1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: One Lucas Black Tech, Green Money. It's so good to 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: be with you guys for another week. I am actually 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: headed to Austin right now. So we have a throwback 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: episode of Black Tech Green Money. This is one actually 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: of the most downloaded episodes of Black Tech Green Money. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: This one surpasses almost every other episode that is out there, 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: so I'm happy to bring it back to you. It 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: is put yourself in a position to be successful. So 9 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you two stories today, and the topic 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: of this particular podcast episode is something I firmly believe 11 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: it and it's about putting yourself in a position to 12 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: be successful. Because so often we want to be successful 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: and we see success, whether we see it on social 14 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: media or we see it in people around us. We 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: see success, and we don't always believe that that success 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: is either possible for us. Or we might believe that 17 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: it's possible for us, but we don't know what to 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: do in order to accomplish that success that we so desire. 19 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: So I'm going to tell you two stories today, and 20 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: this is these are my stories. And hopefully whenever I 21 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 1: whenever I talk to people, you know, whether it be 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: talks at conferences, whether it be keynote speeches or whatever. 23 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: I'm really trying to give value. So if I'm telling 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,759 Speaker 1: you my story, it's not because my story is so great. 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: It's because I'm hoping that there's something in my story 26 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: that you can take and use for yourself in order 27 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: to find your success. So the first story is a 28 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: story about how I found at least the first few 29 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: steps and do the career that I'm in today. Because 30 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: I'm on preface my story with this, there's a quote 31 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: by Steve Jobs, and you've if you're listening to this podcast, 32 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: you've heard let me say this before, and it's a 33 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: quote by Steve Jobs that I firmly believe in. It's 34 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: one of my favorite quotes. I do have a couple 35 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: of favorite quotes, but this one is among like the 36 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: top three of my favorite quotes, and it says, you 37 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect 38 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: the dots looking backwards. And what that means for me, 39 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: at least I believe I know how he meant it. 40 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: But what I get from. 41 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: That quote is this is, if you look back over 42 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: your life, you will find clues that dictate your present circumstance. 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: So if you find yourself doing a particular job and 44 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: you are like really really good at doing that job. 45 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: If you look back at whether you were you know, 46 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: a kid, or whether you had a particular job, or 47 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: whether you had certain experiences, you will find, if you 48 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: look hard enough, certain instances in your life that says 49 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: you will be good at this particular thing. And that's 50 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: what connecting the dots means. It's not something like, you know, 51 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: super highbrow. It's not like, you know, it's not super deep. 52 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: It's really a simple thing. If you look backwards, you 53 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: will see things that connect to what you find yourself 54 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: doing today. And it's hard to do looking forward, if 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: not in some cases, very very very difficult. So we 56 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: want to do certain things in the future, but we 57 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: don't always know what, like, and I believe in like, 58 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: what is the divine plan for you? Like, because if 59 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: I would have told you at you know, sixteen or 60 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: seventeen what I wanted to be doing, it's not what 61 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm doing today. But I'm really really happy doing what 62 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: I'm doing today. But it's not something I could have articulated, 63 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: you know, years ago. So anyway, all right, so let's 64 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, we've set the stage with that particular quote. 65 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: You can't connect the dots looking forward, You can only 66 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: connect the dots retrospectively looking backward. All right, all right, 67 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: So there was a time when I wanted to be 68 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: in the music business. I wanted to be a producer. 69 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to be a music producer and a songwriter. 70 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: And so I'm from Toledo, Ohio, which is you know, 71 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: if you drive fast, it's like half an hour from Detroit, 72 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: but if you like relatively close to the speed limit, 73 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,559 Speaker 1: it's like forty five minutes. It's a little bit south 74 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: of Detroit. And you know, you know where it's at. 75 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: Look on the map. If you don't know where's at, 76 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: Google Google map it. All right. So I'm from Toledo, Ohio, 77 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: not known for like a lot of things other than 78 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: you know, we have i think, one of the top 79 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: rated like minor league baseball teams in the country, and 80 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: very rust belt, midwestern, you know, middle class, blue collar 81 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: sort of city, you know, And I wanted to be 82 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: in the music business. So being an ambitious kid, you know, 83 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: I've always been super ambitious and always like strategizing about, Okay, 84 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: I know what I want to do, how do I 85 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: get there? I've always been that way. It's been my 86 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: like it's part of my DNA. So I was thinking 87 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: as a youth, like how how can I find my 88 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: way to the music business in Toledo? And I found 89 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: myself at a teen summit that at local radio station 90 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: was putting on, you know, or at least the program 91 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: director was on a panel at this teen summit that 