you know, we set the 71 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: trends in America, you know what I mean, from the food, 72 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: to the music, to the close uh you know, uh 73 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: you know the film you know, education, all those type 74 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: of things. Man, we set the trend. So so it's 75 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: no so so it's no uh like we don't apologize 76 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: for it, you know what I mean. It's just instead 77 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: of instead of hiding behind uh you know, some walls, man, 78 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: we put it out out on the front. Man. And 79 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: so the music we Gotta Unplug series that we do, uh, 80 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: which we feature local and and artists from from out 81 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: of town. Man. And we do that once every other 82 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: month almost almost quartericle. So so um and it's it's 83 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: a huge deal man. And we do concerts. We gotta 84 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: a part called piece apart. We do concerts with a 85 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: live band. Uh So. So music is very much, uh 86 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: important to to slim Huskies. I love that, and I 87 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: want you to go a little bit deeper because I 88 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: was I was reading a lot about your story and 89 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: this idea gentrification. Like you think that there's so many 90 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: parts of our country that are historically black, and you know, 91 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: affluent white people are moving in, and you found success 92 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: in areas that you know, are in the middle of that. 93 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: And so while they may love our culture, they love 94 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: our music, they love you know, the colors and all 95 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: the things. They may not always love us, but you 96 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: guys have found success in areas where that are being 97 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: gentrified and are you know, we got fluent white people 98 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: moving in, but we're still here trying to hold onto 99 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: those properties. So talk about how how slimming Huskies fits 100 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: into geographies and how you bridge the gap in those communities. Yeah, 101 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: what's crazy is when we first opened up, you know, 102 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: it was it was stemming from the sale of our 103 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: initial business, which was a moving open me and a 104 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 1: movement company was like you know, community based we were 105 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: hiring our friends that have been incarcerated. Uh, you know, 106 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: we had had a big just you know, focus on 107 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: giving back to our people, right and giving them jobs, 108 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: providing opportunities, and so, you know, we sold that business 109 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 1: and now we had this you know, this money that 110 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: you know, we need to you know, do something that 111 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: we couldn't just right out from the sunset man with entrepreneurs. 112 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 1: So it's like, man, what we're gonna do? So we 113 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: decided to open up a restaurant. So we started, you know, 114 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: we had the funds to go in any of Nashville's 115 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: flew in areas, right, Like, we went and looked at 116 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: them all and you know, solid real estate prices, you know, 117 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: and that wasn't an issue. But what was an issue 118 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: was we just didn't really feel connected to any of 119 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: the areas. Like it's like we were lacking purpose if 120 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: we went to one of these areas that you know, 121 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: we're about to reinvest all of our you know, money 122 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: and time into. And so you know, we started really 123 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: think like do we have to open up in these 124 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: areas that are already booming, or do we want to 125 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: open up somewhere this knee it And like you know 126 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: what we can bring value, and so that's when we 127 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: decided to open up. Uh and ZIP code three zero eight, 128 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,679 Speaker 1: which is northern Nashville historic African American side of town, 129 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: home to you know several AHPU c us, Tennessee State University, 130 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,679 Speaker 1: uh Fish University, the Harry Medical College, but also home 131 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: to you know, some of the highest you know rady 132 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: uh highest rate of crime uh you know in America, 133 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: And so you know, there's reasons for that, and it 134 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: was not our culture. The reason was that our city 135 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: wasn't you know, just like other cities, wasn't reinvesting the time, 136 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: money and resources into our neighborhood the same way as 137 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: they were the others uh, and also taking away from 138 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: the neighborhood by you know, changing infrastructure and you know, 139 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: running interstates throughout the middle of our neighborhoods, cutting off 140 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: economic you know, uh commerce and things like that. So uh, 141 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: you know, we said, you know what, like this is 142 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: where we want to go. We want to bring life, energy, 143 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: business jobs back to our own communities because not just 144 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: because it feels good, because it's it's needed, right, And 145 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: so uh, we opened up on the tenth block of 146 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: a street car Banchanon and you know, Buchanon had suffered 147 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: for a long time from you know, crime, drug use 148 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: and uh. There was not an open business for probably 149 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: like ten blocks uh and not you know, it was 150 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: considered a food desert in a very populated area, um 151 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 1: you know populated you know, African Americans. And so we 152 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: decided to open up. And you know, from day one 153 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: we saw what it meant to, you know, to open 154 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: up a black business in a black neighborhood, you know, 155 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: by providing jobs. We had a fifteen year old come 156 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: apply for a job and we told him like, you know, hey, man, unfortunately, 157 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: you know, you gotta be eighteen to work here, you know. 158 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 1: But he gave us a spill. He was like, man, 159 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: I've been getting off this bus for uh three years. 160 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: You know, I'm sorry for for us. It wasn't he 161 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: was seventeen. He was seventeen. We couldn't hire it was eighteen. 162 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: He hadn't you know, he'd been riding the bus for 163 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: three years and couldn't get off the bus and find 164 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: a job close to the the way he works. So he 165 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: had to get on another bus ride to go find 166 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: you know, work to help support his family. So I 167 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: said you know what, man, You if you show up 168 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: tomorrow on the diet at three o'clock, man, and you know, 169 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: we'll we'll see. You know, we'll see what you're talking 170 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: about it we may hire you know what I'm saying. 