WEBVTT - Michael Mauldin Full Interview 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.000 This podcast is sponsored by Better Help Online Therapy. I'm 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:07.760 Michelene Maloof and I'm Nadyadesi, licensed therapists and hosts of 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.800 Getting Better Stories of Mental Health. Join us for discussions 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:13.880 with Megan Trainer, Chris Bosh, Rebel Wilson, and more, from 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:17.840 discussing motherhood to immigrating to general mental health. Our guests 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.720 are awe inspiring. We all struggle with the same things, 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:23.640 so let's talk about it and de stigmatize them. Find 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:26.840 our new podcast, Getting Better Stories of Mental Health on 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:32.920 iHeart Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 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Fifteen minutes could 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:19.720 save you or more. Welcome to Money Making Conversations. I'm 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.600 your host with Sean McDonald. Each Money Making Conversation talk 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:26.480 show is about entrepreneurship and entertainment. I provide the consumer 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:30.760 and business owner access to celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:34.280 decision makers. I recognized that we all have different definitions 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:37.920 of success. For some exercisable paycheck, mine is helping people 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:40.640 wake up and inspiring them to accomplish their goals and 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.640 live their very best life. These are my passions and 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:45.760 that's what I'm going to do for you as a listener. 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:48.400 I want you to stop tripping over small challenges and 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:51.360 prepared to rise above the bigger obstacles that life will 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:55.160 present to you. The Money Making Conversation interviews provide relatable 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:59.960 information to the listener, bout career and financial planning, entrepreneurship, motivation, leadership, 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.880 overcoming the art, and how to live a balance life. 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:07.480 My next guest is the CEO Or malden Brand Incorporated 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:12.600 and Chairman of Black American Music Association BAM. His impact 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.799 on the global music industry has been felt for over 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:17.200 forty plus years. I know I've been right there with 0:02:17.280 --> 0:02:21.280 this young brother. Artists Management created branding and executive leadership 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:24.280 and has earned him the Living Legend Foundation Highest Honor 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.760 Lifetime Achievment Award. Music may be in his first love, 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:31.880 but he's also passionate about his community, family, and the 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:36.119 next generation. Whether it's helping to develop superstar talent, educating 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.680 the next generation of leaders, directing a culturally inspired campaign, 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:43.360 or using philanthropic efforts to evoke change. This is what 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:47.880 my man does. Please welcome to money Making Conversations. Michael Malden, 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:51.640 oh Man, thank you so much for Sean. That's that's 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:55.320 uh interesting. But I hear that myself. I'm like, you're 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:59.040 talking about me. But but now I appreciate being on 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.680 here with you man, and congratulations only your talk show. 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:04.440 I really love what you're what you're about with Well, Mike, 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.680 you know, you and I sitting on Mania or radio studios, 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:10.480 sitting on a many accouch, you know, just you know, 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:14.320 different cities on the run backstage talk about the music 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:18.200 industry when we were talking and about the music industry 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:22.320 now right, well, you know we've seen a lot man, 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:25.200 obviously I've been doing it for you know, four decades, 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.400 which is crazy, over four decades and one way or 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.040 the other. Starting out as a ROADI and being working 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.639 with a lot of those artists in the early days 0:03:32.760 --> 0:03:35.800 Funk card Is, you know, from Brick to Cameo, and 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:38.520 then going on to work with Luther Van Ross and 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:41.600 the Nita Bakers and having an opportunity to work with, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.920 you know, some of the biggest and most prominent artists 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:48.680 in the game. UM. And then in the nineties, you know, 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:52.080 I went up to Columbia Records. I was drafted, as 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:54.840 I would say, you know, from a management arm of 0:03:54.960 --> 0:03:57.960 just having a good deal of success with the artists 0:03:57.960 --> 0:03:59.480 and stuff I was working with, and I was asked 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:01.920 to come in to Sony and do my thing. And 0:04:02.240 --> 0:04:05.080 I think, um, you know, I took on a roll 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:08.880 of of of you know, I was not bragging, but 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:10.560 I felt like we could get a lot done. But 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:12.760 I had never been on the inside of the label before, 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.800 so I had the idea of being cooming a division 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:20.320 that could operate on its own accord and that kind 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.040 of thing. So I went in pushing for that. UM 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:25.000 and and I go to that because when you say 