92 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: was happening at a particular library in my hometown. And 93 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: so after the teen some I almost remember what I 94 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: was wearing a day, which is like super woild because 95 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: I don't remember like a lot of details about like 96 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: my childhood and youth, but I remember, like almost verbatim 97 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: what I was wearing today. But it has nothing to 98 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: do with the point of this story. Only that is 99 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: like a like ad point in my life that obviously 100 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: was like super critical to what I'm doing today. So anyway, 101 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: so at this teen something, the local program director for 102 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: the radio station was on a panel at the library 103 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: that I'm in attendance of, and I'm with a friend 104 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: of mine that I was going to high school with, 105 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: and we were for some reason, we're at this teen 106 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: summit and we were just there to hear about I 107 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: don't even know what the teen someming was about, but 108 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: I guess it was about teen issues because it was 109 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: teen something. So the program director is talking, and in 110 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: my mind at that teen Summit, I'm sitting like in 111 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: the last row, and I'm thinking, like, yo, I want 112 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: to be in the music business. And so I'm in Toledo. 113 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: The closest thing to the music business is the radio station, 114 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: and so this is how my money works, and my 115 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: mind has always worked this way. So I'm like putting 116 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: together the pieces. And so after the teen Summer is over, 117 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: I go up to the program director, who's like in 118 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: the only he's the program director, program director of the 119 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: only hip hop and R and B radio station in town. 120 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: There's only one at this stage, and so I go 121 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: up to him. I say, hey, my name is Will Lucas, 122 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: and I want to be in the music business. And 123 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: so he says, well, the best thing I can tell 124 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: you to do is find an internship somewhere. So matter 125 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: of fact, matter of fact, because there was a lot 126 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: of like teenagers like in line because it's tease something. 127 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: There's a lot of teenagers in line waiting to talk 128 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: to him, and so he said, just come out to 129 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: the radio station like tomorrow or whatever, and we'll talk 130 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: some more. Because it's a lot of teenagers in line. 131 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: So I go out to the radio station. It had 132 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: to be the next day because that's kind of the 133 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: kind of guy was. So I go out to the 134 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: radio station and he says, again, you know, we're sitting 135 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: like in this I guess, like a little tiny three 136 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: thousand watt radio station, like way out of town. Like 137 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: it's I mean, I think Midwestern country, like no man's land. 138 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: This is like pure flyover. So like the radio station 139 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: is like in like places you don't go. So but 140 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, that's where the radio station was. So 141 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: I'm out there, and you know, I'm sitting inside the 142 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: radio station, inside the studio. And he says again, So, 143 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: the best thing I can tell you to do is 144 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: find an internship somewhere. And so as a matter of fact, 145 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: we need an intern here at the radio station. So 146 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: I'm so my internship started that day at the radio station. 147 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: So I would go out there every day after high school. 148 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: Well I should say every day because it was like 149 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: three days to the next point of in this story. 150 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: So I would go out after school for the next 151 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: several days directly out to the radio station in my 152 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: Buick rivie. I would drive out there and I would 153 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: see about like what he wanted me to do. So 154 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: three days into my internship, which I really wasn't like 155 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: doing anything, I was just watching him do radio. I 156 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: was watching him b and on air personality. And so 157 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: three days in he put me on the air with 158 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: him during the five o'clock traffic jam. So mind you, 159 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: he works from three pm to eight pm, like afternoon Drive, 160 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: which is like beyond the morning show is the number 161 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: one radio slot for radio personalities. Morning show is like 162 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: the King of the Hill. Afternoon Drive is the next 163 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: biggest time slot for radio personalities. So I go out there, 164 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: I hang out with him during his shift. After I 165 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: get out of school obviously, so I probably make it 166 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: out there like three thirty four o'clock, and he puts 167 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: me on the a with him during the five o'clock 168 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: traffic jam. My third day into my internship, and so 169 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: he did this five o'clock traffic jam, which is like 170 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: when they do this, you know mix and you know, 171 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm will Lucas. I'm like, I don't know what to 172 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: do is but I'm just like hanging out with him 173 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: on the air, you know, from five to eight pm 174 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: when his shift is over. So I did that for 175 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: a couple of days, and we found some sort of 176 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: chemistry obviously, because he let me continue to be on 177 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: the air with him every day after five o'clock and 178 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: so he signs my phone and so three days into 179 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: it going to air, did that every day. I went 180 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: through like it's so crazy to think about. I went 181 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: through multiple you know, like radio names, like I like, 182 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: because I was trying to find like, what