1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of Eating Whale Broke. Today we 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: have special guests to Tavio Samuel Ceo Revolt TV, America's 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: fastest growing black owned media company, and as we all 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: already no, Revolt is owned by hip hop mogul Shawn 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: Diddy Combs. The Tavio sits at the intersection of culture 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: and content as one of corporate America's youngest executives. What 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: do you have us eating today? Uh So, today we 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: are eating a dish that my father, who I love dearly, 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: passed away in February. Um. I didn't grow up in 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: the same house with my father, but every time I 11 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: would go there for the summer, he would have a 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: special meal for me. He knew I loved omelets, and 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: he knew I love seafood, and so he used to 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: make seafood omelets. And so you know, we weren't balling. 15 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: So it's imitation crab and uh, I've always been everybody 16 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: got quirks. I have a quirk that's about hot sauce. 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: I really put hot sauce on everything. So we have 18 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 1: a seafood um lit with imitation crab. And of course 19 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: you gotta have you're not from l a, but you 20 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: value hot sauce. Oh yeah, yeah. My father is jare 21 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: making Jamaican. My father is you're making. My best friend 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: is jaremaking when I was telling your brother to Kanye 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: West painting. Um, so, anyways, I've been eating hot stuff 24 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: my whole life. Okay, okay, so you like ox tails 25 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: and I do like oxtail, but I'm definitely more of 26 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: like a jerk chicken jerk Sandman Brown's curry chicken. Okay, okay, 27 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: you're speaking my leg right. Maybe we should have made that. Yeah, yeah, no, 28 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure anything Jamaican doesn't fall into the broke 29 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: Mama's making it. You know, I'm stretching it. Have you? Um? 30 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: We would literally go have you? Have you spent a 31 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: lot of time in Jamaica. I haven't been yet. I'm 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: winning from my you know, bank accounts to grow up 33 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: a little bit. One day we'll go we will go 34 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: um to dun Riverfall and go crawfish hunting. We let 35 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: it going still again, you could do it, broke. We 36 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: go with the little gun that was made of sticks, 37 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: and we capture them with our hands or shoot them 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: with crawfish guns, and then come home and cook them. So, yeah, 39 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: you can do Jamaican fruit broke to what's pretty awesome. 40 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: So do you want to go ahead and cook off 41 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: this thish? Yeah, so I'm gonna do it, but really 42 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: full transparency. We're gonna see how me talking and cooking goes. 43 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: But you know, I think you got My family came 44 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: to the States as on that side, on first generation 45 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: American born, and Um, they used to work for white 46 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: people right in their houses, cooking and cleaning. I said 47 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: all that to say that they were expert cooks. So 48 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,839 Speaker 1: I had great teachers. I probably haven't cooked this dish 49 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: probably twenty years. Do you cook at home? I do not. 50 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: Oh so you're one of those orders. Um, one of 51 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: those orders. I ran out of time. I can tell you. 52 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:53,959 Speaker 1: I used to cook at home all of the time, 53 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: and in two thousand and seven I took over the 54 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,839 Speaker 1: Walmart account. I was running a creative agency, took over 55 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: the Walmight account. I have not cooked every day since then. Life. 56 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: It's just been too busy and too crazy as an executive. 57 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: As an executive, I definitely don't feel like I have 58 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: time to cook. So what are the ingredients for the 59 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: dish today? Okay, so butter just because you gotta make 60 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: sure that the eggs don't stick to the bottom of 61 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: the pan. We got a couple of eggs, and then 62 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: we're just gonna throw imitation crab on it. You know, 63 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: people could do salt and pepper and cheese however you 64 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: want to do it. But that's what we got today. 65 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: And then we got Louisiana, which you'll be able to use. 66 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: I'm not putting it in there. You're gonna be able 67 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: to use it. Oh yeah, because I just I just 68 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: recently did an episode with a Haitian person and they 69 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: had this stuff called Pickley's and I almost died on 70 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: while we were doing it. I couldn't breathe. It's gonna 71 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: be deal With's choice, alright, So this one is this one? Right, 72 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: It's totally electric. Put your hand on it. Thank you 73 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: for that. I feel like we're missing some stuff, like 74 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: some salt and pepper for you. Yes, you know when 75 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: I what I was really excited about getting you on 76 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: the show. I've been asking about you for about three months, 77 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: I want to say three or four months, and uh, 78 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: I was really happy to see that you accepted the 79 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to come. But I was a little nervous because 80 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, he's an executive, he went from Stanford, 81 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: you know, he's you know. And then you had your 82 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: request about your question about Starbucks and MACHOs, and I 83 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: was like, oh, no, no, no, he's gonna come into 84 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: the studio and you know he's gonna be in for 85 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: brute awakening because you know he may he may have 86 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: arrived and changed or switched up. But you've been nothing 87 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: but cool since you came in. So I gotta ask you, 88 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: when was the last time you actually ate this dish? Yeah, 89 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: it's been a long time. I had. The answer is 90 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: I haven't eaten it since my father cooked it for me. 91 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: And I'd be shocked if he's cooked it for me 92 00:04:55,880 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: within the last ten years. So it's definitely been some time. Definitely. 93 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: So take me all the way back, because I don't 94 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: know how you get to a c suite position of 95 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: the old TV coming from brokenness and I'm imagining, like 96 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be extreme levels of inspired and I'm gonna 97 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: talk about you all week, So I want to go 98 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: back to the origination. We could start anywhere around the 99 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: point of this dish copy. Um, okay, so let me 100 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: think about it all right. I grew up in Denver, Colorado, 101 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: in the town called mom Bello. Mam Bello isn't all 102 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: black mostly black. I remember my classes where probably they 103 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: felt like they were ninety eight percent black and brown. 104 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: There was two white people in my class, and I 105 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: still remember their names, Sarah Cannolson Paula, and I have 106 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: a terrible memory, so the fact that I remember them 107 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,799 Speaker 1: just goes to show. It was like two um long 108 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: story short. My brother gets ready to graduate from high school. 109 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: He's on his way to college, and I went to 110 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: go visit a friend of mine and on the way home, 111 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: I'm riding my bike. My bike tires pop and I 112 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: end up having to walk my bike home. I get 113 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: jumped by a couple of crips on the way home. 114 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: I literally think that they are going to take my life. 115 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: I remember like a four by four and they're like, 116 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: go get that four by four out out the grass 117 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: and I ran and my brother's, uh, my brother's best 118 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: friend was like two blocks down and I run with 119 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: all my might get to the door. I'm knocking and 120 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: knocking waiting for someone to come. No one comes. I 121 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: turned around like, oh, it's about to be a no 122 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: one is there, and uh, I thank god. I run home. 123 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm in tears. My mom sends me to my father's 124 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: house for the summer, and when I come back, I'm 125 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: in the suburbs. Um. Now that I'm in the suburbs, 126 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: my life is completely different. Um. The environment is different, 127 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: the quality of education is different. And that's when I 128 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: learned the power of your environment and the power of education. 