171 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: And he ended up, you know, being one of my 172 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: best employees, turned around, became an entrepreneur itself, you know 173 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 1: what I'm saying now, He created his own business, can start, 174 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, supporting his own family. And you know, we 175 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: just realized that, man, if it would work, if this 176 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: works in North Nashville, Um, it could work anywhere. You know, 177 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: it could work in Atlanta, can work in Memphis, it 178 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: can work in Miami, Houston, Dallas. You know. You see, 179 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter because you know, neighborhoods are being genti 180 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: fried everywhere, and what they need the most to sustain 181 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: and continue to keep the heritage in history as ownership 182 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: of those that live in the community. And so that's 183 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: what we've dedicated ourselves to do. Now. All of our 184 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: restaurants are in you know, areas that are being gentrified 185 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: right now, but we are still very focused on those 186 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: areas and committed to serving them. Yeah, I want you 187 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 1: to I want to spend some more time because I 188 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: think this is important because I was thinking about like 189 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: the belt line in Atlanta. When I was thinking about 190 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: this questions because you talked about uproars, like when they 191 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: are a whole around around that belt line is you know, 192 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: property values are skyrocket in there, for property taxes are 193 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: skyrocketing there. For people are getting pushed out and then 194 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: you're seeing you know, new cultures come in. And I wonder, 195 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: from your perspective, what role does small business play? What 196 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: role do entrepreneurs like yourself play and protecting that heritage 197 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: and creating opportunities, So if you can go in there, um, 198 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: I think I think the role for entrepreneurs especially you know, 199 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: I want to just single out, you know, I want 200 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: to I don't want to general realize it. What role 201 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: for for Black African American entrepreneurs UH to to maintain 202 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,599 Speaker 1: their culture is is at the highest level, you know 203 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like we have to do that. It's 204 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: our responsibility to do to do that. UM, as well, 205 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: let us take part in the in the economic uh, 206 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, advantages and benefits of being a part of 207 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: an area such as you know in the line where 208 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: the beltline is, right, Um, it's it's our responsibility when 209 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: it comes to owning property. But if you can't do that, 210 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: put your businesses in these areas to allow the culture 211 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: to continue to be there, continue to thrive. Because as 212 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: just to be honest, when you when you have a 213 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: black owned business, nine times out of ten, your employees 214 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: are gonna look like you, you know what I mean. 215 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: So that allows that allows you to number one, uh, 216 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: maintain the culture by the people that work there. Maintain 217 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: the culture about giving your employees and the opportunity to 218 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: economic opportunity, uh so they can go out and replicate, 219 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: you know, what you've done in your business. And then 220 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: also ownership, just ownership of the street, ownership of the business. UM. 221 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:17,439 Speaker 1: I mean, I think it's for us it's detrimental uh 222 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: in our community that we start and I start because 223 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: we had a mentality, but continue to advance the mentality 224 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: of ownership in our communities and not just allowed to 225 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 1: be not just be allowed to be pushed out, you 226 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. Like and you and and you 227 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: know it's this thing like you know, we talked about 228 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: a little bit about the family and um in l 229 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: A you know that sold the beach back right to 230 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: the city. But but you know, we can say, well, 231 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: they should have went when the developer, they should have 232 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: the ad, they should have done that. But man, lord 233 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,079 Speaker 1: knows how much the taxes work was right, you know 234 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, Lord knows how much. You know how 235 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: how much in fighting or maybe disagreements it was with 236 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: the family and they just had to say, you know what, 237 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 1: we just got give it up, you know what I'm saying. 238 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: But but so so I'm saying that to say it's 239 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: like at times, you know, we can talk about being 240 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: not being pushed out, we're giving up Grandmama's house and 241 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 1: all the type of stuff. That's not necessarily true all 242 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: the time, you know what I mean. We literally can 243 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,719 Speaker 1: be pushed out by how much it costs just to 244 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: maintain a live in that neighborhood, you know what I mean. So, 245 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: so we have to like form these groups just like 246 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: you know some of these other cultures that help each 247 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: other out. Uh. And it doesn't have to always be 248 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: monetary and help, you know what I'm saying. It could be, Hey, 249 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: I got a counter that can show you how to 250 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: save some money this way, you know what I'm saying, Hey, 251 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: I gotta we got an opportunity. We can do this 252 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: on the street together, Like, we have to maintain these 253 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: working relationships in order to stay in these neighborhoods that 254 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: are being gentrified because it is unaffordable, you know what 255 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So so it's to ask your question, man, 256 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: we have a true responsibility as black entrepreneurs to to 257 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: maintain and to hold on to a little bit of 258 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: peace of what we had because as you know, you know, 259 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: well like these property values, you know they go up. 260 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:17,719 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. So right, So if you 261 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: got a restaurant, the busy, like, man, I need some 262 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: help with just with just the property itself. Get you 263 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: a partner, get you somebody that get it up. Don't 264 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: necessarily want to be in the operations side. But hold 265 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: onto that property because it's going up, that's absolutely and 266 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: certainly if that's if that's the case, but don't sell 267 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: it to the to the lowest to the lowest bidder. 