Speaker 1: My league Bucks has all the knowledge you wantlik Bus
Speaker 1: has all the knowledge you needli Bucks. Yeah, they have
Speaker 1: all the books that the whole wild world want to read.
Speaker 1: League Bucks. Welcome to Malik's Bookshow, bringing a world together
Speaker 1: with books, culture, and community. Hi, my name is Malik Mohammed,
Speaker 1: your host of Malik's Bookshow, Episode thirteen. To meet, Thirteen
Speaker 1: is a sacred number. Now, I don't know about two,
Speaker 1: but everything that I know about an experience around me
Speaker 1: and my family has always been a great number. This
Speaker 1: is episode thirteen, and it's going to be an exciting thirteen.
Speaker 1: We're gonna start off on this episode with Lover's Day.
Speaker 1: That's our changed name for Valentine's Day. Okay, I'm not
Speaker 1: a big fan of Valentine, but I'm a big fan
Speaker 1: of Lovers Day. So like anything else, we put our
Speaker 1: twist to it. So, Hey, me and Wifey celebrated Lover's Day,
Speaker 1: and so we had a little conversation. I'm gonna share
Speaker 1: that with you on this episode. Now, another part of
Speaker 1: this episode, and I'm gonna be touching on, is Leek's
Speaker 1: Bookmobile community outreach where we finally took out our bookmobile
Speaker 1: to the community, went to a school called sat Your
Speaker 1: jeans Um during this Black History Month and it was
Speaker 1: a hit. The school love it, the kids love it.
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna just share something about that experience on
Speaker 1: this episode. And so also featured on this episode is
Speaker 1: l A Spox player Jasmine Walker had a chance to
Speaker 1: interview her. Why because we had a MALIEK Books had
Speaker 1: a celebration Black History celebration at the store and in
Speaker 1: conjunction with l A. Sparks, they came out and brought
Speaker 1: books for the kids, invited the kids to a free game.
Speaker 1: We gave away Black History booklets, pencils, black History book marks, um,
Speaker 1: Jason Walker Dead a reading and so it was just
Speaker 1: a fun filled event and so we're gonna I'm gonna
Speaker 1: share that interview I had with Jasmine Walker of the
Speaker 1: l A. Sparks. And lastly, my book review for this
Speaker 1: episode is Level Up, Rise Above The Hidden Forces Holding
Speaker 1: Your Business Back by Stacy Abrams and Laura Hartson. This
Speaker 1: book will intrigue you, and so I have a book
Speaker 1: review where I in wolve my experiences and why I
Speaker 1: like such books like this that I'm gonna be doing
Speaker 1: for my book review. Level Up Episode thirteen Malik's book
Speaker 1: mobile is open. We are so thankful and grateful for
Speaker 1: all those who helped support us to make this dream happen.
Speaker 1: And it's here is here We opened to day. This
Speaker 1: is our first event. Howard by for Rising. Took us
Speaker 1: a year to put this book Will bill together. We
Speaker 1: started out with imagination and guess what now were open
Speaker 1: for the kids. That's what this we put together. It's well, well,
Speaker 1: well everybody, what's great? Are you in alright? Alright? Y'all
Speaker 1: enjoined the book mobile? Yeah, okay, okay. We came out here.
Speaker 1: This is called community. We came out here to put
Speaker 1: the boat bill on the road. So let me ask
Speaker 1: you something. All the books beautiful, all the books wonderful?
Speaker 1: Are there great books to read? Do you love to read? Yeah?
Speaker 1: And let me ask you another question. Books at home? Yeah?
Speaker 1: You got what's on your bookshelf at home? Still my
Speaker 1: books every day? Are you alright? Any titles of the
Speaker 1: books did you got at home? Some of the titles
Speaker 1: you read? Okay? I have I have one name? God
Speaker 1: is good? Okay, okay, okay, I'm loving that. I'm loving
Speaker 1: y'all love to read. I see everybody walks. It is
Speaker 1: because they love to read. Right, yeah, yeah, Now did
Speaker 1: y'all know he was coming today? No, I didn't tell
Speaker 1: you because because then you could your mom gonna bring
Speaker 1: some money. But it's all good because if you don't
Speaker 1: got no money, you can read brown and you can
Speaker 1: just look at the world of books that are here.
Speaker 1: We welcome all of y'all to Leaks Mobile. This is amazing, amazing.
Speaker 1: When I see kids reading loving books, I think about
Speaker 1: books bring opportunities. There's a whole new world in books,
Speaker 1: and we want kids to experience that. Leek Books. Leek's
Speaker 1: Bookshelf has a special guest to just visit Melik's to day,
Speaker 1: we did a Black History celebration. She read to the kids.
Speaker 1: They did a book giveaway, and we had a lot
Speaker 1: of free giveaways. Her name is Jasmine Walker. She is
Speaker 1: an l A Sparks player and she is um with
Speaker 1: the w n b A. I had a chance to
Speaker 1: talk with her, and I want to ask her a
Speaker 1: few questions. Why she's here at Melik's for the Melik's Bookshelf.