129 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: And so with that, you know, I'm playing sports. My grades, 130 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't getting in talented, but my grades were going 131 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: from aids two these two sees two these. Now that 132 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: I'm in the suburbs, I'm back to being in a 133 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: student You don't think it was the fact that you 134 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: were under your dad's rain. You think it was just 135 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: the environment. I'm not trying to take away from mom 136 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: or da with my dad for three months. Man. She 137 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: sent me there for three months for the summer, and 138 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: then when I came back, I was in a whole 139 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: different school and a whole different environment. For that, I've 140 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: always given my mom all the credit and all the love, 141 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: because with other sacrifices she made to make that happen 142 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: were the ones that fundamentally changed my life. Um, and 143 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: so grateful for her and all that she's ever done, 144 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: and so in that. Now I'm in school in the suburbs. Uh, 145 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: let's see. I end up doing very well on my 146 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: P S A T s UM. With that, I get 147 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: into probably twenty schools. Because we were broke, I didn't 148 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: apply to any of them. The only schools I didn't 149 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: get into are the ones that made me pay. Who 150 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: made me pay? So I can call him out right now. 151 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: Georgetown tried to make me pay. Yep, Nope, that was 152 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: a problem. You want to put this in this bowl? Uh? 153 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: Do you see schools? My dream school was, you see 154 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: San Diego. I was actually rapping at the time. I 155 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: can ramble f y, I said, you just don't have 156 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: to tell me what you're talking O. Um. I was 157 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: rapping at the time. We were recording in Lahoya, California, 158 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: and I fell in love with San Diego. To San 159 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: Diego became the school I wanted to go to anyway, 160 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: did you see? Schools wouldn't let me in without paying, 161 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: and we didn't have the money to pay, so I 162 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: didn't do it. How do the schools I get into? 163 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: I decided my top four where Seaton Hall More House, 164 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: Emory and Duke. Never went to Seaton Hall, crossed that 165 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: off the list. UM went to see Emery, went to 166 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: see more House, and then when I stepped on Duke, 167 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: it was like, Yeah, the skies opened up. The sunshine 168 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: guy said this is where you're supposed to be. UM. 169 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: So I ended up going to Duke University. Best decision 170 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: I could have ever made in my life. Do you 171 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: think that is what made your trajectory to where you're 172 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: at now? Without question? I didn't know at the time 173 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: the Duke was as good of a school as it was. UM. 174 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: Neither one of my parents stressed me about college school. 175 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: They knew I was gonna go. I was a good student, 176 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: and so they just kind of let me be. When 177 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: I get in the Duke, the first month US news 178 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: and reports come out with the number three school in 179 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: the nation, I'm blown away. I'm like, how on earth 180 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: the number three school in the nations? UM, with that 181 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: probably make the next second best decision I've ever made, 182 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: The next best decision ever made, which is I decide 183 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: the pleasure of fraternity cap out aside and one. I'm 184 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: a huge believer in Kappa as an organization, but there's 185 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: something that is so special about the chapter of men 186 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: that I became fraternal with, and they become they became 187 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: my brothers, my coaches, my mentors, my advisors, and so 188 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: through them, you know, none of my parents had done business, 189 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: none of my parents had done anything that I'm doing. 190 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: But through Kappa, I now have people who maybe five 191 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: years ahead of me, but they can guide me and 192 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: coach me. Um. So anyways, have a phenomenal run a 193 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: duke mostly party and step shows. Uh uh, enjoying life 194 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: and let's see what's the next big moment that happens. 195 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: The next big moment for me a second semester senior year, 196 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: two big things happened in my life. Um. One, I 197 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: take a marketing course, and throughout all of my time, 198 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: I was always relatively good at school. Um Honestly, even 199 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: if dude like I never bought books, I could show 200 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: up at class. I only went to school on like 201 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays and get a B plus right left 202 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: with the three three, but did very little work. Again, party, 203 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: step shows, all those things. So you're like a fast learner. Yeah, 204 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: you can say. I used to say I'm not smart, 205 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: but I'm bright, Like I could pick things up relatively quickly, 206 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher. Pick 207 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: it up and be good. When I took this marketing course, 208 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: it was the first time, like my soul had ever 209 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: been lit on fire for a subject. I wanted to 210 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: know everything about marketing. The mental acrobatics it takes to 211 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: get someone to want something by something that they didn't 212 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,719 Speaker 1: know they wanted was so intriguing to me. I discovered 213 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: this career called advert rising. Um. So, anyways, at that 214 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: point in time, I decide I want to be a CMO. 215 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: Most cmos. CMO is a chief marketing officer, thank you. 216 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: Chief marketing officer most cmos UM went to business school 217 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: and had NBA's and so I started saying, oh, I 218 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: gotta go get my m b A. So let me 219 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: pause there really quickly before Let's see January of that 220 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 1: same year. So this is while I'm in that class, 221 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: we get in this massive fight Mr. Kappa's versus Alpha's. 222 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: Me and my boy kind of get into it with 223 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: some guys in the party. It turns out to be 224 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: this massive fight all across Dukes what's what's called West 225 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: Campus their main campus. UM, I don't know what it 226 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: was thirty on thirty it was crazy. Cops come from everywhere, 227 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: maze it was horrible again. Um on the way home, 228 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: I'm so frustrated with the way the police had handled 229 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: the situation. I was the president of n PHC, which 230 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: is the National Paneltic Group, meaning all the lot of 231 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: Greek organizations. I was frustrated that they had led a 232 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: group that the issue wasn't the ouphice on my campus, 233 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: if the alpice came from another campus. I was frustrated 234 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: that they had let this happen with these people and 235 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: that they were taking it out on us. So I 236 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: go and I have one of my line brothers take 237 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: me to the police station. I go into the police 238 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: station and say, look, it's my senior year. I don't 239 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: want any beef. I just want to put something on 240 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: record so that me and the police get into it again. 241 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: We have a record that there's been previous interactions. They 242 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 1: never take my report. They end up delivering a bunch 243 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: of paperwork which ends up being felonies and missing was 244 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: inciting a riot, resisting arrest, refusing to disperse. Right, So, 245 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: my senior year, the two things that are happening is 246 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: I have both found something that has set my soul 247 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: on fire and I want to do And I'm at 248 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: the same time fighting for my life in my career 249 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: while at Duke because of the citations they gave me. 250 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: I'm not only finding it at Duke, but I'm fighting 251 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: it in Durham. So I end up fighting to stay 252 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: at Duke so I can graduate. Um. The reason I 253 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: graduated and was able to do that is because again 254 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: my chapter Kareem Cook Um big Bros. Came in, talked 255 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: to the police, work with Duke, and ended up saving 256 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: my career. So I ended up graduating from Duke and 257 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: at the same time I couldn't do the same thing 258 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: on the Duham side. Did you want to put that 259 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: up before you put it? I don't really know what 260 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: you're thinking. I think you should. I'm trying. I'm trying 261 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: to cook and talk. You know, I ain't never had 262 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: to cook, talk and beyond camera. And it's a long story. 263 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: I can cut this story short. I tell you I 264 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: can ramble long story short. Um. They saved me. UM. 265 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: I end up pleading no contest at that and Dunham, 266 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: and so I end up getting like a hundred hours 267 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: of community service UM and get out of it. The 268 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: key piece there's I'm applying to jobs with the record 269 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: um in two thousand and two, which was like a recession, 270 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: which made it incredibly difficult to get work, incredibly difficult 271 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: to get a job. Um My whole time I was 272 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: at Duke, I worked at Fuqual School of Business. That's 273 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: an incredible black woman, Liz Riley, who was the head 274 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 1: of admissions there, Sharon Thompson her number two. They give 275 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: me a job and a career management center. So my 276 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:11,959 Speaker 1: first job by the college is working at the career 277 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: management center. Just go ahead, sorry, but I'm just curious. 