268 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: And one thing you said was so important is because 269 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: it's it's important to know about the economic advantages to 270 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: be in in these areas. Is because when I bought 271 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: my three commercial real estate properties right in the same 272 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: neighborhood lower economic UM disadvantaged area. But it's on the rise. 273 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: And if I was, if I if I was not 274 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: aware of par rams and things like opportunity zones and 275 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: things like we have I'm blinking on the name right now. 276 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: But it's a program. You can lock in your property 277 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: value tax for ten years after up to fifteen depending 278 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: on how many improvements you made and et cetera. Because 279 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: they want you to invest in these areas. But you 280 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: can buy the property and not know these things are 281 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: available and end up getting your taxes raised. But you 282 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: gotta understand how to play with governments and so have 283 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: you ever had to end you know, engage with policy 284 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: politicians to make these things work at the scale that 285 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: you at. Yeah, we you know, unfortunately where we're from Nashville, UM, 286 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: there hasn't been as many advantages, uh to engage the politics, 287 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: especially when it comes to reinvestment in our own communities. Uh. 288 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: You know. At one point, there was the opportunity zones 289 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: that they were you know, trying to push, and there 290 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: was I think there was bland and property grant whether 291 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: if you if you spent a hundred thousand, uh you know, 292 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: on on your property exterience tempers back, how many? How many? 293 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: How many? You know startups got a hundred thousands just 294 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: to barn and get temperas in. Yeah. But then but 295 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: then I have a friend and uh you know in 296 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: d C. Uh you know she's a restaurateur as well. Uh. 297 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: That was telling me about you know a program there 298 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: that uh, you know, if you want to open up 299 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: a concept and you have you know, history of being 300 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: a business in business, then uh, you know you can 301 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: get a grand for eight thousand, you know in certain 302 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: neighborhoods to be able to open up you know, your 303 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: your business to improve the economy there. And so I 304 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: think a lot of it depends on, you know, what 305 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: the city is looking for and what they're were going 306 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: to do and what their leadership already looks like, Um, 307 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: we gotta yeah, yeah, we gotta grant from Memphis. You 308 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: know it was in the exterior. It was black like 309 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 1: almost like a blinded property grant. But but you didn't 310 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 1: have to you don't have to have a spin. It 311 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: was automatic. If you if you open the business in 312 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: this area, you know we're gonna give you sixty eighty grand. Um, 313 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,719 Speaker 1: you know for your exterior, for your facade that went 314 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: that went a long wait for us. Yeah, you know 315 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, and then you go vice versa. You 316 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: know here in town. You know, we've had there's articles 317 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,719 Speaker 1: about it where uh you know, they bring in an 318 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 1: economic development uh person within the like mayoral's office, and 319 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: that person came out publicly. It was basically like, man, 320 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: I don't have any power. I'm here to be a 321 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: to be a face uh, you know for for an administration. 322 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: And you know, so that takes a lot out of 323 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: you when you think about going and you know, fighting 324 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: because at the same time, we have responsibility to make 325 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: sure we can see open up businesses and run them. 326 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: You know. Well, um, yeah, so I think it depends 327 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: on the place a lot of times versus uh, you know, 328 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: the person who wanted to fight the battle. Yeah, and 329 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 1: it did come to me. It was what I was 330 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: talking about. It's called the community reinvestment areas c r A, 331 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: and a lot of geographies across the country have have them. 332 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: So if you're looking into buying commercial real estate, um, 333 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: it is something to look into, whether it be calling 334 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: your mayor's office or the city administration economic development offices 335 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 1: looking to community reinvestment areas. They are often in the 336 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: lower income zip codes, and they because they need them 337 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: to turn around. So we need those that investment. Clinton, 338 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: you had said something a couple of times about investing 339 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: in these areas, particularly historically black areas. You said, it's needed, 340 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,439 Speaker 1: and it's one thing for it to be needed. It's 341 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: another thing for it to actually make money in that area. 342 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 1: Because you could have something that's needed and you can't 343 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: get two nickels out of it. How do you balance 344 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: what's needed in a particular geography, whether it's be your 345 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: your pizza shop or whether it be one of your 346 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: other businesses and having the need to turn a profit. 347 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: Um you want, well, I got a piece of u 348 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: uh Um. It's it's it is a it's a tough balance, man, 349 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: because on one end, you want to do what's right 350 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: for the people in the neighborhood. You want to do 351 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: what's right just for your people, right, but you know 352 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,640 Speaker 1: you gotta you gotta make a profit. And I think 353 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: that for us, we found that a good formula, uh too, 354 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: to be able to do both. And that is it's funny, 355 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: but it's true. When we talk about these these gentrified areas, right, 356 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: so when we go find a spot, the spot in 357 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: Atlanta on Metropolitan, this one on Buck Cannon. Man, we'd 358 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: be like, man, if you see, uh, if you see 359 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: some little black kids running around and you see a 360 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: white a white woman walking the dog or running on 361 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: the street, you found it right because it's it's the 362 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: perfect mix. When you know, you know, you know that 363 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: the fluent they're moving in. You know what I'm saying. 