1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's giving me 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: advice to many occasions. In incase you didn't notice, I'm 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: not broke, you know, he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do, 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: it's what he likes to share. Now it's time to 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: hear from my man, Rashan McDonald money Making Conversations. Here 9 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: we go. Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I'm your host, 10 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: Rushan McDonald. I recognize that we all have different definition 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: of success. For some exercisable paycheck, mine is helping people 12 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and 13 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: live their very best life. These are my missions and 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: these are my passions, and that's what I'm gonna do 15 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: for you, and that's what we do on Money Making Conversations. 16 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: I really want you to stop tripping over small challenges 17 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: and prepare the rise above the bigger obstacles that life 18 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: will present to you. My next guest are Dina Marteaux. 19 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: That's when Oh and Courtney Oats they co founded in 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: That's this year, the Year of the pandemic c Indeed 21 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: the agency. It's an all women lead management agency that 22 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: provides marketing, branding, public and media relations services along with 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: project talent and operations management specializing in business and entertainment. 24 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: That mission is to empower which is an important mentor 25 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: and lead businesswomen to collaborate together and increase opportunity for 26 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: minority women's Dina is a seasoned entrepreneur, having shadowed gender 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: and ethnic glass ceilings during her nearly twenty years as 28 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: a music executive and small business owner. Dinus is on 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Dinas on the management team for a Superstar My Man 30 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: t I and helped launched his popular podcast, which became 31 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: number one on Apple Podcast. Courtney Roads, who I know 32 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: from Tampa when Steve Harbory and I was down there 33 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: launching I Wanted our Affiliate Radio Stations is a branding 34 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: and marketing expert for twenty plus years. She has worked 35 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: with multimillion dollar businesses and getting their marketing message, scene, heard, 36 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: and experience across television, radio, magazines, e commerce, digital and 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: social media platform She's placed over one hundred million dollars 38 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:12,679 Speaker 1: in advertising dollars across television, radio, digital, social and outdoor 39 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: media leaders and Deale with introduction like that, this is 40 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: a money making conversation. Please working the money making conversations, 41 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: Dina Martau and Courtney Rose. Ladies, Hey, that was amazing. Well, 42 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: you know, first of all, thank you for coming on 43 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: the show. And you know, because of the fact that 44 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: uh doing the show about going on like three years 45 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: and and uh, I want to write you by the 46 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: star bought a building in Atlanta here Peachtree. It's gonna 47 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: I'm building out of broadcast studio. So my next interview 48 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: with you guys, hopefully being stupid studio, it's a COPD 49 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: friendly studio. And I bring that to your attention because 50 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: you guys are I'd like to say the word movers 51 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: and shakers and y'all, y'all, y'all venture and y'all y'all. See. 52 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: Can I say the used the word visionary without being offensive? 53 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: Oh okay, cool, let's stop. Let's start with the top 54 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: divisionary in my in my screen here, Miss Courtney met 55 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: your Tampa a long time ago. Sales, so I can 56 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: verify when you say that you did sales, you did sales. 57 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: And you know when when you go to these affiliate markets, 58 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: there's always an opportunity to be able to sell your 59 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: brand and people have to understand your brand. And Steve 60 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 1: Harvey was we were growing brain, not the brand that 61 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: he is today, but you were a recognizable brand. And 62 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: I was like the guy who was like, you talked 63 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: to me, You talked to Steve to get the business 64 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: deals done? How do you look at a business deal 65 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: and a business opportunity? Um, so I kind of just 66 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: again look at everything as an opportunity and as a 67 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: person who can bring solutions to whatever marketing or business 68 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: challenge that whoever I'm sitting in front you know, whatever 69 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: they have. You know, someone's going to come to us 70 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: because there's a challenge they need help to do something. 