278 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: When all this was going on with with the with 279 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: them putting felonies and all this stuff, was there a 280 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: part of you that felt like quitting or were you emotional? 281 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: Like I would love to know what your state of 282 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: being was. Yeah, it was incredibly difficult. But and I'm 283 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: not gonna tell somebody else's story, but it just so 284 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: happened that one of my other fraternity brothers, who was 285 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: one of my best friends, was also in trouble with 286 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: the police, and so we were going through it at 287 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: the same time, and we were roommates, and so the 288 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: benefit that I had was that I was not doing 289 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: it on my own. It was he and I were 290 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: both fighting for our lives at the same time, which 291 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons why we are as close 292 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: as we are today. Do you feel like, and I 293 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: don't want to get too far off, but do you 294 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: feel like it makes you look at the police a 295 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: certain way or do you have an emotional side to that, 296 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: because that could have that could have you know, transitioned 297 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: your life into a completely different direction, like they didn't 298 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: even realize the damage that they were about to cause 299 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: for something that's going to Duke, you know, sure, Um, yes, 300 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: but I don't know if there's any different than what 301 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 1: I think any other you know, black male, black female 302 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: kind of deals with you know what I mean. I 303 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: think we all so many of us have our own stories, 304 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Um, but yeah, of course, 305 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: Um it was impactful and impactful for the rest of 306 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: my life. Um. How's that looking now that you don't 307 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: have to cut it up? And that looks good? I'm 308 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: trying to help you. You know what, though, So you 309 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: you graduate from Duke, graduate from Duke, you you continue 310 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: on at Stanford. Well, I end up working at the 311 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: Career Management Center Duke for two years, apply to business school, 312 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: end up getting in the Stanford, which is a blessing. 313 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: Did you have to pay for it? Yeah? Yeah, Stanford 314 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: was two years, a hundred and twenty five dollars. You 315 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: still all the money? Yeah? When I graduated from Duke 316 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: and Stanford collectively over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars 317 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: and student loan debt. Do you think it was worth that? 318 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: I have to ask do you think it was worth 319 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: the every penning? Okay? And why do you say it 320 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: was worth every pang? When I was working in a 321 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: career management center Duke, I was making twenty nine thousand 322 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: dollars a year. When I come out of Stanford working 323 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: at Johnson and Johnson, I'm making nine and that's your start. 324 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: I tripled my salary in two years, okay, um, And 325 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: then it's just the symbols, right. So as I'm applying 326 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: for jobs to get out of Stanford, people are saying 327 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: to me, it's just different. You know, if you don't 328 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: know what it's like until you're on the other side. 329 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: But people are saying, from the top banks and from 330 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: the top consulting companies, clearly you can do the job. 331 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: We just need to make sure your cultural fit. I 332 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: couldn't do the job I've been working in a career management. 333 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: What are they basing it on the name symbols? Symbols 334 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: opened up so many doors for me and continue to 335 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: open up doors for me. So because of that, without question, 336 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: is worth it. Yeah, I always feel like when when 337 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: at least, I mean, I'm a college dropout, but I 338 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: used to always I'm not I'm not saying it's a 339 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: good thing, but but I used to always say that 340 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: if I went to school, I would only want to 341 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: go to an Ivy League school because I knew that 342 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,440 Speaker 1: my peers that went to that school came from one 343 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: economic different economic background, and I knew that their roller 344 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: decks alone in that relationship alone would help me get 345 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,199 Speaker 1: to where I want to be. Unfortunately, you know, I 346 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: didn't have like the academia to support it, but you 347 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: know it was, you know, in my next lifetime, like 348 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: that would be a dream of mine, but I I 349 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: didn't get to get the opportunity. So it's cool to 350 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: see here you say that that played a huge role, 351 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: didn't help you in any way get to some of 352 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: your more I would say, you're like when you were 353 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: at I one, then you were the president. You were 354 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: the president? Correct? Did any of those relationships help you 355 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 1: get there? Or was it just the Stanford? So what 356 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: I say is, so I'm at I'm gonna go the 357 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: job before I won. So I'm at Johnson and Johnson 358 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: doing global marketing, I decide I want to do advertising. 359 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: It just so happens that one of my fraternity brothers 360 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: from Duke works at the number one black owned multicultural 361 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,880 Speaker 1: agency in the nation, and they were looking for someone 362 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: who had an MBA in my skill set. And so 363 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: the whole reason I get my next job at Global 364 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: HU is because I went to undergrad. Literally the guy 365 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: pledged me um and so that's how I end up 366 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: getting the job. While I'm there, I get promoted every 367 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: year for probably six seven years in a row um. 368 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: And so that's how kind of my ascent really happens 369 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: kind of quickly. So by the time I meet Cathy 370 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: Hughes and Alfred liggn Is an interactive one, I was 371 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:57,479 Speaker 1: already a president, and so they hired me on as 372 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: a president. You're young at that point, why don't you 373 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: like it? Became my first president at thirty, I probably 374 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: became president of thirty and then I went to work 375 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: for Cathy Hughes, I think when I was thirty three, 376 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: And if you don't mind me asking, like what would 377 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: a salary of a president be at that age? Like 378 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: your thirty year you done me to tell people that 379 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 1: I was making Okay, I mean I'm trying to We're 380 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: trying to get the skinny you know, inspirers, inspir Okay. 381 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 1: So um, I came out of Stanford making ninety five 382 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: By the time I left Global Hue, I was making 383 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: four and twenty five thousand dollars in salary. You hit 384 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: that I need to were policy to broken up college 385 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: degree right now. It's hard to get into Stanford after 386 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: Like if I wanted to go right now, I couldn't, 387 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,840 Speaker 1: right because there's like too much real world experience, right, Yeah, 388 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: you have to do more of like an executive program. 389 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, I heard about that because I remember 390 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: one time I tried to get into Harvard. Like don't 391 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 1: ask me why I tried, but hey, I wasn't gonna 392 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 1: shume my shot. But they had said, like if you 393 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: were an entrepreneur for a certain amount of years, you 394 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: could only get into the executive program. Yeah, like the 395 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: daytime program is usually for people who have been out 396 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: of school four years, like four years of the average, 397 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: so call it to the six So as long as 398 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: you've been working more than six and you probably, but 399 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: it doesn't give you the same credibility as someone like you, right, 400 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: I think it gives you the credibility. I think what 401 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: you miss is that point that you were talking earlier about, 402 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: like the importance of the network. And so when you're 403 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: in school every day with these folks for two years, 404 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: I think I think it's different than when you see 405 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: each other only on the weekends. Right, And at Stanford, 406 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: like there was just this belief that we were all 407 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: gonna win. And um literally I would walk into finals 408 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,120 Speaker 1: and my classmates would be handing out notes saying, oh, 409 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: I made notes that they're gonna help us all crush 410 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: the test and they pass it out to you. When 411 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,360 Speaker 1: you walked into there was no like, there was no competition. 412 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: Was the Blacks or was this a monst all? The 413 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: way Stanford moved? It was the way Stanford Business School moved. 414 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: And now I don't know how the real the other 415 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: schools do it, but I can't imagine. Wow, what an 416 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: experience you maybe want to go to school. So you're thirty, 417 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: you're you're clearing that much money, Which that's all Don Coleman. 