was my 183 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: name going to be for the radio. His name was 184 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: Charlie Mack, and I'm like, okay, I gotta find a 185 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: name for myself. So my name's Will Lukea. And so 186 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: we was just like messing around with a bunch of names. So, 187 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: you know, at one point in my you know, early 188 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: early early, like the early weeks of my radio career, 189 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: my name was like night Train for whatever reason, I 190 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: have no idea. So then then there was a point 191 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: where I remember being in the production room with him 192 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: and we were talking about, Okay, what is my radio 193 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: name going to be? And so he was like after 194 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: we like probably threw out ten fifteen names, it's like 195 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: the room is tiny. It's like a four by six room. 196 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: It's like super duper tight. So I remember he was like, well, 197 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: whenever you figure out, let me know brother, and I 198 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 1: heard him say Butter. He said brother, but I heard Butter. 199 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: So my first radio name, my first official radio name, 200 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: was butter because when he said whenever you figured out, 201 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: let me know better, I heard butter. He said brother. 202 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: So Buttera it was so my name on the radio. 203 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:02,839 Speaker 1: My first name on the radio was Butta, and that's 204 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: what they call me for years in my radio career. 205 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: So six months after doing the five o'clock traffic jam 206 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: with him, he put me in this Saturday I gave. 207 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: I got a Saturday night show. I was eighteen years 208 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: old doing radio on a Saturday night in my hometown 209 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 1: six to ten every Saturday night. And I had the 210 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: number one radio show in the city on Saturday nights 211 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 1: in Toledo. And mind you, this particular radio station, and 212 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: this for some of you guys like this will mean nothing, 213 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: so I'll try to make it like parallel to something 214 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: that will make sense to you. Is this is a 215 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: three thousand watt radio station. The biggest radio stations in 216 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: town have one hundred thousand watts or more. So think 217 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: of you know like this. Let's say we're talking about cars, 218 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: and so I am driving a Nova, like a Honda Civic, 219 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: like a Prius. I am driving one of those the 220 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: biggest dogs in town. The biggest radio stations have like 221 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: Dodge Rams, F one fifties or you get. So we 222 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: are in the tiniest situation in town, the bottom of 223 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 1: the totem pole with regards to the power of the 224 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: radio radio tower that this particular radio station has. So anyway, 225 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: I'm doing these Saturday night shows, but I have the 226 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: number one show in the city. I'm like eighteen years old, 227 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: and so he remember he was on the afternoon drive. 228 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: Six months after I had the Saturday day night show, 229 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: they moved him to the morning show and I got 230 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: his afternoon drive show. So I was eighteen, just about 231 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: to turn nineteen, and I'm doing drive time radio in 232 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: my hometown three to eight. And so by this time 233 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: I had graduated. So I'm doing three o'clock to apm 234 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: Monday through Friday. And so I had the number one 235 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: show in my demographic because I was My job was 236 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: to target eighteen to twenty four, eighteen to twenty four 237 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: years old, people who are in the listening audience, because 238 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: that was a coveted demographic of people who listened to 239 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: the radio because they spend money, so advertisers want to 240 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: target that demographic. And so I'm doing that. And so 241 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: suffice it to say, like all of those skills that 242 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: I learned, again, I didn't want to do rap. I 243 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: never wanted to do radio. Like, don't forget that point 244 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: in the story. I happened to be good at something. 245 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: I learned very quickly. How to be engaging. I learned 246 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: very quickly. How to build production skills. I learned very quickly, 247 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: you know, how to make things sound a particular way 248 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: to make people want to listen to it, and just 249 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: creating engaging content. And so I did this very early 250 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: in my career with the intent of finding my way 251 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: into the music business. And so story number one, the 252 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: whole like crux of this conversation is talking about how 253 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: I thought I was doing this particular thing to get 254 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: to what I wanted, But there was another plan for 255 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: my life, and so I found if you look at 256 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: what I'm doing today, I have a podcast that's her 257 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: all around the world, and I'm able to do this. 258 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: I produce this podcast, I do the booking for this podcast. 259 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: I obviously record myself. I'm in my basement right now 260 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: recording this podcast. And I'm doing all of these things 261 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: with the skills I learned at seventeen and eighteen years old, 262 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: having taken an internship with the intent of being a 263 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: music producer and songwriter. I couldn't have scripted this. I 264 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: could not have scripted this because I was doing it 265 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: with a particular intent. But I did it well because 266 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: I knew if I did it well, it would put 267 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: me in position. It's just a different position than I 268 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: thought I would be in. But I'm living a dream today. 