71 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: And so for me, I look at it as what 72 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: solution can I provide with the expertise that I have, 73 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: the experiences or the connections or network that I have, 74 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: how just to be solutions oriented in my approach. You 75 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: know when I was listening to when I was reading 76 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: each one of your bios and this is this is 77 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: kind of like you each are kind of like a 78 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: version of me, because you know you seriously, you know, 79 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 1: because God turned the Dina because now she's dealing with 80 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: she deals with talent a lot. You know, I didn't 81 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: see that on your bio. You know you you you're 82 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: a person that, like I did a lot of lot 83 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: large Caleb's contry promotions. I'm always out there, so cars 84 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: on through media, so Hamburger through media. That's kind of 85 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: like you. And then on the on the talent management side, 86 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: high profile, high energize um know what they want to do. 87 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes they don't do it right. But you gotta be 88 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: there to mediate and also have to be very smart 89 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: but very quiet sometimes. I also have to know all 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: the answers. Even Steve Harvey once told me said, Rich 91 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: you think you know everything? And I said, yes, I do. 92 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 1: So I could not tell him I don't because what 93 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: does what purpose does that serve? And so Dina, I 94 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: have to look at you as a person who knows 95 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: everything because you do with talent. Well, I think about it. 96 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: If I don't know it, I will definitely, I will 97 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: definitely figure it out. That's the key to that, because 98 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: you have to know what you know, and you have 99 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: to know what you don't know, and you have to 100 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: know how to figure it out from there. That's important. 101 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: And when you when you say that, because we're talking 102 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: about two successful females, okay, and and let's just put 103 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: it real. You know a lot of times women or 104 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: because they are attractive, and you are two attractive women, 105 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: sometimes people hear you, but they just see you. How 106 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: do you overcome that? Obviously, gonna start with Gina just wrapped. 107 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: You just responded, how do you overcome that? That's a 108 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: good point, Um. I would say that you have to 109 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: really stay consistent and persistent with your work ethic. And 110 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: I think oncebody realizes that you're an asset to the team, 111 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: that you bring value and that you're smart and you 112 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: should be around, they look past the beauty and they 113 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: start really wanting wanting to work with you based on 114 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: your skill set and what you can bring to the table. 115 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: So I just the way I've done it in a 116 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: male dominated industry is just maintain my respect and earn 117 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: my respect by doing the work and doing it well 118 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: and having to do it a lot of times better 119 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: than my male counterparts. You do, and that's but this 120 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: is like I said, oh, you know, cording to couldn't 121 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: say this. You know, as a minority. Sometimes it's often 122 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: said that we said we have to be two times 123 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: or three times better than the white person to get 124 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: the respect and still get a check. They're smaller than them. 125 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: And that's kind of frustrating because it's actually true. And 126 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: so from a sales standpoint, coordinate, you've had to deal 127 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: with that first of all, sales is generally a male 128 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: dominated lane. And then you down in Tampa, which is 129 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: the tip of Florida. So when I met you was successful, 130 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: you were vibrant. You you have my attention and because 131 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: you knew what you wanted to do. Maybe because I 132 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: grew up with six sisters, so I always had a 133 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: respect for knowledge that came out of women. Came they 134 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: came from women when they spoke to me. So what 135 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: are some of the mysteries of the walls that you 136 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: have to climb as a female because we're gonna get 137 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: to the agency, because that's important that I said, who 138 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: you guys up before we start talking about this agency, Courtney. 139 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: So so I think for me, it's always been about 140 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: making sure that I am heard and and that I 141 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: can bring value to the table. Rather it was with 142 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: clear channel, which is what it was when we met 143 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: or through the work that I do today. And to 144 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: piggyback on what Dina said, you just you have to 145 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: always learn, especially in the male dominated industry, to listen, listen, listen, 146 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: because I think just men and women naturally have a 147 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: different way of communicating. And not to be stereotypical, but 148 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: men are sometimes more aggressive, more comfortable in confrontational roles. 149 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: And for me, it was just about listening and always 150 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: coming back to the table with the solution, with the result, 151 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: kind of staying keeping my little balance self and you know, 152 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: conversations with the guys and agreeing and and just positioning. 