418 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 1: So again Don Coleman for Don Coleman, Alan Pugh, Rob Chavis, 419 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: Civil Chavis promoted me every year for six or seven years. 420 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: And I remember, and I give Don Coleman so much credit. 421 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: I don't know. I might have been making to fifty 422 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: a year and I was running the Detroit office and 423 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: I want in Detroit. Yeah, you were living like a 424 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:31,400 Speaker 1: real I can only imagine what you were doing in Detroit. 425 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: You were walking, were you flossy or were you just regularly? Yeah? 426 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: I've always been the same this this Detroit is crazy. 427 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: To make that much money in Detroit, yeah, I wouldn't 428 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 1: be like a real boss. Yeah it was great. Did 429 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: you want to buy a whole couple of blocks? Like 430 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: you know, I'll take this block. Don't worry about these 431 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: buildings just because anywhere you can buy a bunch of 432 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: blocks is not somewhere where you want to live. You 433 00:21:55,720 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 1: can do it. We are you in Detroit for seven years? Wow? 434 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: So do you still go back and visit? I do 435 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: I still have property there? You still have friends there? 436 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: Why am I not surprised. How much property do you have? 437 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:23,120 Speaker 1: Just one? There's a In two thousand and seven they 438 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: opened up a Western Book Cadillac. It had been used 439 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: to be one of the tallest buildings I think in 440 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: Detroit are definitely in the us UM and had been 441 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: dilapidated for twenty thirty years. They brought it back and 442 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: they had a Western hotel in the bottom and condos 443 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: at the top. So you have a you have a 444 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: place in downtown Detroit down Do you know how much 445 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: of the value is in downtown Detroit right now on 446 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: the market right now, if anybody wants to buy, anybody 447 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: wants to buy, Downtown Detroit is very, very pricing now 448 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 1: it's it's it can give Kelly a run for its 449 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: money right now. That property has at least I mean 450 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: at one point in time, and they doubled in price. 451 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: It's kind of come down a little bit since COVID, 452 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: but now it's still it's still like I want to 453 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: check that out. And I'll tell you, um walk into 454 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: the New York office one time and Don Coleman hands 455 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: me an envelope, like, what's this hands man envelope? I 456 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: opened it up. Your new salary. Fo. I don't think 457 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 1: I ever made a salary with a three in it 458 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 1: like this black man just knew and believed in me 459 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: so much that he almost doubled my salary um without 460 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 1: me even asking. All right, so that's why you gotta 461 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: work for black folks. No, I mean, look, did you 462 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,640 Speaker 1: purposely choose to work for black folks or did you? 463 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: Oh you did? It was a choice, it was. It 464 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: wasn't conscious before. But look, here's the difference. I'm at 465 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: Johnson and Johnson, and um, they won't promote me. And 466 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: when I asked my boss why they won't promote me, 467 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: he tells me, I can't even tell you because if 468 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: you the reasons they don't want to promote you are 469 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: the same reasons you're great, and I don't want to 470 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: dem your life. And so that told me who I 471 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: am doesn't work in this space. Right. Um? So then 472 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: as as global he was recruiting me, I'm now walking 473 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 1: into an advertising agency in Detroit that feel like Boomerang. 474 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: It ain't nothing but twenty five year old, twenty six 475 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: year old black, brown yellow like you on the black side. 476 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: They pop in jay Z and Notorious b I G. 477 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: You move over to the Latin next side, they saw 478 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: some like it was just such an energy and um, 479 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: when you compare that to the corporate world, it was like, oh, 480 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,400 Speaker 1: this is where I'm supposed to be. And then from 481 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: that day on, I worked at black owned company since 482 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven. So where does revolt in yep? Um? 483 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: So my father dies February uh, COVID hits March of 484 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,199 Speaker 1: um uh. And at that point in time, I was 485 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: in final rounds with Revolts. So I don't know if 486 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: you want to go backwards, but um, I end up 487 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: getting the offer in April of um decide to make 488 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: the jump and start working there jume, which is right 489 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: after George Florid passed. Wow, and where were you living 490 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,920 Speaker 1: at the time, in New York York And then to 491 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 1: work for a revolt you had to move to l A. 492 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: I did, but didn't meaning it was right now, No, 493 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: but it was COVID, so nobody cared where you lived, right, 494 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,640 Speaker 1: But it was COVID in New York, and New York 495 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: was terrible, like it was the hot spot ambulances going on. 496 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: Like whenever I meet people who like, don't believe COVID 497 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: was was a real thing. I'm like, where were you living? 498 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: Because where I was living in wasdies everywhere right there 499 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: had bodies stacked up by her, exact bodies. They had 500 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 1: eighteen wheelers, like it was crazy. And so for me, 501 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: it was just like, why am I here revolts in 502 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: l A. At some point in time, I'm going to 503 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 1: have to be in l A. L A is probably 504 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: gonna be a much healthier place for me, and so 505 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 1: I chose to make the move, and definitely one of 506 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: the best decisions I made. Yeah, much healthier than I 507 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: would have been staying in New York. Really, I missed 508 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,639 Speaker 1: the Chinese food of Org okay, and the pizza. To 509 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: be honest, I do like when my brother, my brother 510 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: flies in, I'm like, brings some eggirls, girls and like 511 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: just bring up and I'm like, throw me a bag 512 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: of egg rolls, and I'm like, yeah, I haven't been 513 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: being on Chinese food. And I love New York pizza. 514 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: Yeah there's nothing like it. Even the ones in l 515 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 1: A that called themselves New York Pizza ain't quite right. 516 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: So I know we're sortm time, So we're gonna have 517 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: to split this omelets and then um uh, look, first 518 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: of all, can I get halfway credit for making a 519 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: decent looking I'm like, while talking, I know I went 520 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 1: on a long story, but it's because I was multitask. 521 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 1: It looks very good. I'm very proud of you. Thank you, 522 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: qu Um. I haven't had imitation. The last time I 523 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: had imitation crab meat was so long ago. I remember 524 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: when I was young. I loved the taste of it, 525 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: and I begged my dad to buy me a bag 526 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: of imitation crabby that calls the scene and he was like, Okay, 527 00:26:57,720 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: if I buy it, you gotta eat the whole thing. 528 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: Tonight was like, sure, no problem dead And let's just 529 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: say I never liked imitation crappy, Okay, Like to this day, 530 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: I fear it because, well, we're about to see how 531 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: We're about to see if we can change that anxious 532 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: amount of hot sauce. Yeah. I hope you can make 533 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: it through because I've seen people on the show do 534 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: what you just did and drown it in hot sauce 535 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,199 Speaker 1: and then they end up choking. You don't even you 536 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,880 Speaker 1: don't even know this that I did it, okay, because 537 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: for the for everyone that's listening, he he bathed it 538 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: in hot sauce. So it looks I can't believe that 539 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: looks red. It looks like it's a bloody omelet. I 540 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: can't believe You've got me to tell people my salary. Yeah, 541 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: that's good. You know what I feel like, you know, 542 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: I'm I'm thirty, I'm thirty eight. Um, I can honestly 543 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: say I've never seen that type of money, you know, 544 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: manifest Manifest. Who knows, maybe one day, but I think 545 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: it's an incredible feat When you come from humble beginnings. 