Speaker 1: How you doing today, Jasmine? Pretty good? How about your
Speaker 1: good good good? Welcome, welcome, welcome, Well, I want to
Speaker 1: take this this opportunity to just ask you a few
Speaker 1: questions why we're blessed with your presence? Um, what's your
Speaker 1: thoughts for this upcoming season? I know you got injury
Speaker 1: last year, Um, so what's your attitude, what's your will?
Speaker 1: And what's your expectations for this upcoming season or all
Speaker 1: these sparks expectations for this season? Just to be that
Speaker 1: player that uh I need to be. Uh I need
Speaker 1: to be one of those players that my team may
Speaker 1: expect for me to be. Um. I'm looking to come
Speaker 1: back healthy, better than ever, better than before. Um yeah,
Speaker 1: and I'm we're looking to win as a team as
Speaker 1: a whole. So that's the playing. What kind of support
Speaker 1: group that you have growing up to help you in
Speaker 1: these endeavors at work? Where that was friends, family, my mom?
Speaker 1: That's probably like my number one thing is my mom.
Speaker 1: So without her, I feel like I love be as
Speaker 1: strong as I am today. So thanks to her, all
Speaker 1: of us sometimes don't have that, but yet you have
Speaker 1: a belief and you have a goal and you can
Speaker 1: still reach it even though you might not have the
Speaker 1: support behind you. Was playing in it of u n
Speaker 1: b A a lifelong dream of yours? Yes, uh I
Speaker 1: want to say, it's been my drinking since high school,
Speaker 1: tenth grade, sophomore. So you put goals in your life
Speaker 1: to achieve, and you do what you're supposed to do,
Speaker 1: you will achieve. I promise Before you became a professional
Speaker 1: basketball player, what was the obstacles that you had to overcome?
Speaker 1: Because there are many As a freshman, I turned out
Speaker 1: at Porta State. Uh, it isn't being a transfer kid.
Speaker 1: I feel like that was a took of decision in
Speaker 1: my life. I was you making this type of decision?
Speaker 1: Um My mom was the type of mom like she
Speaker 1: supported whatever choice I made when it comes to basketball. So,
Speaker 1: um me basically going through their recruiter process again, it
Speaker 1: was stressful. So I felt like that was who I
Speaker 1: had overcome. Did you had to deal with pit pressure?
Speaker 1: And if so, how you had to overcome and deal
Speaker 1: with it? Pred pressures took But one thing about me? Uh,
Speaker 1: one thing about it. If I don't want to do something,
Speaker 1: I'm not you as a leader. Yeah. One thing about it,
Speaker 1: I don't want to I'm not gonna do so. Yeah,
Speaker 1: prepression is hard. Talk about the sacrifices you had to
Speaker 1: make in order to be a student ath lete because
Speaker 1: you might couldn't make the birthday parties. You might couldn't
Speaker 1: make the family functions, You might couldn't make a lot
Speaker 1: of things that a lot of people you know typically
Speaker 1: can make because you're making the sacrifice in school and
Speaker 1: on the field. Sacrifice that I mean in my life. Uh,
Speaker 1: this is always being away from home. It's plenty of
Speaker 1: times and plenty of things that I missed. Uh, simply
Speaker 1: missing Thanksgiving every year, It's been a couple of times.
Speaker 1: I probably missed Christmas a couple of times just by
Speaker 1: being astrny. Um. I want to say recently, I have
Speaker 1: celebrated thanks Giving me in Christmas Cooper time. Uh was amazing.
Speaker 1: But yeah, I got too easy. I've been thinking birthdays.
Speaker 1: I was I'm just everybody's birthday oside. But I mean
Speaker 1: that's my sort is everybody my family know what I
Speaker 1: have to do. They support me still, they understand. So Um,
Speaker 1: I have sacrificed this, but I also have people in
Speaker 1: my corner that understand it supports me and what I
Speaker 1: have going on in my life. I'm glad that LA
Speaker 1: gave me the opportunity to be here because it's a
Speaker 1: wonderful environment. I'd rather be here so all right because
Speaker 1: this season, you know, that's what I fell in love
Speaker 1: with the weather. So if I was to ask you,
Speaker 1: what was it? The only thing you like about l
Speaker 1: A Mine was the weather. That's why I stayed. What's
Speaker 1: yours the weather of the beach. And I got some
Speaker 1: great minds thinking like, um, we're rooting for you Jashmine
Speaker 1: this year in the l A Sparks. Um. One of
Speaker 1: the most important questions that I like to ask my
Speaker 1: guests on my podcast is you know my podcast is
Speaker 1: called Melik Bookshelf bringing the world together the books with books,
Speaker 1: culture and community. So I know it's on my bookshelf,
Speaker 1: but what I want to know is what's on your bookshelf.
Speaker 1: I want to say my favorite reading is the Dwayne
Speaker 1: Way book. Okay, Um, yeah, I want to say I
Speaker 1: read Gabriel Young's books too, but that's the most recent
Speaker 1: books were They're a Power Couple and a Beautiful Couple,
Speaker 1: And uh so those are two excellent books I would
Speaker 1: definitely recommend as well. Um, they're very successful. Dwayne and
Speaker 1: his wife Gabriel union very successful, and you can learn
Speaker 1: a lot from people being successful. And um, you continue
Speaker 1: on your journey, can we see a book from you.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and in near future, definitely have a book coming.