153 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of times I would just listen 154 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: in the beginning, especially when I was in Tampa, I 155 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: was the only female on the management team. Um, and 156 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: you know, meetings could get crazy and egos to get 157 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: in the way, and you listen, you you know, agree 158 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: where you agree, but then you circle back around and say, hey, guys, 159 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: have you thought about it like this? I think that's 160 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: amazing the way you want to do it. Maybe we 161 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: can add this, we can add that, and just kind 162 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 1: of be supportive at first, and that allows you to 163 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: get your voice heard. That allows you to get your 164 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: you know your perspective out there, and then when you 165 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: consistently do that, then the guys again it just you 166 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: just become a part of the team and they come 167 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: to you for that expertise because you're you're able to 168 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: actually bring I think, a better balance of energy to 169 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: the table and kind of pull things down a little 170 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: bit and still, um, you can still be heard. Just 171 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: my approach has always kind of been a little different 172 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: in how I heard and when I hear both of 173 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: you talk to me. I was gonna say, being honest 174 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: with your clients as well is really important because a 175 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: lot of times when you're dealing with some high profile people, 176 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: people are afraid to be honest with them as as 177 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: people on their team. And I think that my clients 178 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: would say that I'm always honest whether you want to 179 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: do it or not, and whether I agree or not, 180 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: I'm going to give you my perspective and still support 181 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: you on that is I think the key to a 182 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: lot of high profile people staying out of trouble is 183 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: by being honest, by being a person who says I 184 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: don't think that's a good idea, and because the not 185 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: saying it means that you should have said it. And 186 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: so when I look at when I listened to a 187 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: Coordinate and Dina, how did you guys get together to 188 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: form to see a d Okay, I got I know 189 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: about your Brandina Coordinate. I'm aware of your brand from 190 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: past history. How did you two ladies, because you're coming 191 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: from different different landscapes, even though according to your playing 192 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: music from a standpoint at a radio station tied to 193 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: clear Channel, which is not our heart media. And Dina, 194 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: you know you came from record labels as well and 195 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: moved into talent management. So I feel a sense of 196 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: the cross. But how did you guys come together? Well, 197 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 1: here's the thing. We have been friends for a long time, 198 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: and we've actually worked on projects in the past together 199 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: here and there. We've always talked about doing something together. 200 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: And when we had to sit down for a second 201 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: during this pandemic and and just had a moment to 202 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: look around and see what was going on, we felt 203 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:48,680 Speaker 1: like it was the appropriate time because we had a 204 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: time to focus in and and know what was really needed. 205 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: I think the I think being united is needed more 206 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: than ever right now, especially with women, and so we 207 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: just did to just go for it. And the best 208 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: part about it is that Courtney is an expert in 209 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,959 Speaker 1: her world with marketing and branding and pr and I'm 210 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: an expert in my world on the management side with 211 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: talent and project management and operations. So we're just combining 212 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: forces and being more powerful. Together. We could easily be 213 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: successful continue to be successful on our own and our 214 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: individual journeys. But the most important thing here is that 215 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: we both believe that our greater purpose is to mentor 216 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,719 Speaker 1: and lead the next generation of women leaders. And that's 217 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: important that you know, um, when you say that, which 218 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: is very powerful. And you started your business doing a pandemic, okay, 219 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: launched it, and I basically I bought a building doing 220 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: a pandemic. And and you know, and I say that 221 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: because in a way, first of all, it's very tragic 222 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: because it overtly affects people of sixty five in the 223 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: minority community. And secondly, but from a business perspective, and 224 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: I felt it allowed me to catch up, you know, 225 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: because a lot of competition was shut down in the 226 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: second quarter, live events with advertisers pull all the media 227 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: from in the second quarter. The third quarter started trickling black. 228 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: You started getting virtual events, and then so talent started 229 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 1: to creep back out in some productions, especially entertainment, started 230 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: to go back out. So I commend you because I 231 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: felt that what you're doing is very smart, because that's 232 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: what I did. The first quarter. I was getting my 233 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: brand together, trying to define that. Second quarter, getting all 234 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: my legal paperwork, making sure I would launch the site. 235 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: I launched a whole new platform, and in the third 236 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: quarter and fourth quarter, I tell my team it's time 237 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: to make money, and we will make money because we've 238 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: established that is that courtineal sense of what you guys 239 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: are doing the plans in place pandemic hit. It didn't 240 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: throw any fear into your through sadness and through complications 241 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: of how to do business, But it didn't alter your dreams. No, 242 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: it