364 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: The number two they don't fear the people in the neighborhood. 365 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: They feel safe enough to run with you know what 366 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: I'm saying, take a run early in the morning. But 367 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: you see these black kids and they still here, you 368 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,920 Speaker 1: feel what I'm saying. So so we we we that 369 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: phone has worked for us. It's getting a little bit 370 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: more tricky because you know, gentrification is on the rise, 371 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: and it's and it's a fast rise, so a lot 372 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: of that is going away, you know what I'm saying. 373 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: But if we can find that then then that's that's 374 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: then we know we got some balance. We can provide jobs, 375 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: but we also got these Aflorman people here that can 376 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: afford our product. They feel safe and they want to 377 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: be a part of the neighborhood. They just don't really 378 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: know how so we we yeah, and then on the 379 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: you know, on the young investment side, right, but we 380 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: found it is you know, it's hard, you know, as 381 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,479 Speaker 1: a young African American to go out and you know 382 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: areas that are already thriving and purchased property. But what 383 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: we can do is find areas like most just suggested 384 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: where you know it's still affordable, right, and you can 385 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: find some commercial real estate that's affordable, uh, you know, 386 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: fit your budget, and you open up a business in it, 387 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: then you can play the prop co op code game. Right. 388 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: So like for us, for example, we aren't about of 389 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: our properties. Well, we come in, we purchased the property. 390 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: Uh let's take Atlanta, a Dare park closer to the store, 391 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: a west end for example. I think we um, you know, 392 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,959 Speaker 1: we purchased that property for what about three D thirty thousand. 393 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: Where can you find you know, by an entire uh 394 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: corner in a huge metropothic city for three D thirty thousand, right, 395 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: But we found that in West Atlanta, right, so uh, 396 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: you know, we reinvested, got some financeing with the bank 397 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: to build a brand new restaurant. On top of it, 398 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: we come out of there. You know, the buildings worth 399 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: over two million dollars at this point, right, But and 400 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: that's an extreme amount to be able to have to mortgage. 401 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,239 Speaker 1: But when you have a business that can come in 402 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: as a tenant initially and do business, now you're paying 403 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: your mortgage at the same time you're paying your rent. 404 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: So we're on two companies on that block. We're on 405 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: the real estate side of it and were on the 406 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: operational side of it. And the operational side is paying 407 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: the bills. And so playing that game in the right 408 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: areas with the right deal can be very advantageous. And 409 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: you know, look at that area that I was just describing. 410 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: Now when we first went there, there was nothing on 411 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: the street that we invested. Now there's a multi use, 412 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,479 Speaker 1: huge project being built across the street. So that two 413 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 1: million dollar evaluation is gonna probably go up to about 414 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,479 Speaker 1: you know, hopefully three or four you know, in the 415 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 1: next six months with that once that's complete. And that's 416 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 1: all about just taking uh an opportunity on reinvesting in 417 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: the hood. And so I think it's very important to 418 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: learn that game if you own a business and you're 419 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 1: looking to you know, by property, uh, you know, prop 420 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: co Op Coo gang was taught to us by you know, 421 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 1: our mentors we were coming up, and it really works 422 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: too often entrepreneurs, especially black entrepreneurs. I asked about what 423 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: makes them so passionate about an idea that they need 424 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: to start a business around it. However, it is an 425 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: idea called opportunistic that we don't perceive as possible for ourselves. 426 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: More Clinton E. J. Didn't grow thinking about starting a 427 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: moving company or a pizza restaurant. They saw an opportunity. 428 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: That's it. Most speaks on it as uh as black folks. Man, 429 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: we don't always have the the opportunity to be oportunistic, 430 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: right because once we graduate college, man were thinking about 431 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: these loans that we gotta pay back. We gotta go 432 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: get this job. We uh, you know, we gotta do 433 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: all the things, um that our counterparts don't have to 434 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 1: worry about. You know what I'm saying. We gotta go 435 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 1: back and get mama some money. We gotta help mom 436 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: on the bills. So so we take on jobs even 437 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: though we had these grand ideas. But we take these 438 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: jobs just based off responsibility, you know what I'm saying, 439 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: and what we don't have, So we don't have an 440 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: opportunity to be uh don't have you have a chance 441 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: on the opportunity to just be opportunistic. Where As if 442 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: I had a nest egg and my family sent me up, 443 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, I can go out there 444 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: and make a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand dollar in 445 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: the state, you know what I'm saying. So so, but 446 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: for us, I mean I think that we were young enough, Uh, 447 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: didn't have as many responsibilities that we have now to 448 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: take advantage of of of of opportunities that came my way. 449 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: And and and we didn't go in looking at when 450 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: we started a moving company. Um. We were twenty five 451 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: when when we started our first company. And um, and 452 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: we started company with three thousand dollars, right, so we 453 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: were not even enough to think that this will work. 454 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: You feel what I'm saying, And it did, you know 455 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: what I mean? Um, But it's how can I say it? 456 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: We just wanted to solve a problem, you know what 457 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: I mean. We saw a need. Uh it's not it's 458 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: not like we were passionate about moving furniture, you know 459 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. But we had but we but we 460 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: had a passion for being entrepreneurs. And we had a 461 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: passion for solving problems and feeling voids in the need 462 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: and that trickled down to a great business, so that 463 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, for seven figures something we 464 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: started with with with three thousand dollars into what we're 465 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: doing now and slaming huskies. And again we see a 466 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: void we see avoided in our community socially, but we 467 00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: see avoid economically because we have the these all these 468 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: restaurants we have, you know, Chinese restaurants, uh, mensament restaurants, 469 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: all these cultures have have their identity within the restaurants 470 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 1: and we needed hours. So we feel to void a 471 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 1: need there and then also an economic or opportunity void 472 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: by providing our people to look like us with jobs. 473 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. So I think our thing 474 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: is man. We see opportunity to solve a problem and 475 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: we and we jump on it. And sometimes you know, 476 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: when you you just know a market and you go 477 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: after an opportunity, Um, do you feel the need to 478 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: go deep into like market Studies's like when I when 479 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: I started my social club here, like I didn't do 480 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: a whole market study. I knew the community, so I 481 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: guess from that perspective as a market study, But how 482 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: do you when you say, I'm there's Chinese restaurants, there's 483 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: other types of restaurants. How did you know pizza was 484 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: the one to lean on that you could actually add 485 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: value to it? So what I think about is when 486 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: you start your business, there's this you know, phrase and 487 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 1: tech like you gotta lean into the thing that you 488 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: have a unique value proposition like what do you what 489 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: makes you the person to solve this problem? Right? And 490 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,120 Speaker 1: how do you think about from your perspectively starting in Nashville, 491 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: what made pizza the thing that you're gonna tackle versus 492 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: the other opportunities that could have been in front of you? 493 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: And that word for me, I'm sure, yeah, I think 494 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: the several reasons. Um. The first reason was, you know, 495 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,959 Speaker 1: we we grew up those T G I F kids, 496 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: you know, watching uh, you know, our favorite shows on 497 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: Friday night, watching wrestling, you know what, I sleepovers you 498 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: know with our friends, and always eating pizza, you know, 499 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: and like pizza was just one of those things that 500 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: we love. So that kind of falls into you know, 501 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: we were talking about being authentic. I think that pizza 502 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 1: is just one of those things that you know, if 503 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: you don't like pizza, man, and like so we already 504 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: had a love for pizza other things growing up in 505 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 1: the South, you know, and a lot of our neighbor hoods, 506 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of our black owned restaurants and 507 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 1: concepts offer a lot of similar things. So you know, 508 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: you got your wings spots, you got your soul food spots. 509 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: We wanted to come at something in Nashville home and 510 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: hot chicken. You know, we got tons of hot chicken spots, 511 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: and you know we love those places, but we wanted 512 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 1: to come you know, with something different, something that we 513 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: knew everybody would love, and something that we could just 514 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,640 Speaker 1: really put our culture behind that wasn't done before. And 515 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:34,160 Speaker 1: also something that's not too expensive. So you know, knowing 516 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: that we wanted to serve our people, we wanted something 517 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: that was affordable, that could be created in a healthy way, 518 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: fulfilling and you know, just just offer who we are 519 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: the best possible and we and we did as far 520 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: as like the research part about it, man, we um, 521 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: we knew we did research on what do Americans eat, 522 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, what are the popular foods? 523 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: And that was murgers, hot dogs, eiets of tacos. You 524 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. It was we we we didn't 525 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: want to new Hamburgers. It was it was it was 526 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: during the time when Kraft Burgers spots was popping up 527 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: all over the place in the city, you know what 528 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: I'm saying. And then and then hot Dogs man. We 529 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: you know, we we didn't feel like we could jazz 530 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: that up enough to where you know, it would feel 531 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: good to us. You know what I'm saying. We already 532 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: in our community. You eating the glyzzie. You know what 533 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: I'm saying, You already behind the eight ball, right, you 534 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: can't be the Glizzie king, you know what I'm so, So, 535 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So it was like we're 536 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: gonna leave it. We're gonna leave it along and then uh, 537 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: you know, and then you know the tacos man. You know, 538 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: we didn't feel like we could do We could we 539 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: we could do anything, but we didn't want to. We 540 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: wanted to leave that to where where where it was 541 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: already working. So it was like pizza, man. We Americans 542 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: eat pizza. Eat the bondings of pizza. It has high growth, 543 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: high growth ratings as far as the industry of food 544 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: industry and um, and we understood the cost and you know, 545 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: it's it's it's not so like it's not segregated into 546 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: like you know, like a demographic of people that will 547 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: won't eat piece and everybody's eating pisa, you know what 548 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: I'm saying. And so it's like, man, we can dive 549 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 1: into that and make that cool. It fits us. We 550 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: grew up on pieza, we grew up on Piece of Parties, 551 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: Ninja Turtles, all that type of stuff, like we could 552 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: do that, you know what I'm saying. And it worked 553 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: out for us, you know. And so it was a 554 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: little bit of research, a lot of bit of chance. 