1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: A lot of times people suffer from things like imposter 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: syndrome and not feeling like they belong in places. Have 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: you ever dealt with imposter syndrome, especially now as you 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: are going into your own space. 5 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: Yes, I've absolutely dealt with imposter syndrome. You know, it's 6 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 2: really this story that we've told ourselves that we have 7 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 2: to stop believing the places where I felt imposter syndrome. 8 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 2: I felt it because I allowed myself to believe that 9 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: I wasn't worthy. And then I started to realize that 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: almost none of the people in the room understood either. 11 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: And so it's really about equipping yourself with the information 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: or with the knowledge you feel like you need in 13 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: order to feel like, Okay, I am supposed to be here. 14 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: I can do this. It takes courage, it takes working, 15 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: it takes practice, It takes reminding yourself like the door 16 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: wouldn't have opened if you weren't supposed to be in 17 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 2: the room. And so once I started reminding myself of 18 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: that and getting my reps in, when I walk into 19 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: this room, I'm going to have one good thing to say. 20 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: You know, I'm going to speak up in this meeting. 21 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 2: I'm going to share my perspective, I think doing that 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,119 Speaker 2: work gives you the courage and helps you really start 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: to take greater and greater steps toward feeling comfortable. 24 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome back to another episode of butter Nomics. 25 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Brandon Butler, founder and CEO of Butter 26 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: atl And. Today we have a very very special guest 27 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: all up with us on the podcast. And you know 28 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: it's not just because she went to Georgia Southern like 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: all the amazing other people out there, but you know, 30 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: she was at shondalandas a director of Marketing. She's done 31 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of other things we're going to get into. 32 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: So I want to introduce everybody to miss miche profet Man. 33 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: How are you doing this morning? 34 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: Hi, I'm so good. I'm really excited for this conversation today. 35 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: I'm excited that you're part of this conversation today. So 36 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: let's let's jump into it. So for those that don't know, 37 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: just give them a little background on yourself, like tell 38 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: them why you're so. 39 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 3: Amazing and some of the amazing things you've been doing. 40 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 2: Now. I don't know how much I can vouch for 41 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 2: the amazingness, but I will start with where I began. 42 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: So I am a South Georgia girl born and raised 43 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 2: in Waynesboro, Georgia, and I have, I don't know, for 44 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 2: whatever reason, been able to wiggle my way around the world, 45 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 2: going from Atlanta to Los Angeles, working across so many 46 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: different industries. Marketing is what I enjoy. Is my drug 47 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: of choice, I guess. And so yeah, my last venture 48 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: was at Shondaland, the incomparable Shondaland, working as the director 49 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: of Digital Marketing. And from there before that, you know, 50 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 2: I've worked at at and T, I worked at a 51 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: major logistics company here in Atlanta. I've been in sports, 52 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: I've been in healthcare. So I'm really proud of just 53 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 2: the way I've been able to kind of transverse the 54 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: industry and take my gifts and talents to some really 55 00:02:58,600 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: incredible places. 56 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Now, what does the director of Digital market at 57 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: Shondaland look like like? 58 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 3: What was that experience like for you? 59 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: Yes, so, believe it or not, I was the first ever. 60 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: So I started at Shondaland as a digital content manager, 61 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 2: working on parts of the business that were fairly new. 62 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 2: So Shondaland dot Com, which is a joint venture between 63 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: Shondaland and Hurst and then also Shondaland Audio, which is 64 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 2: a joint venture between iHeart and Shondaland. And so I 65 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: started there and was asked by by leadership team if 66 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 2: I was interested in potentially building out a digital marketing department. 67 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: And at the time, we had a few different people 68 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 2: who were working on social and digital marketing, but they 69 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 2: weren't necessarily working together and they weren't working together under 70 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: the same people. So this was an opportunity for me 71 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: to really build out a team. And so in that role, 72 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: I was like obviously honored to be asked, but also 73 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: you know, it was like an opportunity to really shape 74 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 2: what digital marketing looks like at Shondaland. And so my 75 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,839 Speaker 2: day today was really working across all of our programming, 76 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: all of our TV, all of our audio content, all 77 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: of our website content, and also on some of that 78 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: brand marketing that we traditionally hadn't had to do because 79 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: of our partners. But our CFCMO was really invested in 80 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: really building out the Master brand. And so yeah, I 81 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: got to do a little bit of everything with a 82 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: really incredible team. So grateful for the time and the opportunity. 83 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, and then you know, you were there, you 84 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: did a bunch of amazing work, but then you decided 85 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: to kind of leave and do your own thing. And 86 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: one of the things I'm going to be talking about 87 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: was that for a while you kind of consider it 88 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: yourself to be anti entrepreneurship. So why was that And 89 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: then you know, how did that also impact your decision 90 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: to actually take that leap and actually start doing your 91 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: own thing. 92 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think Brandon, to be honest, I 93 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 2: grew up in a very safe environ meant my parents 94 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: were blue collar, and so for me, as a first 95 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 2: generation college graduate, I kind of came out of school like, okay, 96 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 2: I can't miss this up right. So it's like, Okay, 97 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: you go to school, you get the degree, you go 98 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: out into the world, you get a job, you stay 99 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 2: on that job, and you do that job for millions 100 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: of years. And I learned very quickly that it was 101 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 2: not going to be that easy. But I also didn't 102 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 2: feel like I could chance or could risk doing anything 103 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: else because it wasn't as safe. And then life taught 104 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: me some things, and then I realized the job market 105 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 2: isn't any more safe than being on my own or 106 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 2: doing my own thing. And so I really feel like 107 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 2: I'm at a season of my life where you know, 108 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,919 Speaker 2: I've done the safe route, and so now I'm like, girl, 109 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: just try it. You've done some really cool stuff for 110 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: other people, why not build your own dream. And so 111 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 2: now I'm really in a space where I'm working on 112 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: my own projects and building my own businesses and really 113 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 2: applying all the things that I've been able to apply 114 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 2: for other people to my own stuff. And I think 115 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: that brings me a great deal of joy and a 116 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 2: great deal of pride. But it also takes a good 117 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: deal of courage, courage that I'm trying to muster every 118 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: single day to just like see it through because it's scary, 119 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 2: but the job market is also scary. So really like 120 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 2: just doing again all those things that I've done for 121 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: everyone else, but now applying it to my own stuff. 122 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like the idea of what they kind of 123 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: call golden handcuffs, right. Yes, it's easy to get really 124 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: comfortable and anyain, nothing's wrong with having a job. I 125 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: tell people all the time, like, there's nothing wrong with 126 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: having a nine to five And if that's what you 127 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: want to do, cool, Because entrepreneurship is not for everybody. 128 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: There are probably a lot of people that will be 129 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: really good, you know, number twos and number three's or 130 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: even number tens in organizations, right, but they're trying to 131 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: run their own thing and being stressed out. So just 132 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: having that clarity and taking that step, you know, it's 133 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: a big step for people. But since you've been doing it, 134 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've probably experienced some highs and lows, some 135 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 1: ups and downs, but you know, the winds matter more 136 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: now because you're the one putting those points. 