didn't actually um spet it up because it gave 243 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: us time to kind of reassess what we reached go in. 244 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: Um of course, we were kind of all forced to 245 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: quiet down, kind of reflect on, you know, personally from 246 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: a career standpoint, what's really important to me, Like what's 247 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: gonna drive me how when we come on out on 248 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: the other side of this thing. What do I want 249 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: to do and do? What are the causes that I 250 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: care about? What are the kind of clients that I 251 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: want want to work with where messages that I want 252 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: to get out into the culture. And so, like Dna said, 253 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: we've talked about joining forces before, and we knew that 254 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: we could um complement each other's expertise but also scale 255 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: the work that we do because a lot of times, 256 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: obviously Dana's working on projects where it involves marketing and branding. 257 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,679 Speaker 1: I work on projects sometimes where we're hiring out talents. 258 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: So we knew that just coming together would allow us 259 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: again to grow, but also do work that was more 260 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: meaningful and to come together to do something really important 261 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: to make sure that the narrative that the future is 262 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: female isn't just something that we say that we're actively 263 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: doing our part to make sure that we're supporting that 264 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: marriage and been the work that that we're doing, and 265 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: we're bringing other very talented and the word you use 266 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: with innovative women along. So that was really important for us. 267 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: And when I say that word, I say that word 268 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: with respect. I say that word with a lot of uh, 269 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, and I don't and I like to believe 270 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: that I'm one of those guys. I would tell that 271 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: people that are twenty four hours in the day, learn 272 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: to use every hour. And when I say and, I 273 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: say that as a compliment because I know how passionate 274 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: I am, and I know my resume when I say, 275 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: you two are kind of like a versions of me 276 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: and and because it's a testament to your ability to 277 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: be able to adjust to change and you're not in 278 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: your fearless And you also understand that I know when 279 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: I walk in a room that I'm a black guy. 280 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: I know when I got I know, I know when 281 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: you walking room your attractive ladies. That's something you have 282 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: to admit and sometimes you have to admit that people 283 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: have to be trained on what you bring to the table. 284 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: Able and said, you've launched an all female lead agency 285 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia. Dina, Why, Well, I'm it's it's really 286 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: the topic that we're talking about money making conversations. We're 287 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: trying to level the playing field. We're trying to close 288 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: that gap for women to make the money that they 289 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: deserve to make. Two, especially for minority women to have 290 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: more opportunity and really and really help women work together 291 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: and not be competitive against each other. I find that 292 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: a lot of times, especially in these male dominated industries, 293 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: we are pitted against each other and it's a lot 294 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: of competition, but I think we're stronger if we can 295 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: actually work together. So we want to be that example. 296 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: We kind of want to show shed the light on 297 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: that journey of getting women who are great at what 298 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: they do, who are very skillful, having us collaborate together 299 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: for excellence for our clients. And I think that that's 300 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: really the main s we're we're doing this agency. Of 301 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: course we want to make money, but we want to 302 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: make money like how men are able to make money. 303 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: That's very true. Um money is really in the beginning 304 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: of my intro says, you know, there's people haveing a 305 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: version of what it is a sizeable paycheck is some 306 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: people is is a large check. I'm driven by the 307 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: fact that opportunity drives me, and I think that's a 308 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: sense of who I'm talking to hire DNA and courting 309 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: you opportunities because if you don't have an opportunity, you 310 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: can't get in the door to make your play or 311 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: make your statement, then the money is gonna come because 312 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: you're skilled at it. Now two words that we hear 313 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: popular popularize all the time. It annoys me so much. 314 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: Marketing and branding, especially the word brand. I just I 315 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: can't stand that word. It's not because people just throw 316 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: it out nowadays like they know exactly what. Oh they 317 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: know exactly. Branding expert, I can hear that one more time. 318 00:16:55,680 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I'm a branding expert. So courting y. Yeah, 319 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: they'll just show you an example. Okay. In two thousand, 320 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: when I started managing Steve, I used to work for 321 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: IBM okay and so corporate. From a corporate standpoint, I 322 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: knew where the brand was was IBM okay. So when 323 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: I looked at Steve, I looked at I said, I'm 324 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: gonna treat him just like a corporation. I'm giving the 325 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: same rules, the same standards, the same belief that the 326 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: corporation sets itself up for consider their brand. Because I 327 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: always tell you I would tell people, you know, corporations, 328 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: they they just shout out. They tell you they got 329 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: the best Hamburger, they got the best car, they've got 330 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: the best cell phone and all these things. And that's 331 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: why I'm enjoying this interview because I'm like bouncing back 332 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: between versions of my brain left right, left, right, left right. 