269 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: I'm living a dream that I didn't know I had. 270 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: But it's a better dream than the one I thought 271 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: I had. Story number one, Story number two, let's talk 272 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: about it. So afrotech and so I'm doing podcasts. So oh, 273 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: I got this thing about podcasts. Man, I've slipped into 274 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: the podcast game. So I've talked about this, maybe not 275 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: on this podcast, but the one I'm about to tell 276 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: you about. So a couple of years ago had to 277 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: be what like five years ago. Now this is before 278 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: this is pre me being involved with afrotech. So I'm 279 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: talking to a friend of mine. He's an advisor. He's 280 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: a white guy. He's an advisor to a startup that 281 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: I'm founding. I'm trying to get going at this particular stage. 282 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: And he comes to me and he says, you know, 283 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: what would it take you Remember, he's a white guy. 284 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: He says, what would it take to get more black 285 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: kids interested in tech? And I said, well, they need 286 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: to see a black Mark Zuckerberg, like somebody who looks 287 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: like them and is realizing success. And because that's what 288 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: I believed in that moment. And at the end of 289 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,719 Speaker 1: that conversation, I kicked myself because I'm like, yo, like, 290 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: we have super successful black people in tech, we just 291 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: don't know who they are. And so I went and 292 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 1: after that podcast, after that conversation, I went, and I'm 293 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: thinking to myself, like, what can I do to be 294 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: a part of the conversation of elevating the names of 295 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: black technologists? What can I do to be a part 296 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: of the conversation of making sure that we have representation? 297 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: So I said, Yo, I did radio for all these years. 298 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: I did radio on teleto, I did radio in Detroit. 299 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: I know how to do this, and so I'm like, 300 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put together I'm gonna do a podcast and 301 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: it's called Today. I mean, I'm kind of jumping ahead 302 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: in the story, but I'm just for to save time. 303 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: I did this podcast. It's called of ten Podcasts. It 304 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: was white. I was only gonna do ten episodes. That's 305 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: why it's called of ten podcasts. One of ten, two 306 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: of ten, three of ten. You guys are smart. Thank 307 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: you for following on. So I did this podcast called 308 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,360 Speaker 1: of ten Podcasts. It's still in iTunes, you can find 309 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: it today. And the point was to highlight these super 310 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: successful black people in tech, and I wanted to share 311 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: their stories, and so I did this podcast. I was 312 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: only intending to do ten episodes. Again, it's called of 313 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: ten Podcasts, and that was gonna be it. And so 314 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: I did these ten episodes. I had like fantastic people 315 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: on there. I mean like Krim de La Crim, people 316 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 1: who were at the top of the game in this 317 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: podcast and in this season of Black Technology. So I'm like, 318 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: the first episode was like my guy who's a friend 319 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:50,399 Speaker 1: of mine, Mack and Day at the EGBO. He was 320 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: like one of the lead engineers at Facebook, friends with 321 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,479 Speaker 1: Mark Zuckerberg. I mean, this guy's he's fantastic and he's 322 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: actually founder of dev Color. He's founder of dev Color. 323 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,199 Speaker 1: I was about to google it, so sorry for the 324 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: falls there. I was about to google it, but it 325 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: just came to me. He's founder of dev Color, like 326 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: a black kind of cohort or collective of black engineers 327 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: in Silicon Valley. So my guy back back and day 328 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: add Yegro. So he was the first episode that I had, 329 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: and I had like a run of ten episodes. Phenomenal 330 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: people who were in this podcast that I did. And 331 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna know about Like I'm a guy in Toledo 332 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: in his basement doing his podcast, and people are saying, yes, 333 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: I will do your show. And so I'll save another 334 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: day to talk about how to get great people for 335 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: your podcast, but for tonight we'll talk about, you know, 336 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: putting yourself in the position to be successful. So did 337 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: this podcast called up ten podcasts, fantastic series of highly 338 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: successful black technologies. Put it out, and you know Twitter 339 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: is like yo, people on Twitter, not Twitter, not actual Twitter. 340 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: People on Twitter were like yo, fantastic run episode six. 341 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: I love that episode fire. Remember when he said this 342 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: episode like seven. She said that, and I was like, bars, 343 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: So it was like, it's fantastic run. When is your 344 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: next season? And I'm like, there is no next season, 345 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: Like this is it? Like I'm working on other things. 346 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: I did this to contribute to the conversation. Like I 347 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: wasn't intending to do several several seasons, but I did it, 348 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: and like this is like a gift to the world. 349 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: I didn't even have any sponsors for this, Like I 350 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: did it because I wanted to contribute to the conversation. 351 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: So like we're five we were five seasons in. I'm 352 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: kind of jumping ahead of the story, but we did 353 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,880 Speaker 1: more seasons. But the point is, after that first season 354 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: of ten podcasts, I heard about this thing called afro 355 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: Tech and I'm like, how did I not know? Oh, 356 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: it was the first year of Afrotech, and I'm like, 357 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 1: how did I not know that this conference happened? Because 358 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: half the people I interviewed on the up ten podcast 359 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: podcast were on the stage of the first afro Tech 360 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: and I said, I'm never going to miss another afro Tech. 361 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: I'm never going to miss another one. And so I 362 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: knew then, like I was sold, Like I didn't I 363 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: had I didn't go to the conference that year because 364 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: I didn't know about it, but I saw pictures and 365 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: I'm like, yep, this is my thing. I'm never going 366 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: to miss another one. I'm here until they stopped doing it. 367 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: I knew that the first moment I heard about Afrotech. 