555 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: Uh And and we knew that we did didn't just 556 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: want to depend on pizza to be the selling point 557 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: of to bring people in the doors. It was the music, 558 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: it was the art, it was the community aspect of it. 559 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: So uh and we understood that that that was a 560 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: need to be filled in all of those areas. You know, 561 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: how did you decide, because you're in multiple states even now, 562 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: to forget your cities, how do you decide which markets 563 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: to explore for new locations. Well, you know that's a 564 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: very good question because you know, when we initially start 565 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: going places. I think the first city we went to 566 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: ventures into was Atlanta, and so we just knew Atlanta's 567 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: gonna hit. It's six million people down there. Uh, you know, 568 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: it's the you know, arguably that the new Meca of 569 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: hip hop. Uh. You know, we got a hip hop 570 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: you know based brand, Like it's gonna work, right. Um, 571 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: So we started off doing the eyeball test, you know 572 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, just kind of filling it out and 573 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: then also using social media and seeing, you know, what 574 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: kind of traction were we're getting from different places outside 575 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 1: of you know, Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. Atlanta was that 576 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: city where everybody's like, man, y'all gotta come here, you 577 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: gotta come here, right, So we listen to the consumers 578 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 1: through social channels and engaging it that way. But I 579 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: think you know now that we you know, got to 580 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: you know, about ten units and looking to grow even more. 581 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: Now we're starting to dive in because it's it's gonna 582 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: become a lot of you know, a lot more about 583 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: dollars and cents now than ever before. As we you know, 584 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: grow to more locations and so you know, now we're 585 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: taking you know, advantage of the studies that are out there, 586 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: you know, getting with real real estate UH and community 587 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: you know, professionals to say, can you guys give me 588 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: the data that we need to ensure that this location 589 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: is going to be a hit, because you know, we've 590 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 1: had some locations where we went where you know, we honestly, 591 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: you know, the thought that our brand and our stories 592 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: and and and marketing has been done on us. We 593 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: carry us. But we started off a little slower than 594 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: what we expected. And so that was a learning curve 595 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: and business to say, you know what, like you know, 596 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: we're starting to get up there with the big dogs. 597 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: We gotta do what the big dogs do. And so 598 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: so you know, data is key for us. Now. It 599 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: was one thing to open up a shot remotely, it's 600 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: another there to manage it, you know from a distance. 601 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 1: And how do you do that? Because you got scaled 602 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: at this point. Yeah, and we got a great team. 603 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: So first, the way the scale is uh is processes. Man, 604 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. So R s SOPs right. 605 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: So no matter where you are, what city, what time zone. 606 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: You know, at nine o'clock in Atlanta, UH, they're doing 607 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: the same thing at uh you know when it when 608 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: it's nine o'clock in Nashville. When it's nine o'clock at 609 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: nine o'clock, don't matter. We should be at the call 610 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: at their time zone and look on the camera. They're 611 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: doing exactly all the same things. You know what I'm saying, Uh, 612 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: at the at the Pacific time. So so process is important. 613 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 1: Document those and training those is the most important thing. 614 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: We're thinking about scaling right, And I think as as 615 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:42,719 Speaker 1: a community, we missed that. Like we go into it 616 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: with the mom and pop attitude, you know what I mean. 617 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: You know, mom, pop gonna go open the doors, turn 618 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: the lights on, and operate the business right, and we 619 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: never scaled, you know what I'm saying. We're great ideas 620 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: never scaled. So for us, we knew that we didn't 621 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: want to be in the building all the time. We 622 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,719 Speaker 1: knew that we wanted to go take advantage of of 623 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: of what we have and grow it. So we start 624 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 1: these processes. So the way you cook, the temperature of 625 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: the oven is the same, where you get the product, 626 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: it's the same. Um. All those things allow you to scale. 627 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 1: And we did that with the moving company. Even though 628 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: we stayed in Nashville. We started to make building these 629 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: s ops at the ten age man, and we understood 630 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: that we wanted to scale. One day we read a 631 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 1: book called Built to Seal with chepter's out of a 632 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 1: whole lot and U. Uh So in anyways, man, that's 633 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: how you scale, and that's how you manage UH in 634 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: these other locations. As well as having a good team, 635 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So you've got a good 636 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: team with general manager, you got a good good UH 637 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: director Operations and UH and UH and chief operations and 638 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 1: those two guys make sure that what what we what 639 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:55,239 Speaker 1: we implemented, what we built is happening all across all 640 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: across our stores, uh in these different states and time zone. 641 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:00,880 Speaker 1: And then it's I was so important to know. Like 642 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: we had the moving company, it's most saying we were 643 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: building us that SOPs. But these guys are coming in, 644 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 1: we're training and we're giving them paper packets, like hey, 645 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: you to take that home. You know, read you know, 646 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: read the handbook. Uh, look at this training module. You 647 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. But now with the