546 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: And we've talked before taping about like, you know, when 547 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: you come from humble beginnings, do you ever feel like 548 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,199 Speaker 1: an imposture? Do you ever feel like when is the 549 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,239 Speaker 1: gig up? And for me, I faced that every day. 550 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: Maybe that's why don't move in the same circles. Plus 551 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: it's very hard for me to have the network that 552 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: you know, I didn't go to school, so I have 553 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: a couple of entrepreneur friends that do very well. Um, 554 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: but every time I do something, I still have that 555 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: little person that's like, you know, when is it? When 556 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: is the when am I going to be exposed for this? 557 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: You know, fraudulent somehow miracle opportunity that happens, you know, 558 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: what's crazy is um. Imposter syndrome is something that minorities, 559 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: women typically marginalized people face, right, and we'll tell each 560 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: other we gotta fake it till you make it. Um 561 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 1: the crazy pieces. M Oftentimes our counterparts are white counterparts 562 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: who may be less quality, fied, have less hustle, never 563 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: have that feeling, you know what I mean, And so um, 564 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: it's only in our culture, and it's only in our 565 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: world where we feel like, um, hey, we believe that 566 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: the world is a meritocracy and if we didn't earn 567 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: that specific thing, then we're not ready. So many people 568 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: are handed opportunities because of privilege, and they never feel 569 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: like we do, you know what I mean. So for me, 570 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: it's up to us to fake it till we make it, 571 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: find our way to get past that hurdle so that 572 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: we can actually be who the heck we're supposed to be. Yeah, 573 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: when I look at people like Kanye or Kye or 574 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: anyone that's making it or painting the world that they 575 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: feel that they should be living in, I have so 576 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: much admiration because it takes a certain level of confidence. 577 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: I know some people say that Kanye has mental health 578 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: issues or what have you. I personally don't feel like 579 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: he has mental health. I just think he's borderline genius. 580 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: And I say that because I remember years and years 581 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 1: ago I went to an album released party of his 582 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: and he was like interning to learn fashion, and everyone 583 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: in the crowd couldn't make sense of anything he's talking about. 584 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: And I was like, you know what, I just think 585 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: he's a little too smart for everybody right now, you know. 586 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: And but I think there's a certain level of confidence, 587 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: Like when you look at Ditty and you look at 588 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: all these people, it's like they had a level of 589 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: I tell people like, I'm a little crazy. I'm crazy 590 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: because I believe that I can take some crazy idea 591 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: of mine and bring it to life. You know, that's exactly. 592 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: But um, but when I see them, they don't seem 593 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,719 Speaker 1: to show that level of fear like that. I internally 594 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: had the imposters, which is the first time I've ever 595 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: heard that term. Um, but you you've never experienced every promotion, 596 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: every new job. Um, it's gonna come again. You just 597 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: gotta fake it till you make it. You gotta push past. 598 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: That's my belief. I also just believe, as a man 599 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: of God who's very much into my faith that life 600 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: is so much about the faith walk. And so while 601 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: I may feel this way, if I believe I was 602 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,080 Speaker 1: called to do something else, then I just have to 603 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: have the faith to keep walking. And so for me, 604 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: it's okay to have them. Here's what I want to say. 605 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: Emotions are data, not directions. And so you might feel 606 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: like you aren't capable, you might feel like you're not qualified, 607 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: but that's not necessary. Those just emotions. Emotions are data, 608 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: not directions, not directions. I like that. I like that. 609 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: So do you have a fun um sy uh? Oh? 610 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: My ditty stories are fun um. But here's what I'll 611 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: tell you. Here's what I'll tell you about. What's really 612 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: amazing about working UM with Shaun comes Um our chairman 613 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: one Um. Like everything that you're just talking about imposter syndrome, 614 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: Like you can't work for him and have that He 615 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: makes you feel like you can run through every single wall, 616 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: no matter if it's made of concrete, titanium, no matter 617 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: what it is. When you deal with a man like 618 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: Shaan Komb, he only operates in magnitude right. He wants 619 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: to be the first. The biggest about everything that you 620 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: see about him is true, and so he pushes you 621 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: to dream the impossible, but then he puts the battery 622 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: in your back to go get it. And um, that 623 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: is such a special and an amazing feeling. And then 624 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: the other thing that I think, um, that Sean Combs 625 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: has done for me is like permission to not only 626 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: be fearless, but to be like my authentic self, Permission 627 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: to be bold, permission to be courageous. Um. So much 628 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: of what I do right now is um standing in 629 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: our marketplace, championing black culture, championing black people, and it's 630 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 1: and the reason I'm able to do that is because 631 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: there is a earthly king on top who is pushing 632 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: me to do it every single day and to do 633 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: it in a way that is authentic to myself and 634 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: in a way that is authentic to the culture. And 635 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: that is such a special, special thing. So I'm grateful. 636 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,440 Speaker 1: This is, you know, again, one of the best decisions 637 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 1: I would have ever made in my life. Um, working 638 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: for Shaan Combs, and um, yeah, he's a unique He's 639 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: a unique leader, creative, visionary, icon, all those things. Um, 640 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: what he does for me personally is really really special. 641 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: And as CEO of a media empire and I've asked 642 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: you off golf camera, off recording. UM, I feel like 643 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: there's there's an obvious pressure when you're doing any type 644 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: of media's eyeballs, how many people are watching? How many views? 645 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: You know, you're you're you're betting against eyeballs. And we 646 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: know as a culture, eyeballs goes to primarily, and I 647 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: hate to say it, but negative content, you know, sexual content, 648 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: violent content, That's what gets the eyeballs, That's what gets trending, 649 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: that's what gets views. How do you deliver feel good 650 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 1: culture for our culture because the majority of our culture 651 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: isn't what is portrayed. You know, there's Uh, I'm not 652 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: saying abundance of black executives or people of power, but 653 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: I'm saying that there's a lot of positive conversation that's 654 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: happening outside of drug, sex and violence. How do you 655 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: find the balance of doing the I guess the I 656 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: don't want to say bad imagery, but how do you 657 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 1: find the balance of do you how to understand? I 658 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: don't know how to form the question. I got you, 659 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: I got you? Um, First of all, hip hop is 660 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 1: hip hop, so it's gonna be what it's gonna be. 661 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: And so if you are a company with hip hop 662 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: at its core, you're gonna have the core elements of 663 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 1: hip hop as a part of your storytelling. I think 664 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 1: for us, it's just really important to also have that balance. UM, 665 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 1: And what we know about hip hop is that when 666 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,720 Speaker 1: hip hop talks, the world moves. The problem is people 667 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 1: only hand hip hop the microphone and they want to 668 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: talk about sex, money, drugs, and music. We hand hip 669 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: hop the microphone and let them talk about mental health 670 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: and financial literacy and uplifting black women, do you know 671 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: what I mean? So we can take the same um, 672 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 1: the same core, the same anchor, and redeploy it in 673 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 1: different ways. And so so much of what we're doing, 674 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 1: the work that I'm excited about is about feeding black 675 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: people and for nation and education, but wrapping it up 676 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: in a hip hop culturally relevant, cultural lifestyle packaging. And 677 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: so we kind of talked about this, but like one 678 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: of my favorite ideas is the show we have with 679 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: these young men from Earn Your Leisure who are amazing 680 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: Try and rashad Um. They have the dopest financial wealth 681 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: empowerment platform for the culture that exists, and we have 682 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 1: a show what them called Assets over Liabilities and assets 683 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: over liabilities is essentially almost like a yeo MTV Cribs reboot, um, 684 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 1: But yes, Like while you see the chains and the 685 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,720 Speaker 1: cars and the house, like the whole conversation is anchored 686 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: and how did you build wealth? What is your next investment? 