368 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: So obviously I go to the second year of Afrotech 369 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: and I knew. I absolutely knew I was going to 370 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 1: have a life changing experience. I don't know why I 371 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: knew it, I just knew it. And so again, I'm 372 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: a content creator, so I said, you know what, I know, 373 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have fantastic experience. I'm gonna vlog every day 374 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: of this conference. So I'm taking my camera and I'm 375 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: gonna record, not with the intent of like putting out, 376 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: you know, like a bunch of content, but I'm just 377 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: gonna record. Put a bookmark there because we're gonna come 378 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: back to that. I'm planned on doing a video, and 379 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: I said, I'm gonna put out a video about my 380 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: experience going to the first to my first Afrotech, which 381 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: is the second Afrotech that ever happened. And so I 382 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: was no, I was gonna have a good time. So 383 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,959 Speaker 1: I did it, So I took my camera recorded everything 384 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: about my trip that getting on the airplane, I'm matter 385 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: of fact, getting in the car, on the ways to 386 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 1: the airport, getting to the airport, sitting in the airport, 387 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: landing in San Francisco, first day, vibes like the whole situation. 388 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: And I said, and remember I did this Upten podcast, 389 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: so I was still doing the podcast at this moment. 390 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: So I'm so I took and I come from radio, 391 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: so I'm telling you the dots are connected. I come 392 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: from radio, and I have this podcast that is called 393 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 1: the of ten podcast, which is a tech based podcast. 394 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: At this time, so coming from radio, I'm a DJ. 395 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: I do club nights. So I said, I'm gonna print 396 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: flyers to take with me to AFRO Tech and on 397 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: these flyers is not a club night, it is promoting 398 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 1: my podcast. So everybody, because I saw who was going 399 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: to be speaking on stage because it was on the website, 400 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: so I said, everybody who's going to be speaking on stage, 401 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: I'm printing flyers about my podcast with their faces on 402 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: and saying, hey, if you like Jessica Matthews Uncharted play 403 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: Present Day Uncharted Power, check out my podcast because she's 404 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: on my podcast. Hey, if you like Paul Judge, several companies, 405 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of patents, a whole bunch of money, 406 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of nights clothes, if you like Paul 407 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:06,959 Speaker 1: Judge and you and he's gonna be probably in the 408 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: conversation because I don't think he's on stage, but he's 409 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: gonna be in the conversation at afro Tech. He's on 410 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: my podcast. You should check out my podcast. Here's a flyer, 411 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: here's a link to go get it subscribed today. So 412 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: I took this. These flyers probably printed five hundred flyers, 413 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: and I'm recording video. So I'm the only person there. 414 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: I'm the only person there at the second afro Tech 415 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: who's passing out flyers for anything, because there's not even 416 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: club people passing out flyers for the parties at night. 417 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: There's only me passing out flyers, and people like, yo, 418 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: where the party at? And I'm like, no, not a party, 419 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: it's a podcast. So I'm doing that. So people all 420 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: over the situation are, you know, taking my flyers because 421 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,239 Speaker 1: anything gets they're about to get turned out that night, 422 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: but they about to subscribe. They don't even know it yet. 423 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: So I do that. So I'm sitting the stage for 424 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: some here, all right, So I'm recording every day and 425 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: I'm passing on flyers. I decide the first night sitting 426 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: in a friend of mine's apartment because he left because 427 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: he said, you know what, you don't have to get 428 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: a hotel come into San Francisco. I'm out of town. 429 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: You just had the keys to my place. So he 430 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: let me stay in this house, in this apartment or whatever. 431 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: It was a basement in San Francisco, but it was 432 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: somebody's basement. But he made an apartment, or they made 433 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: an apartment. He's renting it way too in New East 434 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: right now, So he let me stay there. He was 435 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: not in town, so he's like, you can stay at 436 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 1: my place while you're there. No reason for you to 437 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: get a hotel. So I said, you know what, I'm 438 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 1: not at at one of the parties. I'm going to 439 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: go back to the place and edit the video that 440 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: I recorded. I remember, I think the first the first 441 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: Apple Tech I went to was like a Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 442 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: It could be Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I don't remember too 443 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: many details that are not helpful to the story. So 444 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: I record all day Thursday, record all day, and I'll 445 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,199 Speaker 1: get back to the room and I'm like, I'm not 446 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: gonna do like a big video. I'm gonna do a 447 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: video every day. So I edited down all the video 448 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: from that Thursday and edited down real quick. It might 449 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 1: have been I could look on Google right now or YouTube. 