333 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: But branding expert Courtney, what is that what is a 334 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: branding expert? Please help me. I'm so and I love 335 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: this question because people use the words branding and market 336 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: marketing together like it's the same thing, and it's not. 337 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 1: So we all know that a brand is just the 338 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: way someone when I say rashan, what comes to people's mind, 339 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: the energy, the images, the feeling. It's the story that 340 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: we share out into the world because of the things 341 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: we do right, and so we know in a corporate world, 342 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: it's a nice logo and it's a position, right, like 343 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: your hamburgers are gonna be you know, mid tier loads here, 344 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,959 Speaker 1: heights here, right. But for people and the kind of 345 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: work that we do, branding is about what's the experience 346 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: you're creating for people? What's the vibe that you get 347 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: when you interact with us our brand. It's all about 348 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: women's empowerment. It's all about being inclusive. It's all about 349 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: having fun. It's all about doing meaningful work that's gonna 350 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: make a real different and community of the African American 351 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: community and communities of color. It's about showing a different 352 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: narrative to women doing business together in one It's about positivity, connection, collaboration, 353 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: and it's about when people interact with me and DNA, 354 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: specifically with our brand and seeing d the agency. We 355 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: want people to walk away feeling empowered, excited about moving 356 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: towards again a more powerful, collaborative, inclusive community of whatever 357 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: you're doing. So for us, it's it's women doing business 358 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: and male dominated industries and making them feel good, you know, 359 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: good about themselves. So it's just the experience that we 360 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: create with the colors we use, the events that we curate, 361 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: the messages that we said, and it's about being consistent 362 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: in those things, and those things create the heartbeat of 363 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: who you are as a company, as a person, and 364 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: then you're marketing shares that messages out into the world 365 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: through different platforms and stories and events and situations. See 366 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: how smart she is. She's good? Um, she's scary good. 367 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: I mean you know what I mean. Don't stop stop 368 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: you are you blessing? You are a blessing. Okay. I 369 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: remember that was my first take on you many years ago, 370 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: and to see where you've transformed or evolved too is 371 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: amazing now when when when I heard you talk cordony, 372 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: it felt more like from a business standpoint, from you know, 373 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: from a from a uh like like you know a 374 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: product standpoint. And then I turned to Dina, and you 375 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: use the word branding expert when it comes to talent, 376 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: What does that mean, Dina? When it comes to talent, talent, 377 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: talent is a brand in itself. So any any any artist, 378 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: any any person that like yourself, you are at you 379 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: are talent and you are your own brands. So we 380 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: have to do the same thing. We have to maintain 381 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 1: the proper messaging. What we want people to know and 382 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: feel about you, how we wanted to look overall, how 383 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: we wanted to feel. So it's pretty much the same 384 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 1: way as Hamburgers, but it's a person, which makes it 385 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: sometimes a little bit more complicated. Hamburger don't talk. Hamburger 386 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: don't talk right. Hamburgers don't mess up somethings sometimes when 387 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: they talk. They don't post on social media. They don't 388 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 1: do that right. Hamburgers will change their minds sometimes the 389 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: morning when you have a plan and then they decide, 390 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: their mood just shifts and they want to do something else. 391 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: That's you know, it's a little different. And hamburg and 392 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: Hamburgers don't throw your strange looks either, that's right, Like 393 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: you're a crazy one in the room and Hamburger will 394 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: not throw you under the bus when you know what 395 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: I mean. I love it. I love it. I've talked 396 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: to my two sisters. I'm talking to you know. We're 397 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. We we we are the ladies that 398 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: are always behind the scenes, the secret weapons that a 399 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: lot of times people don't even know exist. But we 400 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: are an integral part of the team that we're on. 401 