137 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: Up, absolutely absolutely, And I you know, I think too. 138 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 2: One of the good things about where I am is 139 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 2: that I'm in a season of my life where I 140 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 2: can take a few more risks. I have more options, right, 141 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: I've built a nice financial foundation for myself, so it's 142 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: not that I'm desperate for the wins necessarily. And I've 143 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 2: been kind of joking with people and saying like my 144 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 2: project's in the crop pot, because it really is, like 145 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 2: I'm taking my time. I'm working on market research right now, 146 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: waiting on the United States Patent and Trademark's office, right. 147 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 2: And so when you're in a rush, when you're really 148 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: desperate to make money or to turn a profit. I 149 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 2: think you can. You can rush your dream, you can 150 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: rush your goal, and you can, unfortunately be forced to 151 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: make decisions that you don't necessarily want to make, and 152 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: they aren't the wisest. So I'm really grateful because with 153 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: the project and the crop pot, I can take my time. 154 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 2: I can make sure that you know, my insights are valuable, 155 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 2: that my decisions are informed, and I can just do 156 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: it at my own pace versus feeling like I've got 157 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 2: to do it because I need this to survive. And 158 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: so that's I think that's something that I've been able 159 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: to prove to myself. Going back to like being anti entrepreneur, 160 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 2: I realized I wasn't really anti entrepreneur. I was anti struggle. 161 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: And so I know that obviously there is a struggle 162 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: that comes with this life, but I didn't want to be, 163 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 2: for lack of better words, a starving artist. You know, 164 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 2: I have a child, I have a husband, and I 165 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: have obligations. I have financial obligations that I wanted to 166 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: be able to fulfill while still pursuing my dream. And 167 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 2: so it took a minute for me to get to 168 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 2: the point where I was comfortable, comfortable enough to make 169 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 2: the decisions. But also I did a lot of work 170 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 2: to get to the point where I could make those decisions. 171 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and nobody wants to be a starving artist. But 172 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: speaking of starving, tell me about this crockpot. What you 173 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: got cooking in the crockpot. 174 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: I have what I'm calling a passion project, but really 175 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 2: it's birth from what I feel is an opportunity in 176 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: the market. I'm a country girl, I told you that. Literally, 177 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: grown up on dirt roads, and so my project is 178 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 2: Dirt Road Roots. It's the Dirt Road Roots Company, and 179 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: it is all about elevating the voices and the narratives 180 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 2: of rural Southerners. So people who identify with growing up country, 181 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 2: you know, for wheelers, dirt roads, mudding, barbecues all the time. Yeah, 182 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: snap peas picking cotton, well maybe not cotton, excuse me, corn, Yeah, 183 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 2: corn collars. Definitely did a lot of snappeas in my day. 184 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: My goodness, and your hands are sore. 185 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've been there. I've been there. 186 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like and dealing with that's getting kicked out of 187 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 2: your grandma house because it's too hot, but you got 188 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 2: to be outside and you can't come inside. Like, all 189 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 2: of that experience I think there's an opportunity here because 190 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: what I found is that typically, even in media and 191 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: on TV, we as rural Southerners are portrayed a very 192 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 2: specific way, and I don't necessarily identify with that or 193 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 2: that storyline or that story arc. So it's kind of 194 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 2: a multifaceted brand in that while it will come to 195 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 2: market as one thing, I see it really growing into another, 196 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 2: almost like a consulting services opportunity for audiences again that 197 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 2: have been traditionally left out of conversations. And we're in 198 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 2: a very interesting political economic climate right now, and I 199 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 2: just don't think the voices of the people that I 200 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 2: knew and I grew up with are being captured. So 201 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 2: really excited about pouring into that. And I think at 202 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 2: the bottom or at the end of the day, it's 203 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 2: really about people being proud of where they come from 204 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 2: and allowing the pride that we've not always been able 205 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 2: to express to come to life in a new way. 206 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 2: So I'm really excited about it. 207 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, I mean I've, you know, having grown up 208 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 1: in the South and spend a lot of time in 209 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: the country too, it's always interested in me. I feel 210 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: like people have a very like old school like gone 211 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: with their own kind of mentality when it comes to 212 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 1: the South. For some reason, they lit the house on. 213 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: The Prairie kill billies. It's very interesting and it's just 214 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 2: not that anymore. I think one of the one of 215 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 2: my proudest moments though, of seeing kind of this this 216 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 2: conversation or this narrative come to life is a Queen Sugar, 217 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 2: you know. I think Eva did a really beautiful job 218 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,559 Speaker 2: of capturing some of the Southern experience. I would love 219 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 2: to see that more so. I'm looking forward to building 220 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 2: what I can build. 221 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think again, those stories are going to become, 222 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: you know, more and more relevant and probably more consistent too, 223 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: because you just get you know, again it for a 224 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: lot of times, people only look at those kind of 225 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: like big cities, those big metropolis areas for stories, and 226 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: they thought that's the only thing that people could relate to. 227 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: But it seems like there's a lot of relatable stories 228 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: and content that are down in the you know, in 229 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: the in the more rural parts of the country. People 230 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:01,199 Speaker 1: don't really realize, right. 231 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, And I also, you know, my parents 232 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 2: are still there, and you know, they talk all the 233 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 2: time about how some of their friends who've moved away 234 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 2: in the city are now coming back. And I think 235 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 2: with COVID and the pandemic, we are seeing a little 236 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 2: bit of a reversal of people leaving these you know, 237 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: lesser populated areas to go to the city. They're actually 238 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 2: doing the opposite out they're leaving the city because they 239 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 2: can go get land, they can build a big home. 240 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 2: You know, glamping is a big thing now. It's so 241 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 2: many like really interesting experiences that I think I took 242 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 2: for granted as a child that people you know, are 243 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 2: now looking for. They're wanting to have peace, you know, 244 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 2: they want to go somewhere secluded. They want to live 245 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 2: off of dirt roads, which again is really weird because 246 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 2: growing up, I think there was a little bit of 247 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 2: even shame when I would go to like summer camps 248 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 2: and things like that, and you know, you're telling people 249 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: where you're from. They have no idea, so then you 250 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 2: have to use like a land. So I always say like, okay, 251 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 2: Waynsboro is fifteen minutes south of Augusta, or it's between 252 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: Augusta and Savannah, and then they're like, oh, okay, I 253 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 2: kind of understand, right, but they don't really know and 254 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 2: then both of us, you know, we lived in Statesboro 255 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: for a number of years thanks to college, and even 256 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 2: Statesboro is bigger than the city that I grew up in. 257 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 2: So for me, that's always been a source of pride. 258 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 2: And I've always said I'm hardly home, but I'm always 259 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 2: repping because I want people to know you. It doesn't 260 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 2: matter where you come from, it's about where you're going. 