restaurant, we've 648 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,799 Speaker 1: been able to take advantage of technology because you know, 649 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:20,800 Speaker 1: we know that you know, papers a thing in the past, 650 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: but you know, we work off checklist that you know, 651 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,359 Speaker 1: he said, every store is doing the same thing at 652 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 1: the same time, and we can put up on our 653 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 1: cell phones and log into the app and see which 654 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 1: GM at this store didn't do what, or you know, 655 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: who's at a completion rate? You know, so you know, 656 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,760 Speaker 1: technology is it's so important to adopt when you're starting 657 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 1: to talk about scale nowadays, especially with the hospitality, because 658 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 1: it saves us so much time and money. And for 659 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: the people who are listening, who are thinking about anything 660 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: in the near the vertical is you guys. I want 661 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: you guys to leave them with some words about partnership 662 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: because obvious you guys, three of you guys you know 663 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: with e J, and talk about how because you mentioned, 664 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,399 Speaker 1: you know, you went in the scale a little bit, 665 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 1: and how we get stuck in the mom and pop 666 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:20,959 Speaker 1: you know, Aria Mo, and so part of why partnerships 667 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 1: get broken up is because we don't understand our responsibilities. 668 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: You know, Clint's doing what most should be doing, most thing, 669 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:29,919 Speaker 1: what e J should be doing, and etcetera, etcetera. How 670 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,879 Speaker 1: do you guys designate who does what so you don't 671 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 1: feel like you're stepping on each other's toes too In 672 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: order to continue to build a great partnership with the 673 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: three of you. Guys. We defined roles early on, you know, uh, 674 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 1: and we understand each other's strength of weaknesses, right so, 675 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: uh so Clint, Clint, out of all of us, he is, uh, 676 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: he's a lot more social, you know what I mean, 677 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: Not a lot because me and Clint about here and there. 678 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: But but but I mean, he's but I understand and 679 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: I have the mindful logistics and operations more because I 680 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:06,359 Speaker 1: was an at traffic controller you know what I mean 681 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: at one point in time in my life. I've worked 682 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 1: in sales. At one point of time in my life. 683 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: I had all these jobs that I got fired from 684 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: at what point of time in my life that prepared 685 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: me for what I am what I can do now, 686 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, construction jobs, all the types 687 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 1: of stuff. So so you know, we define roles really 688 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 1: early on and don't step and made it made in 689 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 1: the goal to not step on each others toes. Now, 690 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: sometimes these roles in the twine while I need to 691 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 1: put on a clean and I need to put on 692 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: E J for something. Um. But but we we define 693 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: these roles and we trust each other to do these roles. 694 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: The right way, you know what I'm saying, as well 695 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,799 Speaker 1: as you know, forming a formities operating agreements before we 696 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 1: open the door, you know what I mean. So so 697 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 1: uh so we make sure the legal paperwork is right, um, 698 00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 1: and that that that alleviates. You know, there's one word 699 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: that we have. You know, we go into it as 700 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,440 Speaker 1: as partners making sure that that's right. You know, we 701 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 1: that freeze us up to think the thing forward and 702 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,359 Speaker 1: start thinking about not new ideas and stuff like that. 703 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 1: And you know, we just like I said, I understand 704 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: each other strength of weaknesses, man, and define these roles 705 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:24,080 Speaker 1: and that allows us to work. Not it's not always 706 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: great together because I mean we're human beings, but that 707 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 1: allows us to grow and scale and and when and 708 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,480 Speaker 1: when things get to go a straight we're able to 709 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: fix it a lot faster than if we were intertwining 710 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: all these roles and I was doing Clinton job and 711 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:40,879 Speaker 1: I was doing e J job. Like so yeah, yeah, 712 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: that's how we that's how we pretty much work the partnership. Man. 713 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,879 Speaker 1: And what would you leave the audience with, um? Things 714 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:50,720 Speaker 1: that they should do if they're interested in getting hospitality 715 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,359 Speaker 1: anywhere of hospitality, food service, what kind of things were 716 00:38:54,360 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: the things that you wish you would have known in closing, Uh, 717 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 1: I wish I wish I would have understood understood. Uh. 718 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: You think about taxes man, you know the you know 719 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: businesses in the in the movie industry, we didn't have 720 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,880 Speaker 1: nearly as many taxes as we have now. You know, 721 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 1: liquor tax, food tax, you know, you know, franchise and 722 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: excites tax, all these taxes. Man, I wish I would 723 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:23,479 Speaker 1: have understood that early on. Um, you know, uh, as 724 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: well as uh doing more market research, site selection research, um. Uh, 725 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: those type of things you know, as as a restaurant 726 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: are very important. Uh. And sometimes man like like you 727 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: can go back to the opportunitiy thing like sometimes we 728 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:42,440 Speaker 1: just have an idea and we just need to bust 729 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: it open and try right and learn as we go. UM. 730 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 1: So I never want to say no everything or know 731 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:51,439 Speaker 1: all these things before you start, because then you start 732 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 1: to talk yourself out of it. But but but definitely 733 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 1: do your research. Um. Have have a have a good 734 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 1: working idea, not just an idea, but to go working 735 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: idea of what you're getting yourself into. And then uh, 736 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,800 Speaker 1: I mean just go forward man, and you know, to 737 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: try and to feel man, you know you gotta do it. So, yeah, 738 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: a couple of things. First thing, Uh, if you're looking 739 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 1: to go into a partnership kind of semming off the 740 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,880 Speaker 1: last question, don't think that you know, everyone your friends 741 