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: Cool path. Let's talk about Let's brag a little bit. Okay, 402 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: I mentioned a little bit about t I and some 403 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: of the accomplishment. Talk about some of your product, Dina, 404 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: and then court Deem coming to you. Okay, okay. Well, 405 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: my history has been in the music business mainly. I 406 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 1: started a PR firm, an entertainment PR firm when I 407 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 1: was nineteen in college. And then I met L A. 408 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: Read when I was twenty one and he handpicked and 409 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: hired me to work with him at Island def Jam. 410 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,479 Speaker 1: So I was on his A and R team for 411 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 1: six years and I helped with Janet Jackson, L Cool, 412 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: j Nas Young, Jeez, Rick Ross and and so many 413 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: others when jay Z was president. And then I left 414 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: to start my own artist development company and I built 415 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: a recording studio in midtown Atlanta called twelve Music and Studios. 416 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: I ran and operated that operated that facility, and I 417 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: nurtured and managed talent for seven years. Then t I 418 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 1: called me and wanted me back on his team because 419 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: we worked together previously when I was a lot younger 420 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: and he was putting out trap music. And I got 421 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: back on his team, and I've been on his management 422 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: team hell being out for the last three years. So 423 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: I also sold my studio about a year and a 424 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: half ago, just so I could do more focusing on 425 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: the new things that I wanted to do and to 426 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: kind of pivot and the same thing that we're doing 427 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: now with pivoting with this agency, which is really a blessing, 428 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: I'll say, because we're at the point in our careers 429 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: we would get to kind of pick and choose who 430 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,120 Speaker 1: we want to work with, and that's truly a blessing. 431 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: We don't we don't. We don't decide on working with 432 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: clients based on monetary things. We decide on on what 433 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: their vision is, what the messages, how is this going 434 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: to impact the community. That's really where we make our decisions. 435 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: Awesome Courtney c R the c in the d of 436 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:46,679 Speaker 1: the agency. That's me, your accomplishments, you your things. They 437 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: brought you into this world that you when you sit 438 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: down you make a pitch. You got to tell people 439 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: what you're doing currently or what you've done in the past, 440 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: how does they work and what do you have to say? UM. So, 441 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,719 Speaker 1: as far as my career accomplishments, I started my career 442 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: right out of grad school started working for UM Clear 443 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: Channel as an account manager for w POC, which is 444 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: one of is that what you wanted to do A coordinate? UM? 445 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to be UM an anchorwoman initially until I 446 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: did an internship actually, and then I changed my mind. 447 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: And so you had aspirations of being a talent in 448 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: one time at first, yes, yeah, UM But anyway, so 449 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,640 Speaker 1: I started as an account manager for w POC, which 450 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: is a top five still country station in the country 451 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: for Clear Channel, and I was selling POC country, jazz 452 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,919 Speaker 1: and gospel and digital. So it was I think it 453 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: was like two thousand and three where digital just started 454 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 1: to come up and we were trying to figure it 455 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: out as a media company, what we're gonna sell, how 456 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,640 Speaker 1: we're going to be a the show clients. R Oyes 457 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: and stuff like that. And so I did that for 458 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: a year and a half and pretty quickly I was 459 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: able to leverage a Jaguar deal for clear Channel throughout 460 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: like twenty markets and it was a multimillion dollar deal 461 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,479 Speaker 1: and it kind of set my career up. And honestly 462 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: it was a fluke, but that's a whole another story. 463 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: It kind of set my career because I ended up 464 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: getting recruited into management. That you gotta tell us the 465 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: fluke now unless you say it was a blessing from 466 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 1: being the nosing. This took over when you say fluke, 467 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 1: it just like yeah. Um. So at any rate, that 468 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,920 Speaker 1: deal kind of set my career up, like I said. 469 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: And so when that happened, because I ended up having 470 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: to like go to corporate and present the deal to 471 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: Jaguar and so like you know there um their VP 472 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: of Marketing in head of brands, consumer brands and all 473 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: that and close. The deal went really well, and so, 474 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: like I said, that led into me being recruited by 475 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: the executive management team. So I went to Tampa as 476 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: a sales manager for three radio stations, one being launching 477 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: The Beat, which was the first urban actually to go 478 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: into Tampa believe it or not. UM w f l 479 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: Z which is uh SHR station, and UH Mix which 480 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: is like uh no Mix was the HR and w 481 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: f l Z is like a pop station. But anyway, 482 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: so I went there with three stations under my belt, 483 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: stay in Tampa, learned the Ropes under my general sales manager. 