261 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: So so like, how have you applied like this idea 262 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: that you know, you know where you're from doesn't define 263 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: where you're going, you know because for a lot of people, again, 264 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: they probably think that when they you know, for example, 265 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: I have family that lives, you know, in rural Alabama, 266 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: and you know, I know some people that they're like, 267 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: you know what, I was born here and I'm going 268 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: to die here and I'm not moving. This kind of 269 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: defines me. But then you also get people to kind 270 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: of break outside of that. So like for yourself, how 271 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: do you you know, kind of move in that space 272 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: to where you don't kind of lit where you come 273 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: from to find you and you've you know, been comfortable 274 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: to kind of move forward in your life and career 275 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,319 Speaker 1: to these you know, bigger and more amazing things you're 276 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: working on. 277 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the first thing is exposure. 278 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 3: So I was great. 279 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 2: I was, uh, you know, lucky enough to have parents 280 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: who were really big about my sister and I have 281 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 2: an exposure. So I was talking to a friend yesterday 282 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 2: about how, you know, they didn't have a whole lot 283 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 2: of money. My parents, again were blue collar. They would 284 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 2: take us on day trips to like Savannah or Charleston 285 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 2: or you know, Columbia, South Carolina, to go to the 286 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: zoo or whatever. And it was those little things that 287 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 2: kind of gave you a sense of, Okay, there is 288 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: life outside of this town. You know, there's life outside 289 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 2: of our home. And so with that, they put me 290 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 2: into mentoring opportunities and leadership programs, and so I got 291 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 2: a chance to do a little bit of travel, and 292 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 2: I'll honestly say, I think that is what kind of 293 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: sparked this curiosity for me about what is life outside 294 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 2: of here. My aunts also have lived in Atlanta, mine life, 295 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 2: so we would take weekend trips to Atlanta. So I 296 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 2: was really kind of exposed to life outside of the city. 297 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 2: And so while I believe that to an extent, I 298 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 2: am still defined by where I'm from. I think it 299 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 2: also catapulted me into these new environments so that when 300 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 2: I step into them, I can share my experience as 301 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 2: someone who's different. Because I didn't grow up in a 302 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 2: metro area. I don't know what it's like to use 303 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 2: public transportation to get to school. I didn't necessarily spend 304 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 2: my weekends in the mall or at the movies. You know, 305 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 2: I had a completely different upbringing. I always joke with 306 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 2: my best friends about the fact that we would hang 307 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: out in Walmart because that was the place that was 308 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 2: open and that was what was accessible to us. And 309 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 2: so that life experience really has given me a little 310 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 2: bit of marketability in a sense. It really is my 311 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 2: competitive advantage. And I don't believe anything's wrong with people 312 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 2: staying where they're from, but I think we all have 313 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 2: to discern what our comfort zone is, and sometimes our 314 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 2: comfort zone is our physical location. And so for me, 315 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: I knew very early on my parents wanted me to 316 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 2: go away to school because they wanted me to have 317 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 2: a different experience. They wanted me to know what life 318 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: was like. And my mom has always told me, you 319 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 2: can always come home. So if you go away and 320 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 2: you don't like it, girls just come back home, you know. 321 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 2: And thankfully I've never had to do that, but if 322 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 2: I've wanted to, the opportunities there and now home represents 323 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 2: a place of retreat for me. It represents a place 324 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 2: of peace, and it's a place of rejuvenation because you know, 325 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 2: my again, my project would not have been birthed had 326 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 2: I not learned to appreciate that, Appreciate what I was 327 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 2: able to experience growing up, Appreciate the life that that's 328 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 2: offered in a world where people are fighting for land, 329 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 2: they're fighting for space in these bigger cities. They don't 330 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: know what a park is, you know. They've never seen 331 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 2: an open field. They don't know what picking snap peas 332 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 2: or kyla greens is like, living off the land. They 333 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 2: don't identify with any of that. I can talk about that, 334 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 2: and I can share that experience, and I think, yeah, 335 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 2: I think that really is like a competitive advantage. So 336 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 2: two people who are maybe struggling with identifying themselves outside 337 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 2: of where they're from, I think, don't discount where your 338 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 2: origin is. Right, own your story and know that it's 339 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 2: worth telling, and don't waste it. Believe in it, trust 340 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 2: that God placed you somewhere and that you can use 341 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 2: that competitively in the market. 342 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean a lot of people. Again, I think 343 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: perspective is always important. You know, I have kind of 344 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: a similar experience right to where you know, I was 345 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: lucky enough to do a lot of traveling. You know, 346 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: when I was young, I would go all over the country, 347 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: travel with my dad, go different places, and I think 348 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: for me, it just showed me there was so much 349 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: more outside of Atlanta. And some of the things that 350 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: really helped is you know, I saw some really big 351 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: houses growing up and would always got to say to 352 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: myself like, Okay, I think that's a big house, and 353 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 1: I want that to guess what, there's a bigger house 354 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 1: even somewhere else. And so, you know, when you kind 355 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: of get stuck in an area and you don't travel, 356 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: you don't get that prospect and the world kind of 357 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: gets small. 358 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 3: But when you just. 359 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: Experienced things and see things, you really kind of understand 360 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: like there's so much out there for you to experience 361 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: and all you got to do is kind of take 362 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: the first step and the other things will happen. But 363 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,120 Speaker 1: you know, my question is when you start doing that, 364 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: A lot of times people suffer from things like imposter 365 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: syndrome or not feeling like they belong in places. Have 366 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: you ever, you know, dealt with imposter syndrome, especially now 367 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: as you are going into your own space, and like, 368 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: how did you kind of deal with that? 369 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 3: And what? Also how have you worked through that? 370 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I yes, I've absolutely dealt with imposter syndrome. 371 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 2: But I recently found this Harvard Business Review article where 372 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 2: this woman was almost like disproving imposter syndrome. And in 373 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 2: the sense that you know, it's really this story that 374 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 2: we've told ourselves that we have to stop believing. And 375 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 2: so for me, the places where I felt imposter syndrome, 376 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 2: I felt it because I allowed myself to believe that 377 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 2: I wasn't worthy or that I wasn't qualified enough. And 378 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 2: then I started to realize that almost none of the 379 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 2: people in the room understood either right, they didn't know everything. 380 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 2: And so it's really about equipping yourself with the information 381 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 2: or with the knowledge you feel like you need in 382 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 2: order to feel like, Okay, I am supposed to be here, 383 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 2: I can do this. It takes courage, it takes working, 384 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 2: it takes practice, it takes reminding yourself like the door 385 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 2: wouldn't have opened if you weren't supposed to be in 386 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 2: the room. And so once I started reminding myself of 387 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 2: that and getting my reps in, you know, really just practicing, like, Okay, 388 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: when I walk into this room, I'm gonna have one 389 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,119 Speaker 2: good thing to say. You know, I'm going to speak 390 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 2: up in this meeting. I'm going to share my perspective. 391 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 2: I think doing that work gives you the courage and 392 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 2: helps you really start to take greater and greater steps 393 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 2: toward feeling comfortable. For me, now, stepping out on my 394 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 2: own took some time, but it also took a lot 395 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 2: of research. You know, I really want to do something 396 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,439 Speaker 2: that no one else was really thinking about or talking about. 