450 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna but I edit all the video down 451 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: from that Thursday. Might have been five minutes long, might 452 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: have been ten minutes. I don't remember. You can find 453 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: it because it's still on YouTube right now. Afrotech twenty seventeen. 454 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: You can go see it and it might have been 455 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: five minutes long. But it was the video that I 456 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: took from that day and it was like my experience, 457 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 1: my journey of being at the first Afrotech for my 458 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: for myself, and edited the video down, put it up 459 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: on YouTube that night. So on Friday, I'm walking into 460 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: the conference and people are like, yo, I saw your 461 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: video from yesterday. How would you do that? Cause that 462 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: was yesterday? Like nobody, this is twenty seventeen. Nobody like 463 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: this is no TikTok, there's no Instagram stories, there's none 464 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,120 Speaker 1: of that. Like, nobody puts out video that fast and 465 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: quality video. Edit it like, not just like hit record 466 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: and just play some stuff. Like I edited the videos 467 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: that night, a bunch of video edited that night, put 468 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: it up on YouTube Friday. People are like, yo, fire video. 469 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: I saw your stuff from yesterday. How did you do that? Whatever? 470 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: I did the same thing all day Friday. I recorded 471 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: all day Friday, edited it when I got back to 472 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: my guy's place, put it up on YouTube Saturday. People 473 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: are like, oh my god, how you doing this? You 474 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: are here, but then you on YouTube from being here fast? 475 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: How so I'm like, this is what I do. So 476 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: did that every day at a conference. Put it on 477 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:03,159 Speaker 1: YouTube asap, not playing around what I didn't know what was. 478 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: What I didn't know what was happening was I was 479 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 1: building a name in reputation for myself as being a 480 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: content creator in this scene of black technology. I had 481 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 1: no clue. All I knew was I went with the 482 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: intent of giving people black technologists. Specifically, I wanted to 483 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: give people FOMO For what reason, I don't know. Because 484 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: I'd never been to Afrotech before. I just knew that. 485 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: I said, I'm never going to miss another afro Tech. 486 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: This is my first year going. I'm never going to 487 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: miss another afro Tech, but I want to make sure 488 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: anybody who should be here never misses another afrotech. I 489 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: want to give you fomo like you missed out. I 490 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: had no idea what it was going to be like. 491 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: It could have been like aw smoking mirrors. I had 492 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: no idea, but I knew in my heart of hearts 493 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: that this was going to be a life changing experience. 494 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: So I edited the video, put it up fast, built 495 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,719 Speaker 1: a name for myself. Didn't even know I was building 496 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: a name for myself. So I went to the next 497 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: afro Tech, which would have been twenty eighteen, and I 498 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: took my wife because I'm like, yo, you've got to 499 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: see this thing. Like there are thousands of black people 500 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, and there ain't that many black people 501 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. So I'm sure the airport was like 502 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: security because why are all these black people coming in 503 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: to sanfrans Like why all of it? Why are they here? 504 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: But we're all like pulling up in San Francisco. So 505 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: I took my wife and I said, you've got to 506 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: see this thing. It's like thousands of black people, all 507 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: of them are in tech, and they all talking about 508 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: tech and they're talking about building million dollars, billion dollar, 509 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: trillion dollar companies. They all talking about algorithms, they all 510 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: talking about crypto, they all talking about like strange stuff 511 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: to most people, you've got to come see it. So 512 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: I took her and I didn't record this year. And 513 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: so this is when I knew that I was building 514 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: a name for myself, because everywhere I went, people was like, 515 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 1: where's your camera? And so I'm like, oh, y'all really 516 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: like on that? Like I didn't know. I didn't realize 517 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: people were looking for me to be recording. And so 518 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: this year twenty eighteen I'm specifically talking about, was the 519 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: first time I realized that people wanted what I was doing. 520 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: Because you see the comments, like you see the likes, 521 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: you see the shares, but you don't really like see 522 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: people and you didn't you don't really know that those 523 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: likes were clicked by a person. I mean, content creators 524 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I didn't realize people 525 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: would miss it. But I was putting out all this 526 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 1: content about tech, putting out all this content on my podcast, 527 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 1: putting out these videos by entrepreneurship and business, which you 528 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: can still find on my on my YouTube page and 529 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: I remembermember being back home. Actually, let me tell you 530 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: this first before I duck out of here, because this 531 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: is an important part of the story. And so because 532 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: I'm like a big believer in like you got to 533 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: see yourself there. Representation is so important and sometimes when 534 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: you don't have an ecosystem around you, it's hard to 535 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: have that reputation. And this and being an AFRO Tech 536 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: season right now, we're like a couple of weeks from 537 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: Afro Tech. This is why this particular episode is so 538 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 1: important and why you cannot not be there, all right. 