484 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: They gave me the Beat as my station within like 485 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: three months, honestly, and I just had fun with it, 486 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 1: Like I just used my intuition quite frankly, to UH 487 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 1: make decisions UM. As far as marketing was concerned, how 488 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,479 Speaker 1: we were going to position urban and a market like 489 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,159 Speaker 1: Tampa that had never they had a reggae tone, but 490 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: they never had an FM hip hop station, and so 491 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: that went well. My boss in Tampa came to Atlanta 492 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: as the market manager for Clear Channel Atlanta UM, and 493 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: he recruited me. They were launching a country which is 494 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: the Bowl, which is the number one country in the market. 495 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: It was the FM broadcast for Brady's Radio network, and 496 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: so UM. Once again I had kind of gotten the 497 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,439 Speaker 1: role of being of launching stations in new markets because 498 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: of what we had done, the flip that we had 499 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: done with the Beat in Tampa. So they brought me 500 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: here to launch a country little microw Media in the South, 501 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: and that's what I actually had two country stations. There 502 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: was this little stick in Peachtree City called w d 503 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: c L. I'm not sure what that stick is now. 504 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: So I ran the two country stations and was in 505 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: charge of Brady's Radio network, which taught me a lot 506 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,640 Speaker 1: of out just you know, managing forty eight million dollar 507 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: radio station, managing a lot of people, managing responsibilities from 508 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: I was in charge of the marketing department, the sales department, 509 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: the promotions department, UM, and then I served on executive 510 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: committee for for Clear Channels. So that kind of taught 511 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 1: me the things that I needed to learn to kind 512 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: of step out into entrepreneurship and UM. After doing that 513 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 1: Clear Channel that spot by being capital UM there were 514 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: eight general sales manager. Six of them got laid off. 515 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: Unfortunately I was not one of them. I was super 516 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: sad because they got this huge severance check and unfortunately 517 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: I was one of the ones that stayed and had 518 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: to make it work. And so that taught me more 519 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: about acquisitions and mergers, mergers and how to make a 520 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: profit and law statement work. And long story short, I 521 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: left there started working for myself. Ford Morgricultural became my 522 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 1: first client and my entrepreneurship during you started from there. Awesome, 523 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: I toldwards National Women's Small Business mom Um speaking to 524 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: Adina and Courtney. UH. The agency, which is what you 525 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: c and d the agency? What you started in UH 526 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: in the city of Atlanta. Your first project is it 527 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: was is a voter education initiative aim at combining voter 528 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: suppression in Georgia during the twenty election. Can you tell 529 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: us how that, how that came about and also what 530 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: are you doing when you say this is your first project. 531 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: When when somebody says the first project out of the agency, 532 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: what does that mean? Well, this is our first campaign 533 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: that we're doing to to launch with the agency so 534 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: people know what we are up to and that we 535 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: want to do meaningful things in the community. I think 536 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 1: it's really important right now to exercise your right to vote, 537 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: but a lot of times people don't even understand their 538 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: rights for voting, and so we want to just educate 539 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: and give and and funnel all the information on into 540 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: one place so people can get it, whether it's early voting, 541 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: UM absentee ballot, or whether you're going in person on 542 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: the day of vote, you know, election day. We want 543 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: people to know, um, their rights. We want them to 544 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: know that if they come across something that looks like 545 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: voter suppression or it's something that's blocking them from doing 546 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: what they have the right to do, they we want 547 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: them to have that information. And so we're just pulling 548 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: all that information together and sharing it through our network 549 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: and through um just just our really just our network 550 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: and social media of course. And um, I voted already earlier, 551 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: but okay, cool put it, posted it on social media 552 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: that I voted. And um, it's a very important election 553 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: November thirte for a lot of reasons, but more importantly 554 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: to get there, get this country back to a level 555 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: of sanity that we all feel we can walk out 556 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: our front door and return safe, because right now it 557 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: gets ugly and ugly every day. Uh. And and closing, 558 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: Courtney and Diana, First of all, thank you for coming 559 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: on the show. I this was work this wise. It 560 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: is such a beautiful interview. You guys are dominant personalities. 