397 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: And I remember being in graduate school and we talked 398 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 2: about the Blue Ocean strategy, and so I think that 399 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 2: that's something we don't really think about as much as entrepreneurs. Right, 400 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 2: everybody wants to do what's trendy. So you see a 401 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 2: lot of people doing selling certain products, or you know, 402 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: everybody's trying to do content or whatever the trend may be. 403 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 2: I didn't want to follow a trend. Now I do 404 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 2: want to follow the market. I want to know what's competitive. 405 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 2: I want to know what people are interested in. But 406 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 2: I want to have a unique value proposition. So I 407 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,199 Speaker 2: want whatever my thing is, I want my thing to 408 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 2: be different. And so it took me a minute to 409 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 2: really find something that I felt one I was passionate about, 410 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 2: two that I felt like I could really speak to 411 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 2: and make it grow and give it legs. And three 412 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 2: something that I could grow and it be expansive, so 413 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 2: it's not just one product, but it's a product and 414 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 2: maybe some services and maybe it's a show or whatever. 415 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,640 Speaker 2: Like I wanted something that felt a little bit more 416 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 2: full bodied, not just a one and done. Because I've 417 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 2: also seen people start companies today, you know, and they're like, Okay, 418 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 2: well didn't do anything. I'm gonna give it up tomorrow. 419 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 2: And I didn't want to be like that. I wanted. 420 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,479 Speaker 2: I wanted something that I could potentially pass down to 421 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 2: my child. And so I feel really strongly about what 422 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 2: I'm working on now because I think that is this. 423 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it sounds like too. 424 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: Based on your story, it sounds like you were already 425 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: kind of considering, you know, doing something, but to your point, 426 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: you were kind of looking for a thing out of curiosity. 427 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: What were some of the things that you you know, 428 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: thought about that you actually didn't do. Were there other 429 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: ideas or other things that you thought about pursuing and 430 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: decided not to to, you know, actually start your company? 431 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 2: Now, Yeah, there are a few things. Actually I've I've 432 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 2: had a few things that were in the crop pie 433 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 2: and then I just took them out and turned it 434 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 2: off because I realized they just, to get to my point, 435 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 2: they just really weren't I don't think sustainable. But also 436 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 2: I didn't feel a strongly about them. And I know 437 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 2: myself well enough to know when I get excited about something, 438 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 2: when I'm thinking about something on the weekends, when I'm 439 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 2: like in my phone making notes, I know that there's 440 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 2: something there. And so what I did for a while 441 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 2: with my current project is I just started recording iPhone 442 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 2: notes and I got to the point where I was 443 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 2: realizing this is like a real thing. So I sat 444 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 2: down and almost did like my own little mini brand workshop. 445 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 2: And so that's how I got to this point. I 446 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 2: had never done that before. With the other things. I've 447 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 2: worked on blogs, I've worked on t shirt businesses, I've 448 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 2: worked on consulting businesses. I wanted to start a marketing 449 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 2: company a while ago, that's something you know we've talked about. 450 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 2: I did with two other partners a few months ago, 451 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 2: but that came out of having a support system, having 452 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 2: complimentary skills and people that I could trust to man 453 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 2: the business alongside me. My issue with starting a business 454 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 2: in the past has been I didn't want to be 455 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 2: the sole giver, right. I didn't want to be the 456 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 2: only person who's working toward this, mostly because I also 457 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,920 Speaker 2: I know myself, and so I wanted to have enough 458 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 2: flexibility to where if I wanted to travel with my 459 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 2: family or I needed to step away for family reasons, 460 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 2: I had back up, and my business wasn't relying solely 461 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 2: on me, and so that's really why I abandoned a 462 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 2: little bit of that. I also didn't want to turn 463 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 2: a hobby of mine, something that I enjoyed in my 464 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 2: free time, into a hustle. And I feel like we 465 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 2: get a lot of that now, But as a true creative, 466 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 2: I liked just being able to create on my own 467 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 2: without having to tie profit to it. And so I 468 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,119 Speaker 2: was realizing that while I enjoyed these things, I didn't 469 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 2: want to monetize those things. I wanted something that could 470 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:51,719 Speaker 2: be monetized on its own and so yeah, that's what 471 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 2: has led me here. It took a few duds to 472 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 2: get to the point where I really feel good about 473 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 2: an idea and I feel good about what I'm doing. 474 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,199 Speaker 2: I'm investing my time and my money into it, and 475 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 2: I just didn't get to that point with those other things. 476 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: No, you know, I get it as somebody who you know, 477 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: creates content all the time for butter atl and all 478 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: these other things that I work on. 479 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 3: You know, I talk to people. 480 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: I tell them it's like, look, people say, follow your passion, 481 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,399 Speaker 1: And I don't know if that's always great advice, you know, 482 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: because to your point, you know, sometimes you just want 483 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: a hobby to be a hobby, and this whole idea 484 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: that no, you got to you got to monetize that 485 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: thing that you enjoy doing. When I'm like, no, you 486 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: need to find a thing that makes money and do that. 487 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: And if you can still have your hobby on the 488 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: side that you can enjoy and you know, and relax with, 489 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 1: that's always good. So you know, how do you kind 490 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: of feel about that idea between like, you know, passion 491 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: and profit, Like it's always dress because those things do 492 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 1: work for some people, but it doesn't work for everybody. 493 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 3: But it seems like that's the advice we always hear 494 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 3: out here. 495 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and it's not a one size fits all, And 496 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,439 Speaker 2: I love that you brought that up, you know, because 497 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 2: people don't always take account for the tax, the creative tax, right, 498 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: And so I believe that we all have some level 499 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,239 Speaker 2: of creativity in us, and we have to find a 500 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 2: balance between making it about business and just about something 501 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 2: that gives us creative outlet. Because I feel like the 502 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,920 Speaker 2: more we create, the more ourselves we are, the more 503 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,479 Speaker 2: we enjoy life. It brings us great joy and it should. 504 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,719 Speaker 2: I have seen people turn passions into profit. Those people 505 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,640 Speaker 2: do it really well. I've been unable to do that. 506 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 2: I think you can be passionate about something, but then 507 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 2: something else be a passion, right, So like, if my 508 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 2: passion is filmmaking, I think that could potentially turn into profit. 509 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 2: But I'm not one of those people who can turn 510 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 2: a passion into profit. And so what I typically have 511 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 2: done is if I feel like there's something that I 512 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 2: want to create a business out of, then it's like, Okay, 513 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 2: I'm gonna remove myself from being passionate about it. I 514 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 2: almost have to make it about the business so that 515 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 2: I have another creative outlet. For example, right the marketing 516 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 2: company that I there are aspects of it that I 517 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 2: deeply enjoy, and there are aspects of it that I 518 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 2: treat as a job, and I leave it as a 519 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 2: job because I want it to stay on one side 520 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 2: of my life. I don't want to become consumed by 521 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 2: my work, ever, and so it's really about learning to 522 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 2: draw those fine lines. And the more I have creative outlet, 523 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 2: the more I can pour into my business. So it's 524 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,239 Speaker 2: almost like it's feeding. They're feeding each other, right, and 525 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 2: so keeping them separate has worked really well for me. 526 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 2: I also think though about the advice that we've seen 527 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 2: in the industry about you know, everyone's hustling and turn 528 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 2: your hobby into a hustle, I think is the wording. 