539 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: So I took my wife, I told y'all twenty eighteen, 540 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 1: and at the end of the conference on the way home, 541 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, we're in the airport and I'm like, wasn't 542 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: that fantastic? Like that was like thousands of people black 543 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: people and we all in tech doing this thing. And 544 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: She's like, yeah, it's beautiful, fantastic conference. That was amazing. 545 00:31:52,200 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: You should not come back unless you on stage. I'm like, oh, 546 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: how I'm gonna get on stage? I don't know. I'm like, 547 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: I don't understand, like because I'm thinking, like if the 548 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: people that I'm looking at on stage are people who 549 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: should be on stage. You know what I'm saying, Like 550 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: the people who are on that stage like doing things 551 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 1: like you know, cause you know, you know how it is, 552 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: like you just feel like you know everybody's got it, 553 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: but like you're trying to qualify yourself and it's difficult 554 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: to do that. So I'm like, how am I gonna 555 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: get on that stage? Do you see that credentials? Do 556 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: you see their resumes? Do you see the money they raise? 557 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: Do you see the exit you know back? Do you 558 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: see like all of that? And I'm like, I don't 559 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: know how I'm getting on that stage. But you know, 560 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: I'm talking to my wife. I'm like, I right, challenge accepted, 561 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: Like I don't know how I'm gonna do it. I 562 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 1: got a podcast, I got a couple of startups. I 563 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 1: got one, two, three, four, five six that failed, but 564 00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna figure it out. So that's obviously November twenty eighteen. 565 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: So I said, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm 566 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: a big believer in vision boards because like you need 567 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: to see it. So I put a picture. I still 568 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: have the picture because I took it down off my 569 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: vision board, but it was a picture I found on Google. 570 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: I just googled Afrotech and I found a picture Anwar Bay. 571 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: He's a designer for like video games Black Dude, and 572 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: he spoke at Afrotech that year. So I found this 573 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: picture because it wasn't particularly that I was looking for 574 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: a picture of anwar speaking to Afrotech. I just googled 575 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: Afrotech and I've looked for pictures and that was the 576 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 1: picture I chose. So I took this picture of anwar 577 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: on stage and I put it on my vision board. 578 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: So you got to remember, every single day, I'm looking 579 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: at this picture and others about you know, what I 580 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: want to bring into my life. And so I put 581 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:51,959 Speaker 1: this picture on my vision board and I'm looking at 582 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: it every day. And I said, the next time that 583 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: they open up a call for speakers, I'm going to apply. 584 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: Don't know if I'm getting on stage, but I'm gonna apply. 585 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 1: Don't got tell you drink. So I take this picture, 586 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: put it on my vision board. I see it every day. 587 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: I said, next year, when they open up call for speakers, 588 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna apply. Don't know how I'm getting on but 589 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: you know, I gotta do what I gotta do. So 590 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: around the time that they make the call for speakers 591 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: just had to be like February, March, April May. I 592 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: don't know, somewhere around there, but it's around that season. 593 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: I'm driving down. I remember exactly where I was, And 594 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 1: y'all don't live where I live, so I won't give 595 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: you like exactly, you know, coordinates, but I remember exactly 596 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,919 Speaker 1: where I was. And I'm sitting at a red light 597 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: and I get an email from somebody who works for Blavity, 598 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: which owns Afrotech. Obviously if you didn't know that, Yeah, 599 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: he's like the black BuzzFeed, like it's the biggest black 600 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:10,879 Speaker 1: millennial website in the world. Chauttham, Morgan Deborn. So I'm 601 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: sitting there and I get an email from somebody at 602 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: Blavity saying, Hey, my name's Da Da Da. And I 603 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:24,240 Speaker 1: was talking to Morgan because we're going on or going 604 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 1: in a new direction for Afrotech, and Morgan said, we 605 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: should talk to you about running it, and I'm like, 606 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 1: I don't what, like, hold on, you're going in a 607 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: new direction for afro Tech and you want me to 608 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: run it. The guy who says, howard in the world 609 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: am I going to get on this stage? How like 610 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,479 Speaker 1: I don't feel qualified, is what I was really saying 611 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: to myself. I never cognitively said that to myself, but 612 00:35:56,680 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: that's what I was saying along the whole line of thinking, 613 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: if you if you look back, if you hit rewind, 614 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: that's what's happening in my story. I'm telling myself you 615 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: aren't worthy of that. So I'm sitting at this red light, 616 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:15,720 Speaker 1: get this email saying we're going in a new direction 617 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 1: for Afro Tech, and Morgan says we should talk to you. 618 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 1: Do you have time to talk? And I'm like, oh 619 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: my god, this this is the thing because you got 620 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: to realize I come from radio, and so I've seen 621 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: a lot of celebrities, some of the biggest celebrities in 622 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: the world, been to all the concert all the things. 