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:27.720 where the music was in the in the nine is 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:32.200 we were really striving breaking the walls down regarding releases 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:34.800 and hip hop that really kicked in and the mainstream, 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:38.000 and we were starting to do amazing stuff, and some 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:40.960 of us that was controlling budgets and really had our 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:45.080 own full staffs of people. We were doing exceptionally well, 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:48.359 and we did there at Columbia, and and we watched 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:51.920 the movement happened come to two thousand's. I was no 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.560 longer in the system, not because of me not being there, 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:58.000 but it changed. We saw that change coming. It changed 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:01.160 back to all of a sudden being cold trolled from within, 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:06.920 being considered a department. No longer were um black divisions 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:10.120 or black music arms being given their own budgets and 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.599 they had to go to their white counterparts to get 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:15.200 budgets approved and stuff like that. And I think a 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:17.760 lot of that started to change and started to create 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:22.440 a level of control that we've been fighting to get 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:26.280 back for the last twenty years. And even though right 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:30.240 now Black American music, which obviously is hip hop, R 0:05:30.279 --> 0:05:32.800 and D funk, any of that fits right in there, 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:39.080 is leading the entire globe in regards to streams. I 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:41.919 think Spotify. It was just it was just reported reported 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:45.040 that Spotify, for example. Now I think it's sixty five 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:51.120 to of the streaming income comes from Black American music 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:54.800 and the number one stream music, isn't it. There's no 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:56.720 doubt about it, no doubt about it. And then when 0:05:56.720 --> 0:06:00.200 you take the mergence you know of of of R 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:04.320 and being hip hop, which little people know had a 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.640 lot to do with cording the term urban back in 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:12.880 the nineties. The combination of R and B meeting where 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:16.520 you'd have a singing song that would have a rap 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:18.799 breakout and you have a wrap with a singing hook. 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:23.440 Those things started to change up the landscape so that 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:27.440 they could be worked from a different perspective on Top 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:31.520 forty or rhythmic radio, which no black, very few black 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:35.080 promotion guys was able to work those records there. So 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:38.160 that started to change up the climate. But I think 0:06:38.160 --> 0:06:41.919 that where we are now, uh we are it's a 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.480 different day and no citings and stuff for not being sold. 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:48.520 Obviously with the COVID you know out here, live engagements 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:51.520 are harder. But we are streaming more music in Black 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.279 American music than we've ever done. And it's just matter 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:56.320 now trying to get more control and create a better 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:59.920 level of ownership and and priority inside these buildings and 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:03.040 the outside in the community. You know absolutely. Now, so 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:05.560 let's back up a little bit because I said a 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.640 lot when it introduced you, because you've done a lot 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:09.640 and you are a lot, And now I didn't I 0:07:09.640 --> 0:07:12.360 didn't Nick meant any words that I said in my credits. 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:16.080 You are a phenomenal person. I've always enjoyed talking to year. 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.480 We laugh, we are. We talked about doing things together 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:22.840 with NASCAR. I remember back in the day you was NASCAR. 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:26.360 We're talking about broadcasting right now from Atlanta. So you said, Richard, 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:28.320 I got something I'm gonna do with NASCAR, talking about 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:30.920 that NASCAR diversity experience that you were dealing about that 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:35.440 about ten years ago, and now we're there now. Yeah, well, 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:38.400 you know it goes back away to your point. It 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:42.200 was a while back and I started working in association 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:44.320 with them. I grew up around the sport. I'm from 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:47.680 North Carolina. I grew up around it. My dad nickname 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.600 was they called everybody called him Lightning. I say, nickname 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:52.960 was almost like his name. And my dad was a 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.520 he wasn't a moonshiner. But you tell everybody he he was. 0:07:57.200 --> 0:07:59.000 He was one of them. He was close to one 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:01.720 of those guys who carried carried the shine, and so 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:03.600 he was well known in the in the mountain. This 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:08.520 is real conversation. And I was always around motorsports, dirt 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:10.480 track racing, that kind of thing. I was one of 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.200 those black kids that loved cars and I was very 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.600 much into it. So NASCAR was a big part of that, 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:17.720 and a lot of times people didn't really understand it, 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:20.440 but I was going to racist from the time that 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.400 I was six years old on. So in two thousand 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:26.480 and four, through my love for it, I ended up 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:30.520 reaching out with my company, Maldon Brand. At the time, 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:33.240 we was referred to as Mallon Brand Agency, and with 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:36.240 that we, uh, you know, our whole thing was about 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:42.080 branding and and and having a having an ethical system. 