529 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 2: But it's like, that's because we live in a capitalistic society, right, 530 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 2: so people have to eat, and so that feels very easy. 531 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 2: But going back to that comfort zone, is that the 532 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 2: best you have to offer? And is that something that 533 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 2: you want to give up? Or should it be that 534 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 2: my hobby stays my hobby and I get a nine 535 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 2: to five, you know, or I do something else that 536 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 2: will bring me profit. I feel like there are so 537 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 2: many ways now for us to invest, for us to 538 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,959 Speaker 2: find ways to make money that we don't have to 539 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 2: necessarily turn our higby into a hustle, because I also 540 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 2: feel like that's a very easy way to burn out. 541 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: It is because you've taken one of the things that actually, 542 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: you know, gives you an escape and release from, and 543 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, that's what you're doing all day, 544 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: every day as a you know, as a person. Again, 545 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: I used to enjoy building websites, and I said, let 546 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 1: me start a business doing this, and I very quickly 547 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: hated building websites. To this day, I don't want to 548 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,439 Speaker 1: mess with one because you kind of fall into that space, right. So, 549 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: but again that's the advice you hear everywhere. It's like, no, 550 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: you got to do this and you. 551 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 3: Got to do that. 552 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: And that's why I think that first of all, everybody's 553 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: not built for entrepreneurship, and that's totally okay. 554 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 3: There's nothing wrong with happening in nine to five. 555 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: Like actually, I think having a corporate job is actually 556 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: one of the cheat codes to actually having a successful 557 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:53,120 Speaker 1: business because you kind of learn on somebody else's dime, 558 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: how to how to run businesses, how to start things, 559 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: and so you know, for you as a person that's 560 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: building your own thing, you know, how did that? 561 00:27:59,560 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 3: How did that? 562 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: And kind of working in corporate America help you make 563 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: that transition to kind of building and running your own brand. 564 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 2: Yes, I love talking about this. This is one of 565 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 2: those things that I learned very early on as a 566 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 2: as a professional, is to when I I'll just go here, 567 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,439 Speaker 2: you know, the Denzel Washington, I'm leaving here with something. 568 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 2: I've taken that into every single place that I've worked. 569 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: So I'm always looking for what I'm going to be 570 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 2: able to take with me, and sometimes it's a skill, right, 571 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 2: so I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna put this into my toolkit. 572 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:36,399 Speaker 2: Or maybe it's just owning a communication style, or working 573 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 2: with executives and stakeholders, or understanding how I can find investors. 574 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,480 Speaker 2: All of those things are important. And so to your point, 575 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 2: I think it's very much a cheat code to be 576 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: on a job and be able to pour into your 577 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 2: business if for no other reason than the funding. Right, So, 578 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 2: like you have a source of funding here, you can 579 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: you can decide how much you're going to invest monthly 580 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 2: and then do that as a side versus fully relying 581 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 2: on the income of your business initially. I also think 582 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 2: for me, just being in different industries has helped me 583 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 2: because it's allowed me to also see how healthcare is 584 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 2: different from sports, and sports is different from entertainment, and 585 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 2: entertainment is different from Telco. It's really allowed me to just, 586 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 2: I think, in a sense, to first diversify my own 587 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 2: business and determine like, you don't have to stay in 588 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 2: one particular lane. If you want to do this, you 589 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 2: can do this, you can do that as well, you 590 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 2: can do a little bit of that, like you aren't limited. 591 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 2: And so I'm grateful for my work corporate experience because 592 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 2: it has really shaped me. And I also think in 593 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 2: a way it kind of pushed me into entrepreneurship because 594 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 2: it showed me if you can do it for all 595 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 2: of these different businesses, girl, you can do it for 596 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 2: yourself absolutely. 597 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: And I mean I think a lot of people have 598 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 1: that same realization. I know I kind of had a 599 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: similar one, just from this perspective of I was always 600 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: kind of behind the scenes person that everybody would ask 601 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: for help and everything, and then one day you're like, 602 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: I'm the one everybody's asking for help, like maybe I 603 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: should just do it? 604 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, that way before I have, I have, and 605 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 2: I you know, you asked about imposter syndrome. And I 606 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 2: remember one time, you know, being asked a question about 607 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 2: something and it was almost like a standstill moment because 608 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 2: I was like, wait a second, why are you asking 609 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 2: me about this? But on the other side of that, 610 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 2: it's like, wait, you asked me about this. Like that, 611 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 2: I'm grateful because now I know I know what I'm doing, 612 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 2: you know, and someone trusts me to do that. So Yes, 613 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 2: to your point, it really is a little bit of 614 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 2: a confidence boost to realize that people are coming to 615 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 2: you and even if you don't know everything, you have 616 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 2: enough to get started, you have enough to problem solve, 617 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 2: to troubleshoot. You can do it. And I again, I've 618 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 2: learned that not everybody knows what the heck they're doing. 619 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,719 Speaker 2: Very few people know, so it's really okay to figure 620 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 2: it out as you go along. You know, you're not 621 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 2: going to be the encyclopedia of entrepreneurship right. Sometimes you 622 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 2: just have to learn from the bumps. But having that 623 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 2: flexibility is important and understanding like failure is just a 624 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 2: part of the journey, but you get back up and 625 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 2: you keep moving. 626 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 3: Yeah. 627 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: I mean for the folks that don't know, I'm gonna 628 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: go ahead and spill the beans. Like everybody's making it 629 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: up as they go along. Everybody like you would be surprised, 630 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: you know, for those who don't know how many people 631 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: literally make it up. The joke I would always tell 632 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: myself is I cannot be the smartest person here, Like 633 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 1: all this stuff was here before I got here. I 634 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: cannot be. But I feel like I'm the smartest person 635 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: here now. I'm concerned and that lets me know that 636 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: you know again you can kind of do your own thing, 637 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: and you deserve to be here. 638 00:31:59,400 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 2: You know. 639 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 3: Where am I questions is? 640 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,479 Speaker 1: You know, you've done all this stuff, and you've had 641 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 1: all these kind of different experiences, and you've dealt with 642 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: in post syndrome. 643 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 3: You kind of built your brain. 644 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: But my question is, like for people that are also 645 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: want to kind of following footsteps or kind of do 646 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: something similar, what are some trends and and kind of 647 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: shifts in culture and business that you see now? Like 648 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: when you started, you know, your company, you saw kind 649 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: of this trend or this opportunity to kind of help, 650 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: you know, bring these stories from more rural areas kind 651 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: of to the forefront. What are some other trends that 652 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: you kind of have noticed out here that might also be, 653 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, good ideas for people that just want to 654 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: kind of get started doing their own thing. 655 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, honestly, I think really determining what you 656 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 2: like to do as a good first step. And I 657 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 2: know that seems like so simple and almost cliche, but 658 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 2: I don't think that enough people take time to understand 659 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 2: what they like to do and what they do well. 660 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 2: I think those are two separate things sometimes, but you 661 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 2: need to know what you like to do and what 662 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 2: you do well because then you can merge them together. 