623 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: So like celebrities don't improbab like black Tech people like 624 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: winners are like, that's my rock star too, that's me. 625 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:49,640 Speaker 1: So when I walk in the room and I'm hanging 626 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: out with Dave Salvant, you know from Squire, or I'm 627 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 1: with Rodney Williams, or I'm with you know, Morgan, or 628 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: I'm with Jessica Matthews, or I'm with whoever, like Paul 629 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: judge Ryan Glover, Like, when I'm with these people, those 630 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 1: are my rock stars. And so you're asking me to 631 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 1: steer the ship of the most important thing to me, 632 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 1: the thing that makes my eyes glittered, like you asking 633 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,719 Speaker 1: me to run it. And so I'm trying to figure 634 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:23,839 Speaker 1: out how I'm getting on the stage to give a 635 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,840 Speaker 1: two minute talk and you're asking me to steer the 636 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,400 Speaker 1: ship of the brand. I'm trying to tell y'all, like, 637 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: I'm not saying that about I'm not saying that to 638 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: glorify me. What I'm saying is, if you look back 639 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 1: at the things that I did before getting that email, 640 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 1: it's set me up to get that email. So don't 641 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: despise small beginnings, Like there are things that you are 642 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:56,440 Speaker 1: doing today that put you in a position. If you're diligent, 643 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: if you treat it with respect, if you get the 644 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 1: education you're supposed to get out of it, if you 645 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:07,240 Speaker 1: don't take it for granted, if you actually do the work, 646 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 1: if you do it with integrity, if you don't cut 647 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:14,359 Speaker 1: corners but you learn the lesson, if you go all in, 648 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: if you disciplined. I was putting out content when nobody 649 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: was paying me. I was putting out content because I 650 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: loved the content. I wanted to hear the stories. And 651 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 1: so now the people that I interviewed a lot of 652 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,279 Speaker 1: these like may my friends. Now there are people like 653 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:34,600 Speaker 1: I text with them, I talked to them. When I 654 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: see them, it's what up. We get a drink, we 655 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,879 Speaker 1: got to eat, we hang out. The people who are 656 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,879 Speaker 1: like my rock stars, those are the people that you know, 657 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: I can rub shoulders, where I can stand next to, 658 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 1: I can sit beside and we all good. I'm getting 659 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:55,919 Speaker 1: the bag, they getting the bag and we all get 660 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: in the bag. Because I didn't really is it at 661 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: the moment. But again, you can't connect the docs looking forward. 662 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 1: So when I was doing the podcast, I thought I 663 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: was doing it for X week reason. I thought I 664 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 1: was doing it for reason X. But reason why why 665 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 1: was around the corner and I didn't even know it. 666 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 1: But I treated it with respect because I gave to 667 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 1: the community. I wanted y'all to have something that didn't 668 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:29,560 Speaker 1: exist before. I wanted y'all to see yourselves in the 669 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: people that I represented put on the platform. Gave a 670 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:39,319 Speaker 1: pedestal to uplifted on that podcast, which put me in 671 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:44,000 Speaker 1: a position to touch more people. I could I couldn't 672 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:49,480 Speaker 1: have scripted that out. I couldn't have dictated how it 673 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 1: was going to happen. So today I sit in a position, 674 00:39:56,239 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: you know, a privileged position, a position I worked for, 675 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,879 Speaker 1: or a position of honor, a position to be able 676 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,279 Speaker 1: to serve you. And that's really what it's all about. 677 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: But I did that work, and what I do this 678 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: work for continually is to show you that you do 679 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 1: this work. These are the rewards because the stories that 680 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: we highlight on this podcast, the stories that you will 681 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 1: see at afro Tech twenty twenty one, the people that 682 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 1: you're gonna meet at this conference coming up, which I 683 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:34,800 Speaker 1: mean I did the whole podcast just now trying to 684 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:36,640 Speaker 1: get you to see why you need to be there. 685 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: You can't miss this. You cannot miss this. It's virtual. 686 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:48,759 Speaker 1: So what this virtual world that afro Tech builds is like, 687 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 1: it is this aint zoom fan. This ain't go to meeting. 688 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: You don't build the whole world for y'all, and you 689 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: meet people from all across the World's people I met 690 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: last year from Tanzania. It's people I met last year 691 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: from the UK. It's people I met last year from 692 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,239 Speaker 1: all from Tennessee. It's people I'm met from all over 693 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: the world, and they all look like I mean, they 694 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: all pretty for the most part, look like us, and 695 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:17,759 Speaker 1: they're trying to do the thing, and they doing the thing. 696 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,160 Speaker 1: They want to hire you, they want to fund you, 697 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: they want to buy your stuff, and they're at this conference. 698 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: So that's my story. I hope you got something out 699 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 1: of that. You never really know why you're doing what 700 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:39,840 Speaker 1: you're doing. You might think you know why you're doing 701 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 1: what you're doing. You might have real intentions on the 702 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:49,840 Speaker 1: reasons that you're doing specific things that you're doing, but 703 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:54,880 Speaker 1: sometimes they don't work out like you planned. That's just 704 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 1: a fact. Sometimes the outcome isn't something that you prescribed. 705 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:02,720 Speaker 1: But if you're in there and you're doing the work, 706 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 1: there will be opportunities that open up to you that 707 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:07,960 Speaker 1: you could not have asked for, that you couldn't have 708 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 1: imagined would be possible for you put yourself in a 709 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:20,319 Speaker 1: position to be successful. That's my story for today. Oh 710 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:21,560 Speaker 1: y'all enjoyed this episode.