561 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: I'm looking at two distinctively different position people that work 562 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: incredibly well together. Your strengths they crossed, but they don't cross. 563 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: When I say that means that you both understand your 564 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: lanes and it allows you to be able to eloquently 565 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: pitch like Courtney said, like she did in This Wild Me, 566 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: and then all eloquently understand. Because I've managed talent, a lot, 567 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,160 Speaker 1: high profile talent, and I know exactly you know when 568 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: you start talking, I laugh because every everything you said, 569 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: I've had to deal with and still dealing. I jumped 570 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: right back into fire and I said I would go well, 571 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: I left Steve Harr I said I was done. I 572 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna do this anymore. And I'm back in. They 573 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: pulled me back in reputation, pull me back in, But 574 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: I want to just say thank you. I want to 575 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: be in you guys life. You know, if you ever 576 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: need my services. I I do a lot of media. 577 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: I do RFPs. I love to include you guys in marketing, branding. 578 00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get my staff to reach out to you 579 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: guys and get the deck on you guys. So you 580 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: know I'm gonna being an agency record for something selves 581 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 1: for some fortune five hundred company from my multicultural perspective. 582 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: And I don't do PR and so so you know 583 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: I don't. So I can't do everything. But you can. 584 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: You can lie that you can do everything, but you 585 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: want to do it well. And I and I and 586 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: just being the two young ladies who are trying to mentor. 587 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: That was the key in this conversation that I was 588 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: so impressed about because I was since I was eighteen, 589 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: that's been my mantra. Uh No, don't leave anybody behind. 590 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: I don't know why I did it. It was just 591 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 1: called of my natural DNA and I from the very 592 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: start of this conversation, that's all I heard you guys 593 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: talk about. And I want to be a part of 594 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: any way I can assist growing the CND the agency 595 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia, because both of you guys are brilliant. Courtney, 596 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: I know your track worker that wasn't That's when impressed 597 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: me way back then was the fact that you were 598 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: selling more than black radio and uh and Dana Um 599 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: meeting you for the first time, I've heard about you 600 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: when I there's a lot of people, a lot of 601 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: people said, dude, how you never Yeah, she said a 602 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: lot of names. I know, okay, and we were So 603 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: we've crossed and we've talked and I've heard about you 604 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: and get you on my show. Money Making conversations and 605 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: blessing and uh, thank you, thank so happy When you 606 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 1: guys reached out, I was like, really, okay, I'm tuning 607 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 1: to do this. It's great, thank you. And you hit 608 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: it on the and you hit it right on the nose, 609 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: like you have a way of knowing how to pick 610 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: up on you know, your your your guest on the show, 611 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: because I would say that you summ that up pretty well, 612 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 1: you did. We were heart well. You know, I started 613 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: this and I didn't know what I was doing from 614 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: the standpoint, you know, I would just I didn't know 615 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 1: why people were coming on the show where they're coming 616 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: on the show, because I should manage stink Harvey. They 617 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: think I'm getting on the radio show, the talk show, 618 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: and I was trying to find my voice and and 619 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: so I just look at two fantastic people that you 620 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 1: know if you called me, and you know, I don't charge. 621 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 1: That's why I started this whole platform here. But I 622 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: do know how to make people famous. I do know 623 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: how to and you guys are famous, okay, you your famous. 624 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 1: Commodities Zoom has allowed me to have an interview like 625 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 1: this because if I try to do this in January, 626 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: but we're never what what is he talking about? But 627 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: Zoom has allowed this format and to see how you 628 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: guys operate on this world. You should do it as 629 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,879 Speaker 1: much as possible because you will shine in a lot 630 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: of great lanes of opportunity because both of you guys 631 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: are brilliant. Okay, thank you so much, so much for 632 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: having are essential. The conversations you're having are really important. 633 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: People what's happening behind the scenes and not in front 634 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: of the TV screen. They need to know the intricacies 635 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: of business and how to make money. It's really important. 636 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: I appreciate you. I'm telling I staff to get a 637 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: deck on you guys. Okay, and we're gonna talk to 638 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: Bye bye, great thing, both of y'all. Bye bye. If 639 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 1: we want to hear more money making Conversation interviews, please 640 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 1: go to money Making Conversations dot com. I'm with Sean McDonald. 641 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: I'm your host. Wow, that was pretty good. Huh.