663 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 2: So for me, what I like to do is I 664 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 2: like to I'm just a communication Like my mom had 665 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 2: me in essay contests when I was in like third grade, 666 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 2: so I've been talking and writing and reading since then, right, 667 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 2: So telling stories or just talking in general, building community communications, 668 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 2: all of those things are things that I enjoy. And 669 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 2: I know that I do those things well because listen, 670 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 2: I can write out of this world and I don't 671 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 2: do it enough. So I'm okay with sharing that. The 672 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 2: other thing is what you do well. Knowing that I 673 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,239 Speaker 2: do that well, I was like, Okay, so why am 674 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 2: I sitting on these gifts? And so for me, it 675 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 2: was what am I seeing in the marketplace that may 676 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 2: be in an area of opportunity. And before Beyonce released 677 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 2: Cowboy Carter, I was noticing this trend of just things 678 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 2: like country line dancing, which is a pastime that many 679 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 2: of us grew up with, but it still is. Like 680 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 2: now it's because of TikTok and reels and all those things. 681 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 2: It's really taken off and more and more people are 682 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 2: doing it. And then I have some friends who love 683 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 2: things like horse meet up, so they like go out 684 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 2: to these places and take their horses and then they're 685 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 2: doing they're taking like rides together, and I was just 686 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 2: thinking about how that experience is something we've never seen 687 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,800 Speaker 2: on television. We don't talk about it. I spent a 688 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 2: lot of time in LA and so the Compton Cowboys, 689 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 2: I just grew like to like fascinated by these city 690 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 2: boys who are living a country boy life in the city, right, 691 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 2: And so it's like all those things start emerging together 692 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 2: for me and I was like, wow, I really enjoy this. 693 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: I identify with it. I feel like there's an opportunity 694 00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 2: in the market to tell these stories, to talk through 695 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,840 Speaker 2: these narratives, and nobody's talking about it. My dad is 696 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 2: a competitive fisherman, not professional, but competitive, and he loves 697 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 2: like bass pro shops and you know John Deere, and 698 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 2: it's like all of these branding opportunities just started like 699 00:34:58,200 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 2: hitting me, and I was like, why is no one 700 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 2: doing something with this? And so for me, it was 701 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 2: really emerging of who I am as someone who's always 702 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 2: been passionate about being a rural Southerner. All of these 703 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 2: activities that are now growing popular even by people who 704 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 2: grew up in metro areas. And then again this marketplace 705 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 2: that really is not speaking to these people at all, 706 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,120 Speaker 2: and I was like, Oh, that's what it is. And 707 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 2: so when someone's pursuing something, I think you really do 708 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 2: need to think about where there's an area of opportunity. 709 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 2: Don't just follow what you see everyone else doing. Think 710 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 2: about your unique experience and to use your word, unique perspective, 711 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 2: like what do you enjoy thinking about or talking about 712 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 2: or reading about? What was your experience? Like what's your 713 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 2: origin story? All those things really feed into building something 714 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:52,439 Speaker 2: that is lasting, something that's viable and something that may 715 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 2: actually meet a need in a marketplace. 716 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's sim little what you talked about with the 717 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:58,839 Speaker 1: Blue Ocean strategy, right, And yeah, you know, for those 718 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: who don't know, won't you explain with the blue Ocean strategy. 719 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, so blue Ocean strategy, I'm definitely going too dumb 720 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 2: it down because this is the way that I know 721 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 2: how to do it. Talk about it. But Blue Ocean 722 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 2: is is really about knowing that the market is expansive, 723 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:17,720 Speaker 2: and so oftentimes in the ocean, right, you have fish 724 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 2: that are around each other, and they're all in one 725 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 2: bunched area. But the ocean is so big you don't 726 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 2: have to necessarily be with the other fish. You can 727 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 2: go off and be on your own. And so it's 728 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 2: really about finding areas of opportunity where no other brands 729 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 2: or competitors are there, or at least not in the 730 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 2: sense that they have the competitive advantage that you do. 731 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 2: So Blue Ocean is really about finding areas in the 732 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: marketplace where you can meet a need and you can 733 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,720 Speaker 2: find consumers and create a market for yourself. And I again, 734 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 2: I don't think that a lot of entrepreneurs are taught 735 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:50,839 Speaker 2: that that's something that I had to go to grad 736 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:54,879 Speaker 2: school to learn, and so I'm just really passionate about 737 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 2: talking that talking about that with people, even when they 738 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 2: come to me and they're like, Okay, I need some 739 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,839 Speaker 2: marketing advice, Like okay, well let's talk about what your 740 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 2: product is. And then it's something that you can get 741 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 2: drop shift and like fifty thousand other people are doing 742 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 2: the same thing or you know, I've seen it where 743 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 2: everyone's making T shirts or you know, selling candy or whatever, 744 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 2: and it's like that's fine, but you got to know 745 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 2: that your market's going to tap out. And so again, 746 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,359 Speaker 2: Blue Ocean is really about finding areas of opportunity that 747 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 2: are expansive for you and your business and you can 748 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,319 Speaker 2: create a market and a demand for you all by 749 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:30,880 Speaker 2: your lonesome. 750 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. 751 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,200 Speaker 1: I think for a lot of people, you know, they 752 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:35,880 Speaker 1: see ideas, they see somebody doing something, and you know, 753 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: everybody kind of ends up being a carbon copy of 754 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: each other, right, yes, you see again, Like a good 755 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: example is the trend of what is the freeze dried 756 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 1: candy that's all over TikTok right now, right, Like you 757 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: saw one company kind of started doing it and everybody's 758 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: selling and then the other day I was at the 759 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: gas station and guess what I see inside the gas 760 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 1: station another company actually selling it, you know, in a 761 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,839 Speaker 1: brick and mortar space. Right, we like this whole idea that, yeah, 762 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: you gotta you know, find new areas. One thing I 763 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: like to kind of talk about, as I call it, 764 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: the law of compensation, and they kind of say, the 765 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: law of compensation states, you know, you get paid based 766 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 1: on how well you do something, the need for it, 767 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 1: and how hard you are to be replaced. And so 768 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: to your point, right, like, if you're you know, finding 769 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 1: these blue ocean areas, these open areas, we can kind 770 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:21,760 Speaker 1: of create your own market, to create your own area. 771 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 1: You're a lot. It's it's very hard to replace you 772 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: when you're the only person that's doing something and people 773 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: need it. But when everybody's doing the same thing, there's 774 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:32,320 Speaker 1: not a lot of need for it. And even worse 775 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: is now all of a sudden, you're competing on other things, 776 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,960 Speaker 1: especially price. And let me tell you something, when you're 777 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,120 Speaker 1: when you're competing on price, the one thing you don't 778 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,280 Speaker 1: want to do is race somebody to be the cheapest 779 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,760 Speaker 1: because it's not that you will win, it's the person 780 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 1: in second place is the real loser, right, So you know, 781 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:48,359 Speaker 1: you got to think about these things. And I don't 782 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 1: think a lot of people really understand that perspective, and 783 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 1: they may they may be even concerned that there may 784 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 1: be kind of too far out there. So how do 785 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 1: you kind of manage this idea of you know what, 786 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do something unique, but I'm also not gonna 787 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 1: be so unique that I can't find, you know, customers 788 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 1: or clients for like, how do you kind of bald? 789 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,160 Speaker 2: I mean, for me, it really has been thinking about 790 