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:46.480 That really meant, you know, taking the quote unquote black brand, 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:49.360 black community brand, and we actually referred to it as 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:52.200 the urban brand at the time, taking that and moving 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:56.280 that into mainstream and then taking those um assets and 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:58.400 things that we got from that and bringing it back 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:01.280 into the community. So that was always kind of our formula, 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:03.760 and so I went after NASCAR. I went after dinner 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.480 way to say, hey, y'all need some help, not just 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.760 from a diverse standpoint of black folks being there or 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:13.240 black driver being there, but from a youth perspective of 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.320 young people and making sure because the climate is changing, 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:19.680 most of your audience is older. You know, I knew 0:09:19.720 --> 0:09:22.920 my age and I'm like, you know, I'm a fan. However, 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.400 it's hard for me to get these young kids to 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:27.520 go to the track with me, you know. And I've 0:09:27.559 --> 0:09:30.240 taken Bow and I've taken German and a bunch of 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.320 artists over years, White club gen and different people to 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.600 the tracks given that experience, because the experience is amazing, 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:39.680 but on official the big track, but just trying to 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.840 really work it in and create more symmetry. And I 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:46.520 think that, um, you know, because it was in all 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.800 honestly being viewed for years. It's kind of that good 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:55.000 old boy type of networking that takes place in our world. Um, 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:57.920 you know, a lot of people, uh from the black 0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:00.800 community felt like it was on the outside of us 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:03.520 and we didn't really drill down. I got involved story 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.480 to create some program, start to create the things. We 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:08.600 We ended up doing a couple of events around the 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:12.079 country and in Atlanta, Atlanta Motor Speedway Ed Clark, who 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:14.679 was the president of a a truck and turns a great guy. Um, 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:19.360 we did something on Friday nights called Welcome Fast Car Weekend, 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.880 Welcome to Atlanta, Fast Car Weekend, and we would end up. 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:26.560 Um we had fast Life Fridays and we had music played, 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.200 and we did a little drag race on Pit Road 0:10:29.240 --> 0:10:31.400 down there, and I even had some of the ladies 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:34.640 from the Real Housewives Atlanta participated one year and had 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:36.640 a good audience, and it was just it was a 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:39.600 great blend of just getting people. We'd have fashion shows. 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:43.079 So we realized that black people and our community spends 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:47.520 more money for a capital on on automotive and and 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:51.440 and an automotive after parts than anybody. So it's like, well, wow, 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.520 you know, we love speed, we love all that. Why 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:56.480 aren't we more involved? And so the idea was to 0:10:56.520 --> 0:10:59.679 try to really drill down I will sell you. Uh. 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:04.240 NASCAR is a family owned business and it is not 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:09.680 public yet, but it does great, has great television ratings 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:12.000 and all that, and in a way they've been able 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.360 to survive without really having that stampard approval, unlike so 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:19.960 many other sports with the ball or or football or whatever. 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:24.199 It's an expensive sport to get into. So unless you've 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:27.120 got somebody financing you and and and that can afford 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.600 you to go out and positar your car up two 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:32.120 or three laps and have to rebuild it, it's a 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:35.360 hard thing for black kids to participate in. So we 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:37.800 were just trying to find ways to get that go 0:11:37.960 --> 0:11:41.640 kart racing other things to add not just about being racing, 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.760 but also there's a lot of mathematics and stuff went 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.960 involved because of just engineering that kind of thing with 0:11:48.000 --> 0:11:50.360 the way these cards or today. So it was all 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.040 done around education. And that's why I wanted to bring 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.800 it up in our interview because the fact that you know, 0:11:56.559 --> 0:12:00.720 I'd just say that the NASCAR has always wanted to diversified, 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:04.560 and but that that flag, that flag, and it's like 0:12:04.920 --> 0:12:06.360 it's like, you know, you go there, you see that, 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:08.920 and the flag was there, y'all. I went to some NASCAR, 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:11.800 it was there. It was there a lot, especially when 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.800 they had those those It's just an experience just to 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:17.240 go because those RVs, it's like a new city out 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:19.959 there that got the private gets be coming in. It's 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:22.600 a lot of money at NASCAR. And a hundred thousand 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:26.880 people ever pretty much every Sunday, and I'm just let's 0:12:27.480 --> 0:12:30.280 I've went to it, Steve Harvey not We went several times. 