687 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: What is your first investment? And so you can take 688 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: that same hip hop You can take Rick Ross and 689 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,439 Speaker 1: have him teach people about financial wealth. You can take 690 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,800 Speaker 1: g Herbo and have him teach people about mental wellness, 691 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,840 Speaker 1: right um. And so for me, I think it's just 692 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 1: about leveraging the same way. We have the most powerful 693 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 1: weapon on the planet, which is hip hop. Hip Hop 694 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,359 Speaker 1: is the number one most listen to music around the globe, right, 695 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: it drives the culture, and so we're also going to 696 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: use that that weapon to drive the culture for good. 697 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: I think that's a key piece of it. Yeah. I 698 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: feel like people of color, black people, people that are 699 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 1: in underserved communities are so hungry for that knowledge like 700 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: once credit. You know, like when I was growing up, 701 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,279 Speaker 1: my parents didn't have the conversation of credit. I didn't 702 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,760 Speaker 1: learn about credit or taxes until I got like leans 703 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 1: on all my stuff, you know. Yeah, I'm like trying 704 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 1: to apply for apartment with credit like what you know? Um, 705 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,239 Speaker 1: And now we're in a world where you have, like 706 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: you said, earn your leisure and you have social media 707 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: and you have these little clips that are like you know, 708 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 1: real estate over cars and who needs When was the 709 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: last time jay z war chain? You know? And I 710 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: feel like we're in an incredible place now because you 711 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: no longer have to rely on your parents. Unfortunately that 712 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:53,000 Speaker 1: were maybe they weren't fortunate enough to come across this information, 713 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: you know when they had us you know. Yeah, the 714 00:36:55,440 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: problem is no one is talking to us in our language, right, Like, Um, 715 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 1: all of content just typically green lipped by people who 716 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,799 Speaker 1: don't look like us, and so then they don't have 717 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 1: our perspective or our lens and our gaze. And so 718 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 1: is the information out there, sure, but is it presented 719 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,839 Speaker 1: in a way um that some of our people who 720 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 1: couldn't catch it in those ways, UM, can catch it 721 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: in the way that is relevant to them. And that's 722 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 1: what we spend our time doing. Yeah, so I'm going 723 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: to ask you something. I hope you can share this 724 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: with us from a black media company perspective. You're dealing 725 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: You're dealing with a lot of I don't know if 726 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: it's white media or you know, big corporations. What would 727 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:41,120 Speaker 1: you say is the biggest challenge in that industry that 728 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:44,800 Speaker 1: you're going up against as a black owned like specifically 729 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:49,799 Speaker 1: as black owned, what would you say is the biggest challenge. Yeah, So, look, 730 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:53,279 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of different valuations about how big the 731 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,440 Speaker 1: total advertising market is. But for the purpose of this conversation, 732 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:00,359 Speaker 1: let's say it's two hundred and fifty billion dollars is right. 733 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: Out of that two hundred and fifty billion dollars, black 734 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,480 Speaker 1: owned media gets one percent, So that's two point five 735 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: billion dollars. Right. So then when you go work with 736 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: big brands, they don't change their expectations about the quality 737 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: of work or what you can deliver based on the 738 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: fact that you're making one percent of the money. Right, 739 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: They have those same expectations. And so our biggest challenge 740 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: has been UM getting advertisers and brands to see us, 741 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: getting them to unlock the dollars so that we can 742 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 1: produce the content that we know that our culture needs 743 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,400 Speaker 1: and revote has been UM a force to be reckoned with, 744 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: I would say over the last two years in terms 745 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: of helping brands understand that not only do they have 746 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:45,959 Speaker 1: UM a social responsibility to UM spend more with black 747 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,719 Speaker 1: owned media, but that the world has changed. Like back 748 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:50,160 Speaker 1: in the days, you used to be able to just 749 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: make good products and people would pick you UM. Now 750 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 1: you have to have good products and purpose, or good 751 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: products and values, and those values have to be flushed 752 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 1: all the way through your business model. And so the 753 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,359 Speaker 1: way I start to learn that lesson as I'm at 754 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: a conference and I'm looking at five tables of bottled water, 755 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: and the woman walks up to me. As I'm trying 756 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,239 Speaker 1: to choose which bottle of woman get, she says, don't 757 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 1: get that bottled water. That's Betsy Devoces water. Right, all 758 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: water isn't created equal because the person on top of 759 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,640 Speaker 1: that does not have your values. And so so much 760 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: of what we're doing is trying to get brands to 761 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: understand you might have a great product, but people also 762 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: care about your values. Your investors care about your values, 763 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:33,839 Speaker 1: your employees care about your values, and your consumers care 764 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 1: about your values. And then one of the number, you know, 765 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: top things that they care about is how brands are 766 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: dealing with racial equity and racial injustice. And so we 767 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: just keep ringing that alarm, helping brands understand that their 768 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,000 Speaker 1: job has changed. No longer do you just get to 769 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: hit your numbers, but now you've got to hit your 770 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 1: numbers and help create the world that your consumers and 771 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: investors want to live in. UM. And through that, we've 772 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 1: been very successful at unlocking dollars. The key last pieces 773 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:00,319 Speaker 1: that I want to say about that, but because I've 774 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: been doing this for ten fifteen years and it's never worked, 775 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:07,319 Speaker 1: when George Floyd was murdered, it shifted the algorithm. And 776 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: so once you have that and everybody is on pause, 777 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:12,359 Speaker 1: and now we can all see that maybe this thing 778 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,960 Speaker 1: called systemic racism really does exist. UM, that opens the 779 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 1: door for these new conversations. And so look, we've got 780 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:26,759 Speaker 1: great brand partners, you know, Target, State Farm, Pepsi, UM, McDonald's, Cadillac, UM, 781 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,840 Speaker 1: brands who are truly invested in us because they're invested 782 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: in our culture and our community. And we just keep 783 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: looking for partners like that because they enabled us to 784 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 1: do the great work that we volt is trying to do. Now, 785 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you mentioned that. Guys, We're gonna go 786 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:46,640 Speaker 1: over time. I'm just gonna say it, so and you 787 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:50,719 Speaker 1: didn't need that. I'm lit first before, just to make sure. 788 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 1: Let me make sure she's not gonna that. Okay, Okay, 789 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,320 Speaker 1: let me try and you sink a big bite too, 790 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:04,399 Speaker 1: are we? Okay? Is not doing so? And I don't 791 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:08,720 Speaker 1: eat a lot of imitation crab thirty years ago, thirty 792 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:14,160 Speaker 1: year old resciping. Okay, you don't have to, but you 793 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:19,239 Speaker 1: know what it is, your wealth of knowledge. Um, the 794 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:21,200 Speaker 1: omelet is really good. I'm not gonna lie. I will 795 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:27,360 Speaker 1: finish the omelet everybody. Um, But while I have you here, Um, 796 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:31,319 Speaker 1: I've had different influencers come on the show and they 797 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:36,760 Speaker 1: all said that after the George Floyd situation happened, all 798 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: of the advertisers, you know, they make their money from advertising, 799 00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: we're seeking them out and they made the most money 800 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:47,400 Speaker 1: they had ever made during that error. Is there a 801 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:49,839 Speaker 1: part of you that's like a love hate relationship with 802 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,759 Speaker 1: that where it's like, Wow, we waited all this time 803 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 1: and it took this huge, you know, event to happen 804 00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:59,880 Speaker 1: for us to actually get a bump. And do you 805 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:03,600 Speaker 1: see a bump in advertising now? Is it more than 806 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 1: one percent? Yeah? So essentially what happened is last year 807 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:11,880 Speaker 1: in March, and I'll give Byron Allen um credit. Byron 808 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: Allen starts suing companies for being racist. That creates this 809 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:21,360 Speaker 1: wave um where brands become more afraid of the PR 810 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:24,960 Speaker 1: crisis UM than they do of making commitments to black media. 