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 2: the market and like doing the market research. So what 791 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:16,200 Speaker 2: I'm doing now is employing some of my closest friends 792 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 2: my network to take a survey for me. You know, 793 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,480 Speaker 2: I want to know how much are you willing to 794 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 2: pay for a specific item. I want to know how 795 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:27,120 Speaker 2: often are you purchasing said items. I want to know 796 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,800 Speaker 2: what your household income is. And it's not to be nosy. 797 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,839 Speaker 2: It's because I genuinely want to understand so that I 798 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,000 Speaker 2: don't price myself out of the market, but I make 799 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,480 Speaker 2: it competitive enough to drive some demand and also so 800 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 2: that I can turn a profit. And so I think 801 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:45,279 Speaker 2: there's that there's also this under there has to be 802 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:50,239 Speaker 2: an understanding that ultimately, if this is a business for 803 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,239 Speaker 2: you, you need to make money. And so it really is 804 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 2: about positioning yourself to make the money. It can't be 805 00:39:57,640 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 2: that you are going to be the cheapest on the 806 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 2: on the market market to your point, it can't be 807 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 2: that you're going to be the most expensive on the 808 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 2: market either. You have to find that happy medium, and 809 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 2: I think understanding who your audience is is really important. 810 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 2: What I found is a lot of businesses do the 811 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 2: everybody's my target and I'm automatically like, no, listen as 812 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:20,400 Speaker 2: a marketer, and I know you understand this, But for 813 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 2: the people who are not marketers and will listen to this, 814 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 2: your audience cannot be everyone. It cannot be and it 815 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,440 Speaker 2: is not. I don't care what your product is, it 816 00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,280 Speaker 2: can be water. Your audience is still not everyone. Because 817 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:37,279 Speaker 2: you have to understand what your unique, unique value proposition is. 818 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 2: And so once you get that, you can then kind 819 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 2: of like start to fill in, Okay, what does my 820 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:46,760 Speaker 2: customer do with their money? How much are they willing 821 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 2: to spend? Right? And so it is a balancing act 822 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 2: of what you want to bring to the market, and 823 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,840 Speaker 2: then who's looking for what you have to offer you. 824 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 2: Understanding those two is how you find the sweet spot 825 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 2: and how you position yourself. 826 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I heard you say something. I'm just going to 827 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,319 Speaker 1: sum it up with market research people Like, there are 828 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: so many people I know that kind of build their 829 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: ideas in a vacuum or they're scared somebody's gonna, you know, 830 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:13,759 Speaker 1: run off with their idea. And I tell people all 831 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,000 Speaker 1: the time, I'm like, look, I promise you right now 832 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: nobody is going to steal your idea and go run off. 833 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:20,439 Speaker 3: It's okay to go talk to people. 834 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 1: It's okay to get context because if not you build 835 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,440 Speaker 1: up all this stuff, you don't know if it's going 836 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:27,440 Speaker 1: to work. And really, by definition, that's kind of what 837 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,279 Speaker 1: marketing is, right, definition of marketing is actually sitting out 838 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 1: here and you know, doing the research ahead of time 839 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: to make sure the product has product market fit, and 840 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,600 Speaker 1: then you bring that product to a market. And if 841 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:41,839 Speaker 1: you've done the research and if you've developed the right thing, 842 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:44,840 Speaker 1: that's marketing because the market should want the product. Like 843 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 1: why do y'all think Jordan's sell out every time they drop? 844 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:50,160 Speaker 1: Or why do you think these things literally drop and 845 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: all of a sudden boom, they're gone. It's because those 846 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 1: people really understand their market. I was talking to an 847 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: entrepreneur once. I'm not gonna say who it was, but 848 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:01,279 Speaker 1: it's a very successful entrepreneur that sells hamburg and you know, 849 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 1: I remember asking and they said, I said, do. 850 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:04,400 Speaker 3: You have any competition this? 851 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 1: No, I have no competition look for selling handburnies Like yah, 852 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:10,920 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, but your hamburgers aren't that good where you 853 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:14,839 Speaker 1: don't have any competition. And you know, now I've kind 854 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: of seen this person running into some hiccups because you know, 855 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:20,319 Speaker 1: what's happening is more people are doing the same thing 856 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,440 Speaker 1: they were kind of doing. And so even when they 857 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,879 Speaker 1: kind of had this blue ocean the beginning, people start 858 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 1: to see that. So even they didn't have competition, people 859 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: saw them and said, you know what, I can do 860 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: that too, and kind of start to compete because they 861 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 1: really didn't have any kind of real competitive advantage. 862 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:35,920 Speaker 3: You know, they didn't really have a moat. 863 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: Around their business, and so you know, how do you 864 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,200 Speaker 1: kind of you know, create that moat, like for your perspective. 865 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: I mean, you're kind of doing something that's you know, 866 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,520 Speaker 1: unique to your experience, but what are some things you've 867 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:46,360 Speaker 1: kind of done to kind of create that moat around 868 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 1: your business to really kind of give you that competitive advantage. 869 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, in line with the market research rate, 870 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:55,720 Speaker 2: is not just about serving other people, but it's also 871 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:58,720 Speaker 2: like looking at who your competitors are. And so I'm 872 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 2: going into a space where I know there are lots 873 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 2: of competitors just by virtue of what the product will be. 874 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 2: And so for me, it's like, Okay, who's doing this well? 875 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 2: Because in my mind, I don't know, Yes, competitor is 876 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 2: a word, and you know, I would prefer people buy 877 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:17,959 Speaker 2: for me then from them, but ultimately they might choose 878 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 2: to buy from both. And so I want to see 879 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:22,840 Speaker 2: who's doing it well and what's making them do it 880 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 2: well so that I can apply some of those same 881 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 2: principles to what I'm doing. And so I think that 882 00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:32,080 Speaker 2: that's one aspect of it. You said something though, which 883 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:36,719 Speaker 2: made me think about how you can start out in 884 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 2: a blue ocean and then find that other people are 885 00:43:39,800 --> 00:43:42,800 Speaker 2: on your heels. And so I think it's really important 886 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:46,120 Speaker 2: for us as entrepreneurs to never lose sight of the 887 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:50,320 Speaker 2: competition and that we don't stop innovating, we don't stop 888 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 2: thinking about what's next. We continue to pour into our 889 00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 2: businesses and give our businesses levels of growth and opportunities 890 00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:01,760 Speaker 2: to grow. And I think sometimes we can truly rest 891 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:03,960 Speaker 2: on our laurels. And there are so many brands out 892 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,960 Speaker 2: there who sat on their idea because they were like, oh, 893 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:09,640 Speaker 2: we're at the top of the mountain now, but it's 894 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 2: like no, somebody else is coming up the side, you know, 895 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 2: so you got to claim your territory. And so for me, 896 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 2: it's really about solidifying what I'm doing, making sure that 897 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:23,520 Speaker 2: I'm in constant, like my ears to the streets as 898 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:27,560 Speaker 2: to what people are wanting, what their consumer behaviors are, 899 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,800 Speaker 2: how those things are going to shift over time, Really 900 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 2: solidifying and having a strong brand message too. I think 901 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 2: for me it's not just about, you know, putting a 902 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,600 Speaker 2: product out into the market, but it's really about creating 903 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:45,919 Speaker 2: almost like this lifestyle mantra and really having people identify 904 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:48,680 Speaker 2: with it so that when I am doing a pre sale, 905 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 2: I sell out Like Jordan, you know. I think the 906 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:55,440 Speaker 2: reason that Jordan has a strong appeal is because for 907 00:44:55,640 --> 00:45:01,080 Speaker 2: years Nike has poured into Jordan's message, resonating as a 908 00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:03,840 Speaker 2: champion brand. Right, it makes you feel good when you 909 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 2: put it on, it makes you feel like you can 910 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,439 Speaker 2: do anything, Like you can soar, like you can fly. 911 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:11,319 Speaker 2: And so when I think about my own personal brand, 912 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 2: it's like really steeped in pride and ambition and understanding 913 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 2: that you know again where you start is and where 914 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 2: you always have to end up. So I think that's 915 00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:23,600 Speaker 2: really how you create that mold, how you create a 916 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:26,520 Speaker 2: little bit of a buffer around yourself in terms of competition, 917 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 2: is being uniquely you being and understanding your brand so 918 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 2: much that no one else can replicate it even if 919 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,839 Speaker 2: they tried. You know, a lot of people talk about 920 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:38,919 Speaker 2: the bread aisle, right that there's so many different types 921 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:40,440 Speaker 2: of bread. If you go on the bread out and 922 00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,760 Speaker 2: everybody's buying one. Yeah, that's true. But also the best 923 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:48,360 Speaker 2: breads sell because people like those breads, they like what 924 00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:51,400 Speaker 2: those breads do for them. Right, there's PB and J 925 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,040 Speaker 2: has to be on this particular type of bread. And 926 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:57,000 Speaker 2: I want to be that. I want to be one 927 00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,919 Speaker 2: of those brands that people aspire for and they want 928 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:01,919 Speaker 2: and so that the demand is there. 