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:32.760 And if you just if you just put your eyes 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.679 just just look straight ahead, don't even look left for right, 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:42.840 that car goes by your eyes so fast. It is 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:49.120 an amazing event to go to fresh air, good food. Uh, 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:52.400 it's a great atmosphere. And to see now that they've 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:56.040 taken down the flag, you know, with with with with 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:59.360 the president who's been resistant to that, which is incredible. 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:04.520 And because NASCAR made this decision, it was the right decision. 0:13:04.800 --> 0:13:08.560 And seeing a driver like a very humble and courageous 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:13.160 and talented, good looking, articulate driver like Bubba Wallace out there, Yeah, 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.360 knowing what you tried to do back then and seeing 0:13:16.360 --> 0:13:19.800 what's happened now, what do you think the possibilities of 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:24.160 it really becoming an engaging level of participation for African Americans. 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.320 I think it's huge, But I think we also got 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:29.720 to look beyond. We gotta look at the sport itself 0:13:29.760 --> 0:13:32.640 because there's a lot of marketing, a lot of stuff involved, 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:34.920 and and you know, and at one point they tapped 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:36.960 into a lot of the schools, the ant and a 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.760 lot of the HBCUs talent. As a matter of fact, Uh, 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:44.360 Terrence that used to be on B. T. Wall Sitching 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:48.480 park En, j. You know, it's from he went to Anti. 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:52.040 Terence was actually I met parents working for NASCAR. He 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.480 was working for NASCAR as an intern, believe it or not, 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:56.760 and we used to talk about it, so, you know, 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.240 when he went to Triumph for that job. But the 0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:01.480 point of it is they they have constantly for year 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:03.920 a year been going after it. But I don't feel 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:06.000 I think it's all been about being on the pit 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:08.880 crew beyond some of these other things and some of 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:12.200 the more executive leaning roles, even though there are a 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:16.679 few brothers and sisters involved, could be much more inclusive, 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.160 I believe, and some of the teams and and you know, 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:20.800 and even I was just talking to some friends from 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.520 North Carolina this morning, even for North Carolina, which is 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:26.880 kind of the hub of NASCAR, Charlotte. Um, you know, 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:29.800 I think that it's Uh, there's opportunities that we have 0:14:29.960 --> 0:14:34.800 to investigate or get more involved in to understand what 0:14:34.840 --> 0:14:37.240 those other jobs are. But I think it's high. I mean, 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:40.880 Bubba Darryl Wallace. Everybody refers tom as Bubba. I've known 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:44.040 him for you know, since he got started. A great driver, 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.440 I mean really a talented talent guy. And he just 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:49.360 happened to be driving for Richard Petty, which is probably 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:52.200 he's one of the most famous names and motorsports ever 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:56.440 Petty family. Uh so he has he has the tools 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.160 still looking for you know, he struggles like a lot 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.880 of these other drivers, but he struggles to get partnerships 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:04.840 and sponsorship, which is what makes these cars go around 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.880 that track. Um, that's an exclusive sport. It basically cost 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.920 you twenty million dollars a year to pretty much run 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.720 one of these cars. So you have to you have 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:17.240 to have a bank with you somewhat to be able 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:20.040 to support being out there. And I think that with 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:23.240 that support with now and so much attention or even 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.320 on him and the support and the sport is given 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:27.520 as well as some of these young drivers coming up, 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.440 I think it's a great opportunity. And I also think 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:33.800 there's a way to combine our music, particularly hip hop, 0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:38.080 with this sport more right now obviously country music is 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.640 mostly associated with the sport, but over the even since 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.240 I've gotten involved, h not to say I had anything 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.480 to do with it, but it definitely started, you know, 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:50.680 gradually getting better over time. 