811 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:26,840 Speaker 1: So what they all start doing is making commitments to 812 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 1: sound like black media is only one percent of our spend, 813 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:31,400 Speaker 1: We're gonna take it to two percent of our spend 814 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: next year and then three, four or five percent. And 815 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,239 Speaker 1: so what's happening in my market right now is I'm 816 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 1: in a market that is growing for the five x 817 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,320 Speaker 1: over the course of the next four years. Black owned 818 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,480 Speaker 1: media is now growing like a tech stock, which is 819 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:48,520 Speaker 1: why you see us being able to do all of 820 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 1: the things that we do Revolt had you know. Look, 821 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,160 Speaker 1: I've set these numbers publicly so I can say them here. Um. 822 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 1: Last year advertising business grew three x, my digital advertising 823 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:09,680 Speaker 1: business grew five x. Are you publicly public profits as 824 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 1: a CEO or or no. I know that I'm asking 825 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 1: very invasive question. The real answer to that is always 826 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,279 Speaker 1: what you choose to negotiate and where you put value right. 827 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: So the core three things that I think that as 828 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 1: a CEO you're negotiating a salary, bonus and equity, and 829 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 1: everybody's gonna choose which one is more. I have a 830 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:36,960 Speaker 1: feeling I know which way you do. I really genuinely 831 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: enjoyed having you here because you expose like so many 832 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 1: different facets that I'm not even used to having on 833 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:50,560 Speaker 1: this show, from education and the values there. Um. There 834 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,400 Speaker 1: was one other questions I had that was gonna I'm 835 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:56,520 Speaker 1: gonna try to smack me. Yeah, you know what, it's 836 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 1: It's good because it's like we're learning so much. Oh, 837 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,240 Speaker 1: that's what I wanted to say. You came from advertising 838 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 1: and then you're the CEO revolt. You know, from a 839 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 1: perspective like after hearing your story, makes perfect sense how 840 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: they chose me and why they chose you because you're 841 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: like the triple threat. You're like the girl like ca 842 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:18,800 Speaker 1: seing dance model. You know, like you couldn't do it 843 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: all because you understand the language of the advertising perspective 844 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:26,760 Speaker 1: and you understand the language you know, the media side. 845 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:30,440 Speaker 1: So you're you, Hey, I appreciate um the way you 846 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:33,560 Speaker 1: said that, and thank you, honored um. But you literally, 847 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 1: like any interview that I'm in, that's exactly what I 848 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:38,600 Speaker 1: would say that what has made me unique is that 849 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 1: I started on the client side, that Johnson and Johnson, 850 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,279 Speaker 1: and so I have an inkling of what brands and 851 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:46,359 Speaker 1: advertisers want. Then I went to the creative agency side 852 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,360 Speaker 1: and learned the power of ideas and creative content. And 853 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:51,880 Speaker 1: then I want to work for Cathy Hughes where she 854 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:54,240 Speaker 1: gave me her and Alfred Ligganns gave me a digital 855 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:56,759 Speaker 1: media business to run. I never ran digital, didn't know 856 00:44:56,760 --> 00:44:58,600 Speaker 1: how to run. They gave me digital business to run. 857 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: I never had no clue what I was doing. But 858 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,200 Speaker 1: then I learned digital and I learned media, and so yes, 859 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: now I get to see the client perspective, the advertising 860 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: agency perspective, and the media perspective. And I believe that 861 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:26,520 Speaker 1: that lens is what makes my lens unique from others. Yeah. Now, 862 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 1: you being young, you you have a wealth of experience, 863 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 1: so I'm pretty sure it doesn't really matter. But do 864 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 1: you ever feel that you're being young has had its hindrances, 865 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:40,440 Speaker 1: Like for sure, like what share? Yeah, the whole time? Um, 866 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 1: so you have to imagine, um, you know, and these 867 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:47,239 Speaker 1: titles will mean nothing. Um. But I probably became a 868 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:50,680 Speaker 1: group account director at the agency at twenty six. Again, 869 00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:54,040 Speaker 1: I became the president of an agency at thirty UM. 870 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:55,480 Speaker 1: And you have to imagine that a lot of the 871 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:59,879 Speaker 1: people who worked for me were older, with a lot 872 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,799 Speaker 1: or lived experience in the space, and so figuring out 873 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 1: how to be a leader who um could rally people 874 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: who were younger but most importantly older to respect you 875 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 1: enough to follow. For me, leadership is about followership, right, 876 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,800 Speaker 1: So earning followship as a young kid was really difficult. 877 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:19,400 Speaker 1: And then UM, walking into clients and convincing them that 878 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,799 Speaker 1: they should give you tens of millions of dollars to 879 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:24,120 Speaker 1: make commercials and that you were the leader to help 880 00:46:24,239 --> 00:46:27,799 Speaker 1: drive that business also a very UM difficult thing. And 881 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:31,399 Speaker 1: then the other piece that I'll say is internally, UM, 882 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:34,080 Speaker 1: there's always this question of like what your motivation is, 883 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:37,359 Speaker 1: because when people see you move up the chain as 884 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:41,000 Speaker 1: quickly as I was fortunate enough to do, UM, there's 885 00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:43,880 Speaker 1: always this idea that you're not really here for the business. 886 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: You're just here for yourself. Oh yeah, yeah, like you're 887 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:53,040 Speaker 1: not a life person, your temporary yeah exactly. And so again, 888 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:57,200 Speaker 1: earning followership in that reality was really difficult. In fact, 889 00:46:57,520 --> 00:46:59,879 Speaker 1: even be doing things like this and being on this one, 890 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 1: the full podcast that you have is a newer thing 891 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:05,960 Speaker 1: for me because in order to lead, in order to 892 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:08,240 Speaker 1: prove to people that I wasn't there just to build 893 00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:12,279 Speaker 1: my brand, I stood in the background and pushed everybody ahead. Right. 894 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:15,440 Speaker 1: It's not until you know, last year where I started 895 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:17,319 Speaker 1: doing more to kind of step into the light. And 896 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:19,400 Speaker 1: honestly don't love it, but I think it's part of 897 00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:21,280 Speaker 1: the assignment. And when you're the CEO of a brand, 898 00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:23,319 Speaker 1: you have to be the face of a brand. But 899 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 1: I spent my entire career hiding in the back so 900 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:29,080 Speaker 1: that my teams knew that they were the most important thing, 901 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:31,359 Speaker 1: and that the work was the most important thing, and 902 00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:35,120 Speaker 1: that it wasn't about building my personal brand. Wow wow, 903 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: So I'm um. So when it comes to leading a team, um, 904 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,120 Speaker 1: and coming from advertising, I always tell people, I mean, 905 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:54,799 Speaker 1: I've worked for myself for abundance of years, and I 906 00:47:54,800 --> 00:48:00,120 Speaker 1: always say people underestimate sales, financial literacy and sales. You know, 907 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:02,680 Speaker 1: when you're running a business, everyone, no matter how big 908 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:04,879 Speaker 1: the businesses, there's no cash flow problem. So I can 909 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,240 Speaker 1: tell you I've seen all types of businesses, big and small. 910 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: Cash flow plays a critical role in whether they stay 911 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:15,000 Speaker 1: alive month of money. But one thing people always look 912 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:17,759 Speaker 1: down their nose on and sales. How much of your 913 00:48:17,840 --> 00:48:21,640 Speaker 1: role would you say the ability to sell played a huge, 914 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:24,920 Speaker 1: like a role in it. I don't really know, but 915 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:27,719 Speaker 1: I think that if you're an entrepreneur, the number one 916 00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: thing you're doing is selling. I spend all of my 917 00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:33,920 Speaker 1: time selling to investors, trying to unlock hundreds of millions 918 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:36,000 Speaker 1: of dollars so that we can tell black stories that 919 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,400 Speaker 1: have not been told. I spent all of my time 920 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:41,719 Speaker 1: sitting with brands and advertisers trying to unlock millions of 921 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,440 Speaker 1: dollars so that we can keep the company open, feed 922 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:48,000 Speaker 1: families and give UM people of color in this wonderfully 923 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:50,799 Speaker 1: diverse group of company that we have UM, so that 924 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: they can feed their families and eat and we can 925 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 1: grow the business. I spend all of my time selling 926 00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:58,480 Speaker 1: to the media, telling our stories so that people are 927 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:01,560 Speaker 1: paying attention to the work. That it's all sales in 928 00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:04,719 Speaker 1: my opinion, yeah, yeah, I agree. Agree. I'm so glad 929 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:07,319 Speaker 1: you said that, because I feel like people under they 930 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 1: don't talk about it, and it's all sales. It's all sales. 