929 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:02,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 930 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,680 Speaker 1: No, Look, as I remember when when I launched butter, 931 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:10,279 Speaker 1: it was so different and so unique. Yeah, and it 932 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 1: relates in relation to how kind of how content was 933 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 1: being made, especially in Atlanta at the time, and you know, 934 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,480 Speaker 1: it was really interesting. I promise you I've probably sat 935 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:22,560 Speaker 1: down just about every major company, every major sports team 936 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:24,799 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. It kind of talked about, you know, the 937 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:26,879 Speaker 1: idea of content because for a long time they would 938 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: literally hold up Butter as a brand and say this 939 00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:30,600 Speaker 1: is what we should be doing. 940 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:31,239 Speaker 2: Now. 941 00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:33,919 Speaker 1: It's very interesting because I see a lot of Butter 942 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 1: replicas out there in some way, shape or form. I 943 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:37,960 Speaker 1: see a lot of brands doing something. So for me, 944 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:40,440 Speaker 1: I've always and again I knew this was going to happen, 945 00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:42,200 Speaker 1: like I knew it, and I've always kind of stayed ahead. 946 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:44,080 Speaker 1: But I've always like tried to tried to find ways 947 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:45,879 Speaker 1: to kind of evolve the brand because I would always 948 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:47,800 Speaker 1: joke and say, like, I didn't I didn't go to 949 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:50,040 Speaker 1: Georgia Tech get my NBA to run an Instagram page. 950 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:51,080 Speaker 3: I wanted to build a business. 951 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:53,560 Speaker 1: So you know, first it was doing the social stuff. 952 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:55,879 Speaker 1: Then we started adding in newsletters. Now we're doing things 953 00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:58,600 Speaker 1: like this podcast. And you know, I remember some advice 954 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:00,879 Speaker 1: that a mentor gave me once. He kind of said, 955 00:47:00,920 --> 00:47:03,040 Speaker 1: you know, if you don't like change, You're going to 956 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:05,520 Speaker 1: like being irrelevant a whole lot less. Yes, And so 957 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:07,360 Speaker 1: as we get ready to wrap this up, my question 958 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 1: for you is like, what's the piece of advice that 959 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:11,480 Speaker 1: you kind of go by or you want to give 960 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:13,120 Speaker 1: to somebody that wants to kind of do their own 961 00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:15,400 Speaker 1: thing and kind of you know, start building something. 962 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:19,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think my advice is very simple, be flexible. 963 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:23,040 Speaker 2: I would not have been able to build the career 964 00:47:23,560 --> 00:47:25,400 Speaker 2: that I have been able to build had I not 965 00:47:25,440 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 2: been flexible. And I remember leaving Georgia Southern and being 966 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,879 Speaker 2: so adamant about working in a particular industry, so much 967 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:34,200 Speaker 2: so that it left me unemployed for three years because 968 00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:37,240 Speaker 2: I was like, no, if it doesn't fit within this lane, 969 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:39,680 Speaker 2: then I don't want it right. But that was because 970 00:47:39,719 --> 00:47:43,359 Speaker 2: I wasn't flexible. The second I started being flexible, which 971 00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:46,239 Speaker 2: took lots of bumps in the road, lots of rejections, 972 00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 2: lots of nose and a trip to grad school. Once 973 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:52,200 Speaker 2: I started opening and widen my lens and being more flexible, 974 00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:56,200 Speaker 2: the opportunities just started finding me. And so I think, 975 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:59,200 Speaker 2: whether it's entrepreneurship or you're doing a nine to five 976 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:03,000 Speaker 2: or you're trying to build a company, or you're writing 977 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:05,440 Speaker 2: a book, whatever it is, just in life in general, 978 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,400 Speaker 2: we have to be flexible. And so just because you 979 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:12,800 Speaker 2: know you start out with one idea, that idea doesn't 980 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,279 Speaker 2: have to stay that idea. It's going to shift to 981 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:18,279 Speaker 2: your point. When you started building Butter, you built it 982 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:21,480 Speaker 2: as a content machine, right, and then it is evolved 983 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:26,360 Speaker 2: now into this marketing machine that is not only known 984 00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:29,759 Speaker 2: in the city but across the states as a beautiful 985 00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:33,600 Speaker 2: example of what authentic storytelling looks like. And so I 986 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:37,440 Speaker 2: think for people, once we learn to be flexible, we 987 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,160 Speaker 2: can maneuver the way we need to as life. As 988 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:43,200 Speaker 2: life shifts us, as life turns us into your point, 989 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:45,759 Speaker 2: change is always going to happen. There's going to be 990 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:47,719 Speaker 2: changes in the market, There's going to be changes in 991 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:50,200 Speaker 2: the economy, there's going to be changes in your life. 992 00:48:50,239 --> 00:48:52,120 Speaker 2: Who knows, you might lose a loved one, or you 993 00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:55,280 Speaker 2: might lose your financial backing or your investment or whatever. 994 00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:57,440 Speaker 2: We have to learn how to be flexible so that 995 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,319 Speaker 2: our dreams can still be realized. And I've learned that 996 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:03,960 Speaker 2: sometimes your dream isn't lost, it just may have to 997 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 2: take a new shape. In order for it to come 998 00:49:06,080 --> 00:49:10,520 Speaker 2: to life. So just be flexible, be understanding, and maneuver 999 00:49:10,719 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 2: change as best you can, because I mean you can 1000 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:14,680 Speaker 2: do it, you really can. 1001 00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 1: And remember, y'all there's not even there's million ways to 1002 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:19,799 Speaker 1: get not even from point A to point Z, but 1003 00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:22,400 Speaker 1: from A to B. And you know everybody's path is 1004 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:25,319 Speaker 1: different and unique. So Miche, thank you so much for 1005 00:49:25,400 --> 00:49:28,080 Speaker 1: this amazing conversation. Before we get out of here, please, 1006 00:49:28,160 --> 00:49:31,359 Speaker 1: how can people follow you, support you, you know, work 1007 00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:31,640 Speaker 1: with you? 1008 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:32,840 Speaker 3: How can they track it? 1009 00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:36,880 Speaker 2: Is? Yes, yes, yes, so I live a very undercover life. 1010 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:39,319 Speaker 2: But if you find me from butter Nomics, then you 1011 00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:42,680 Speaker 2: can absolutely follow me on Instagram at S dot mesh. 1012 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:46,440 Speaker 2: It's E S S d O T M E E 1013 00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:49,440 Speaker 2: s H. That's my Instagram handle. You can always hit 1014 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,440 Speaker 2: me up on LinkedIn. I love doing coffee chats. I'll 1015 00:49:52,480 --> 00:49:55,480 Speaker 2: share my calendar. We can get together. My project is 1016 00:49:55,520 --> 00:49:59,360 Speaker 2: Dirt Road Roots Company launches TBD again. It's in the 1017 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,840 Speaker 2: crop Bop but it's coming real soon. I'm really excited 1018 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:05,200 Speaker 2: about that and I'll be having more communications coming out soon, 1019 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:06,520 Speaker 2: So connect with me please. 1020 00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:09,440 Speaker 1: Awesome, awesome, Well, thank you so much for joining. Thank 1021 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:12,000 Speaker 1: you for being the guest. This has been amazing and 1022 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:17,640 Speaker 1: thank you everybody for listening. That's the podcast you've been 1023 00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:20,400 Speaker 1: listening to, button Nomics and I'm your host, Brandon Butler. 1024 00:50:20,560 --> 00:50:21,480 Speaker 3: Comments, feedback. 1025 00:50:21,640 --> 00:50:23,239 Speaker 1: Want to be a part of the show, Send us 1026 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:26,680 Speaker 1: an email today at hello at butterdomics dot com. Butter 1027 00:50:26,719 --> 00:50:29,720 Speaker 1: Nomics is produced in Atlanta, Georgia at iHeartMedia by Ramsey, 1028 00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:32,600 Speaker 1: with marketing and support from Queen and Nike. Music provided 1029 00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:35,680 Speaker 1: by mister Hanky. If you haven't already, hit that subscribe 1030 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:37,960 Speaker 1: button and never missed an episode, and be sure to 1031 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 1: follow us on all our social platforms at butter dot 1032 00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:45,000 Speaker 1: atl Listen to button Nomics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1033 00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:46,719 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.