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You know when you meet people 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.960 in your life and we have always we all have 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:52.560 different journeys, and you just sit down and you just 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.800 have a conversation and you were last day you're talking 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.320 to a difference maker and then ten years later, he's 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.959 still making a difference. That's what I love. Difference makers. 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:03.760 You know they do they pivot, they pivot. You know, 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:06.720 they an opportunity and they pivot and uh and that's 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:08.960 really you in a lot of ways. You know, that's 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:11.320 what I do all the time too. People always say, man, 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:13.760 you do this this, Hey man, I see an opportunity, 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:16.600 I pivot. I don't. I don't question the opportunity. I pivot. 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:20.280 That's that's the value that you carry strong to your heart, correct, Michael, 0:18:21.640 --> 0:18:25.160 It really is, John Um. You know, however, I think 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:27.880 the way I view it is I've always been one 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.200 that if I believed in it, if I genuinely had 0:18:31.280 --> 0:18:35.920 the untending feeling of it, meaning that it was real, 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:38.960 whether it started with me or took it as a 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:42.639 handoffer someone told me about it, if I passionately failed it, 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:46.600 I was gonna go far. But however, most of us, 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:49.040 so much in our lives, we have that same element. 0:18:49.520 --> 0:18:51.439 It's just that a lot of times we're in front 0:18:51.560 --> 0:18:54.720 of you know, nobody else thinks it's cool, nobody else 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:58.440 thinks it's valid, nobody else feels like there's anything to it. 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:02.200 So often we are in front of things that are 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:05.439 taking place. So when we introduced them, like when you 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:08.560 mentioned the NASCAR thing earlier, when you do those things 0:19:08.600 --> 0:19:11.080 along the way, I did that out of passion and 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:13.959 out of something I saw was needed. I don't believe 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:17.200 everyone saw the same thing needed. They saw that there 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:21.480 was things about it that was needed, There was opportunities 0:19:21.480 --> 0:19:23.760 that the right person or the right group, or all 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:26.800 of a sudden we had twenty thousand people showed up 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:30.760 the track today that was black, or or or or 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:34.679 some other minority group. Then yeah, but the fact of 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.800 digging down and understanding I don't think it did. However, 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.760 now you go from when that time was the last 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:46.119 event I think I did was probably twenty seventeen or 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:50.200 ear and so you look now and you're like, wow, 0:19:50.520 --> 0:19:53.640 what look at the change, or look at the attention 0:19:53.680 --> 0:19:55.400 that it's getting, or look at some of the things 0:19:55.440 --> 0:19:57.840 that NASCAR as an organizations haven to stand up for. 0:19:58.960 --> 0:20:02.680 I had someone from the Sporting News of NASCAR hit 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:04.680 me that one of the top guys that ever race 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:07.399 hit me last week that's always been a believer, a 0:20:07.440 --> 0:20:11.480 white guy. Uh in what I am representing? That did? 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:14.280 And he asked me, Michael's longtime. I hadn't talked to 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:16.760 you a couple of years, man, But um, has anyone 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.359 reached out the youth from the NASCAR regarding what's going on, 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:21.440 because they seem like, to me, now is the time 0:20:21.480 --> 0:20:24.920 they really need you. I was so taken back by that. 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.480 I appreciate them saying it, but at the same time, 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:30.800 it's just me, Michael Mala. I'm just trying to do 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:34.760 what I do so to understand that someone thinking about 0:20:35.359 --> 0:20:39.800 the sport that they really are believer in needing help 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:42.280 and say wow or feeling like, Okay, there's a lot 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:45.399 going on. What is our position. Now, let's go to 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:47.800 somebody we trust that knows that loves the sport the 0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:50.679 genuinely is in it, that can help us out. That 0:20:50.840 --> 0:20:54.600 was his thought. Now, don't get wrong, Nobody NASCAR that 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:57.240 has reached out to me that I know of. But 0:20:57.640 --> 0:21:01.239 I know all those guys and I know the Let 0:21:01.280 --> 0:21:02.960 me let me read something I just said in your 0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:07.399 credit see see music maybe his first love, but he 0:21:07.480 --> 0:21:11.679 is also passionate about his community, family and the next generation, 0:21:12.119 --> 0:21:16.600 whether it is helping to develop superstar talent, educating the 0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:23.000 next generation of leaders, directing a culturally inspired campaign or 0:21:23.160 --> 0:21:27.200 using philanthropic efforts to evoke change. I said that about 0:21:27.240 --> 0:21:32.360 you in my credits, so please don't be confused why 0:21:32.440 --> 0:21:35.919 he called you. Yeah, no, I appreciate that, man, and 0:21:36.000 --> 0:21:39.360 sometimes we do people. Man, just it is what it is. 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:43.120 But I listen, I genuinely what you just said. That 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:46.840 is me, man. I I live by this little quote 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:51.159 I say, and we even you sometime with baum um 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:56.280 you have to acknowledge your history to inspire the future period. 0:21:56.640 --> 0:21:59.359