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 1: is gonna be a great partner, right Like, I think 742 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:24,799 Speaker 1: what makes us great is that, you know, we all 743 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: bring something different to the table. We all have a 744 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,759 Speaker 1: certain level of responsibility. Uh, you know, and you know 745 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 1: we we know that you know, we're working with good 746 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: guys on the other side, right like, we we trust 747 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 1: each other. And so you know, we all got friends 748 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,520 Speaker 1: that you know, have a lot of fun with, but 749 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:43,320 Speaker 1: they ain't gonna make a great business partner. So you 750 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: gotta know how to you know, cipher through that a 751 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 1: little bit, uh, you know. On the hospitality side, man, 752 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 1: I think one thing that uh, anybody can do is 753 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:56,799 Speaker 1: interested in whether it's you know, food service or uh 754 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,080 Speaker 1: you know, opening up their their own spot or a 755 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: lounge or whatever the cases. But go working one. You know, 756 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:05,960 Speaker 1: go working one. Take take the opportunity to like see 757 00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:09,720 Speaker 1: what it's like on inside out of operating a business. 758 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,360 Speaker 1: When it comes to hospitality, that's the best way you 759 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,799 Speaker 1: can learn. You know, somebody to work for us for 760 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,879 Speaker 1: you know, for five years. They could easily leave here, 761 00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 1: you know, with enough tools to go open up, you know, 762 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 1: a restaurant just based off of general knowledge. Uh, you know. 763 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 1: And the last thing I would say is, uh, you know, 764 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 1: we we haven't put a business plan together in a while. Uh. 765 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:34,799 Speaker 1: I think we just got a knack now we want 766 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 1: to open up a business. We know what needs to 767 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: be done. But the very first one that we did, 768 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:40,840 Speaker 1: you know, it took us a while to put it 769 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:43,800 Speaker 1: together because we were doing so much research on everybody 770 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:47,719 Speaker 1: around us. And we did we did market research on 771 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 1: pizza restaurants from the East coast to West coast from 772 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 1: you know, all carscited states to right here locally. We 773 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,880 Speaker 1: broke everything we got. You know, I never forget we 774 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,600 Speaker 1: were creating our sauces. We went around, We got about 775 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 1: ten different pieces sous from places, did blind taste tests, 776 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: figure out which one we liked the best, you know, 777 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: measure that out to who was doing, you know, getting 778 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:10,759 Speaker 1: the most sales. And you know, we were just doing 779 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: different things man to figure out exactly who we wanted 780 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 1: to be as a business and exactly what you know, 781 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,680 Speaker 1: the potential competition would look like in the marketplace. And 782 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 1: so a lot of people don't realize that when we 783 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,120 Speaker 1: open our first business, I'm sorry, our first restaurant, we 784 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,640 Speaker 1: have been working on it for two years. If you 785 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 1: look at any one of our original locations, we've got 786 00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:33,719 Speaker 1: to seal on the front that says established ten. But 787 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 1: we didn't. We didn't sell our first pizza open our 788 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:41,640 Speaker 1: doors until March seventeen. But that established what represents us 789 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:46,880 Speaker 1: in the lab figuring this thing out, testing pizzas, passing 790 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: them out to the community at different events, getting the 791 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:52,440 Speaker 1: word out, uh, you know, figuring out our training program, 792 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,960 Speaker 1: working on our floor plans, and going back and forth 793 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: with the architects. And then at that point we felt 794 00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,319 Speaker 1: like this is when it got started. And I think that, 795 00:43:02,719 --> 00:43:06,000 Speaker 1: you know, entrepreneurs in any field need to know that, 796 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: like sometimes it takes a little time to build success 797 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:12,120 Speaker 1: before you actually jump into it. Yeah, and then I 798 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: would leave you. One other thing is, man, I tell 799 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 1: people all the time, you gotta fall in love with 800 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:19,720 Speaker 1: the sacrifice, right, so like like if you don't love, 801 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: uh damn love what you do, you gotta love the sacrifice. 802 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:26,799 Speaker 1: You gotta fall in love with it because it's gonna 803 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: be be so many times for so many hours, uh, 804 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 1: in days where your friends are able to go kick it, 805 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 1: you know in Jamaica or the Bahamas, or or the 806 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:39,879 Speaker 1: trip to Italy and you want to be a part 807 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: of it so bad. Or you got the homie that 808 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: that just popped up and pulled up in the new 809 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:46,480 Speaker 1: and the new whatever, you know what I'm saying, or 810 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:50,280 Speaker 1: the type of stuff, right, you know. But but but 811 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:52,880 Speaker 1: but for what you're doing and what you're what you 812 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:56,240 Speaker 1: can't do, now, that's the sacrifice, you know what I'm saying, 813 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 1: Because you're setting yourself up for longevity, you know what 814 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,840 Speaker 1: I'm mean, years and years and generations of wealth. You 815 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 1: know what i mean. Not saying that your homies just 816 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: taking the trips. They're not doing the same thing. But 817 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,080 Speaker 1: it just ain't your time, you know what I'm saying. 818 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:12,360 Speaker 1: So you gotta follow a little over the sacrifice or 819 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,799 Speaker 1: you'll you'll just be living in the moment and all 820 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:24,480 Speaker 1: the work that you put in and be Nolan Void 821 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:33,920 Speaker 1: Black Tech Green Money to production of Black of the 822 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:36,759 Speaker 1: Afro Tech on the Black Effect Podcast Network and I 823 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: Heeart Media is produced by Morgan dubonn and Me with lucas, 824 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 1: with additional production support by Sarah Ergon and Rose mc lucas. 825 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:46,800 Speaker 1: Special thank you to Michael Davis IF and It's a 826 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:49,880 Speaker 1: SURROUNDO Remember by my Cass and other tech Disruptor to 827 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 1: innovators an Afro tech dot com. The video version of 828 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:54,960 Speaker 1: this episode will drop to Black Tech Green Money on 829 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: YouTube next week, So tap in enjoying Black Tech Green 830 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 1: Money share for somebody, Go get your money. Des in love,