931 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,000 Speaker 1: You could have the best business on the planet. But 932 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,399 Speaker 1: if you can't tell that story, if you can't get 933 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,400 Speaker 1: people excited about the work that you're doing, um a 934 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:19,600 Speaker 1: little flounder, right, you won't be able to unlock the 935 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:21,600 Speaker 1: dollars that you need for the mission that you're trying 936 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:25,600 Speaker 1: to accomplish. Now, you sell the investors, correct. So when 937 00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:28,320 Speaker 1: you you run a team, I try I'm trying to 938 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,040 Speaker 1: imagine what a day in the life of you is. 939 00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:32,640 Speaker 1: I stopped your Instagram. Okay, so I know you swim 940 00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:35,719 Speaker 1: in the morning like I did the cybers talking like 941 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:39,360 Speaker 1: how girls do it. I've been I've been talking for 942 00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 1: about three months okay, okay, so um, so when you're 943 00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:46,960 Speaker 1: running a team, um, and I'm just trying to envision 944 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:48,480 Speaker 1: your life because I've been trying to do it for 945 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:51,560 Speaker 1: a couple of months now. So besides the swimming in 946 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 1: the mornings, which you seem to be very passionate about, um, 947 00:49:56,360 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 1: do you have to like does your advertising team have 948 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:00,960 Speaker 1: to come to you in this is how much you sold? 949 00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:02,759 Speaker 1: And you're like, you better sell it better? You know, 950 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,320 Speaker 1: we're having a problem with I don't want say Target 951 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:07,279 Speaker 1: because Target has definitely been stepping up their game, but 952 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:09,759 Speaker 1: like some advertiser that's like hard to close. Do you 953 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 1: like stepping in like micromanage a little bit? I don't 954 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,920 Speaker 1: want to say micromanagement, not a micromanager. Or do you 955 00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:19,360 Speaker 1: like say something like is there like a text or 956 00:50:19,400 --> 00:50:22,560 Speaker 1: something I want to know? In general? The way that 957 00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:25,200 Speaker 1: I would say it is, um, I try to build 958 00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:30,600 Speaker 1: empowered teams. I'm super and have empowered leaders, and I'm 959 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:33,320 Speaker 1: super passionate about that for all people of all colors 960 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:36,280 Speaker 1: and all walks of life. But I'm specifically passionate about 961 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:40,279 Speaker 1: it for people of color and women because oftentimes where 962 00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 1: when they're in these other companies, they don't get to 963 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 1: take their shot. You don't know if your ideas are 964 00:50:45,640 --> 00:50:47,680 Speaker 1: good if no one ever lets you get your idea 965 00:50:47,760 --> 00:50:50,920 Speaker 1: off the ground. And so I try to create a 966 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:53,000 Speaker 1: space that gives people for the ground to kind of 967 00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:56,120 Speaker 1: understand what they're capable of. And so I'm blessed. We 968 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:59,239 Speaker 1: have an incredible sales leader at Revolting name Mike Roach. 969 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:02,440 Speaker 1: He and his team are doing a phenomenal job. And 970 00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:04,560 Speaker 1: so I stay out of Mike's business. Mike lets me 971 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:06,400 Speaker 1: know when he needs me, if he needs me, if 972 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:08,879 Speaker 1: it's a CEO, the CEO conversation that has to be had. 973 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,960 Speaker 1: If it's a CMO this, you know, CEO conversation that 974 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:14,879 Speaker 1: needs to be had, he'll call me big pitches, He'll 975 00:51:14,920 --> 00:51:17,120 Speaker 1: call me. He also knows that I have lots of 976 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,560 Speaker 1: relationships on that side, so they are potentially doors I 977 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,440 Speaker 1: can help him get into. But that team is doing 978 00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:24,880 Speaker 1: what they're doing, and I will take zero of their credit. 979 00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:28,600 Speaker 1: They're phenomenal. So my last question and then we'll I'm 980 00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:34,120 Speaker 1: gonna ask you many questions once we're done. Um, you 981 00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:40,960 Speaker 1: have a hundred I would say hundred staff. I'm assuming, right, Okay, Um, 982 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:44,560 Speaker 1: out of all little staff, how many would you say 983 00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:49,759 Speaker 1: have a college degree? I don't know because I've never 984 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:52,080 Speaker 1: looked at it. But here's what I'll say. I said 985 00:51:52,080 --> 00:51:55,160 Speaker 1: all the time that revolt is streets and sweets. We 986 00:51:55,320 --> 00:51:59,319 Speaker 1: have people who sweets, meaning like the boardroom, some people 987 00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:01,359 Speaker 1: who may become from more of my background. Right, So 988 00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:03,719 Speaker 1: you've got Um, when I look at my executive team, 989 00:52:03,719 --> 00:52:06,920 Speaker 1: you've got people from Harvard and Stanford and Duke and U. C. 990 00:52:07,120 --> 00:52:09,480 Speaker 1: L a UM. But you also have people who never 991 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:12,880 Speaker 1: graduated from college. You also have people who sold drugs 992 00:52:12,920 --> 00:52:15,360 Speaker 1: before this. You also have people who came from the nightlife, 993 00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:18,000 Speaker 1: and I think, or I believe and I know that 994 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:20,880 Speaker 1: what makes for VOTES special is that we are figuring 995 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:23,040 Speaker 1: out that balance every day. There's a lot of companies 996 00:52:23,040 --> 00:52:24,759 Speaker 1: who are trying to do work for the culture and 997 00:52:24,760 --> 00:52:26,600 Speaker 1: they're just sweets. There's a lot of people are trying 998 00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:28,800 Speaker 1: to do work for the culture and they're just streets. 999 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:32,239 Speaker 1: It is this combination of streets and sweets UM that 1000 00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:34,120 Speaker 1: makes us unique and special. And so I don't know 1001 00:52:34,120 --> 00:52:39,160 Speaker 1: about what it is throughout the entire organization. Basically, I'm 1002 00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:41,760 Speaker 1: glad to know that there's opportunities for us regular folks 1003 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:47,120 Speaker 1: guys out there. Look our chief brand Officer, Dion um Graham, 1004 00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:50,120 Speaker 1: who is UM one of my closest business partners on 1005 00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:52,960 Speaker 1: this brand. Dion dropped out of college. UM. You know, 1006 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:55,000 Speaker 1: he'll tell his story. Doon dropped out of college to 1007 00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:58,120 Speaker 1: sell drugs, went into the nightlife, started working for Shanky's 1008 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:01,399 Speaker 1: our cheap brand officer. Right. And so for us, it 1009 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:04,799 Speaker 1: is not about UM. It does not have to be 1010 00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:08,520 Speaker 1: about education. It's about your taste, profile, who you are, 1011 00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:10,200 Speaker 1: the work you're trying to do. Are you committed to 1012 00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:11,920 Speaker 1: this mission where we're trying to shift in there that 1013 00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:14,800 Speaker 1: for black people globally, Um, do you have a lived 1014 00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:17,520 Speaker 1: experience that can help us move this business in a 1015 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:19,799 Speaker 1: phenomenal way. And some of those people are gonna go 1016 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:21,920 Speaker 1: to Harvard or have gone to Harvard, and some of 1017 00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,799 Speaker 1: them would have never seen a college campus in their life. Right, Yeah, Yeah, 1018 00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:28,520 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. I'm so glad that 1019 00:53:28,680 --> 00:53:31,319 Speaker 1: you came out because I was I was like, I 1020 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:32,759 Speaker 1: don't know if he's gonna do it. Then I was 1021 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:37,200 Speaker 1: self conscious of our studio. I'm so so relieved to 1022 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:40,839 Speaker 1: have met you again. From the stalking of the profiles 1023 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:43,360 Speaker 1: to the titles, it was it was a bit of 1024 00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 1: a roller coaster for me. And I'm so happy to 1025 00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:49,440 Speaker 1: hear that did he sounds exactly like what I've imagined 1026 00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:51,800 Speaker 1: him to be. I'm sure. I'm sure there's a Bravado 1027 00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:55,200 Speaker 1: that I've also imagined. You know, when I was young, 1028 00:53:55,239 --> 00:53:57,239 Speaker 1: I remember always saying, I want to be a mobile, 1029 00:53:57,280 --> 00:53:58,480 Speaker 1: I want to be like Diddy. I want to be 1030 00:53:58,560 --> 00:54:01,280 Speaker 1: like Russell Simmons. You know, they would wear these white suits, 1031 00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:04,279 Speaker 1: and you know, I just I always thought they were 1032 00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:06,719 Speaker 1: just so impressive. And I've bumped into Diddy in l 1033 00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:07,839 Speaker 1: A when I was younger, and I was like, oh, 1034 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:09,640 Speaker 1: I'm not big enough to meet him yet, so you 1035 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:11,920 Speaker 1: know when I thought, well, you know, work with him 1036 00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:15,640 Speaker 1: or what have you. Um, but it's great to hear that. 1037 00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:19,280 Speaker 1: You know, Revolt has done what it's done, and Diddy 1038 00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:21,480 Speaker 1: has done what he's done, and you have done what 1039 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:26,080 Speaker 1: you've done, and it's amazing and impressive that you came 1040 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:30,520 Speaker 1: from humble beginnings and here you are one of the 1041 00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:34,839 Speaker 1: top young executives. Thank you for that, young credit, young 1042 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:39,080 Speaker 1: young Well, thank you for joining me on another episode 1043 00:54:39,080 --> 00:54:42,160 Speaker 1: of Eating wall Bro. Please feel free to come by 1044 00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:46,200 Speaker 1: and eat real Jamaican food with me and not invitation 1045 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:51,239 Speaker 1: crab homelets. I want to say thank you for having me. 1046 00:54:51,360 --> 00:54:54,520 Speaker 1: I think, Um, for me, this conversation is refreshing. It's 1047 00:54:54,560 --> 00:54:57,239 Speaker 1: like you get tons of interviews and you never know 1048 00:54:57,320 --> 00:54:59,840 Speaker 1: what the conversation is going to be. But I definitely 1049 00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:02,800 Speaker 1: think we had a fresh conversation. I think, um, even 1050 00:55:02,840 --> 00:55:05,480 Speaker 1: for me. Right, I'm here to serve, but I think 1051 00:55:05,520 --> 00:55:08,520 Speaker 1: that this platform also gives me an opportunity to say 1052 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:10,560 Speaker 1: things that I don't get to say in other places. Literally, 1053 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:13,200 Speaker 1: you got my salary on my mouth breast beyond that, 1054 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:15,080 Speaker 1: you just gave me the opportunity to say things that 1055 00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:17,840 Speaker 1: I don't always get to say. And so um sharing 1056 00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:22,400 Speaker 1: you on celebrating you, love the studio, love with your building. 1057 00:55:22,680 --> 00:55:26,320 Speaker 1: Keep going, Queen, We're here to help. Thank you. I 1058 00:55:26,440 --> 00:55:30,239 Speaker 1: appreciate you saw. Maybe we'll be on Revolt one day. Okay, 1059 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:33,839 Speaker 1: you know, maybe you never know. All Right, Piece out 1060 00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:41,640 Speaker 1: y'all for more eating while broke from I Heart Radio 1061 00:55:41,719 --> 00:55:44,319 Speaker 1: and The Black Effect, Visit the I Heart Radio app, 1062 00:55:44,400 --> 00:55:50,440 Speaker 1: Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.