Speaker 1: I got some ideas in my head. Okay, okay, well
Speaker 1: we'll look forward to because of Malik Books. Would definitely
Speaker 1: would like to have that book on our bookshelf. And
Speaker 1: so thank you for this opportunity to spend a little
Speaker 1: time and interview you from a podcast. I appreciate it
Speaker 1: and done. Thanks a lot. Special night for us where
Speaker 1: the posting beings having Valent Times day or shall I
Speaker 1: say Love's Day, just got our first appetizers. We're a
Speaker 1: out here acting like we're young. It's already ten o'clock.
Speaker 1: Work all day. I'm out here like I'm hanging like
Speaker 1: i'm young. You know, back in the day, we can
Speaker 1: go all day. The party just get started. You just
Speaker 1: started getting dressed about ten o'clock to get the club.
Speaker 1: Were out here yawning eating at ten o'clock at night.
Speaker 1: Oh man, be the other thing when it was earlier.
Speaker 1: You look at your phone, you were like you only
Speaker 1: ain't learned. Man in the bed, undercover man, we went
Speaker 1: to bed early, didn't even know it day. We're trying
Speaker 1: to angle with the youngsters out here. It's late night.
Speaker 1: Love us dating. It's not even laying when the patio
Speaker 1: they're playing jazz music. It's very beautiful. It's all coupled out.
Speaker 1: And you know, I love you every day. I treat
Speaker 1: you with love every day you do what you do
Speaker 1: the day is still special only because we want to
Speaker 1: emphasize it a little more. Even though we emphasize it,
Speaker 1: you know, in our relationship. Every day I do this
Speaker 1: for you. Thank you. I appreciate you for doing it
Speaker 1: for me. Makes you feel special. Because you were boling
Speaker 1: around home, I got like I do something somebody celebrates. Ye,
Speaker 1: get home in that bed right now. To be honest,
Speaker 1: working all day, I'm ready to turn in. You're ready
Speaker 1: for tomorrow. Yes, they're about to turn this jazz puts
Speaker 1: it back up. Well, actually it's somebody about to before
Speaker 1: I see. That's what that little violin was. Yeah, Happy
Speaker 1: love is Day. You heard it lying and posted me
Speaker 1: my book review for this episode. It's level Up by
Speaker 1: Stacy Abrams and Laura Harson. The level up rise above
Speaker 1: the hidden forces holding your business back. Now, I always
Speaker 1: thought of Stacy Abrams as politician. You know, That's how
Speaker 1: when I first heard about it um and then shortly
Speaker 1: thereafter I not that she wrote a couple of books
Speaker 1: under her alias called yes Selina Montgomery. We all know
Speaker 1: Stacy as a politician ran for governor UM was responsible
Speaker 1: for galvinizing people UM and bringing out the vote in
Speaker 1: this last election. But her partner Laura Hodgson as the president,
Speaker 1: which is the president CEO now and serves as an
Speaker 1: entrepreneur and residence at Harvard Business School, and she's an
Speaker 1: international NORM speaker. So these two unlikely women found that
Speaker 1: they had a lot in common and that they could
Speaker 1: work together and network together. And so this book UM
Speaker 1: that offers their insight their development and as well as
Speaker 1: all the different things they had to do together, the
Speaker 1: long hours, insomnia, the just to put together their businesses
Speaker 1: and all the business mouths that they made to create
Speaker 1: a successful business. A lot of times politicians are not
Speaker 1: necessarily entrepreneurs. They might know policy, Like Stacy, she's a politician,
Speaker 1: she's a lawyer, but she's also an entrepreneurs and she
Speaker 1: spent decase developing business. And I can respect that because
Speaker 1: I typically believe that business is the answer, and I
Speaker 1: think that that's UM one of the healing solutions for
Speaker 1: this country and for these innecies all is business. I
Speaker 1: think that that's a direction um that we need to
Speaker 1: go in. So I'm drawing to that. I'm drawing to
Speaker 1: that because I'm always trying to, you know, how do
Speaker 1: I get to the next level. So I love to
Speaker 1: read business book, get business information and try to find
Speaker 1: a way to take my ventures on the next level.
Speaker 1: So when this book came to Malik Books, I instantly
Speaker 1: was drawn to level up, Rise above the hidden forces
Speaker 1: holding your business back. I was drawing to that because
Speaker 1: I'm a businessman and I'm drawing to what are the
Speaker 1: moves that people make in order to become successful and
Speaker 1: how do you get to that next level? And I
Speaker 1: found that this book does give information to help you
Speaker 1: reach your goal, to help take your small business from
Speaker 1: business to a bigger business, you know, and that's important.
Speaker 1: And what's interesting about this book it has I believe
Speaker 1: twelve chapters, and each chapter gets what they call level
Speaker 1: up lessons. And let me just point this out. They're
Speaker 1: trying to create a movement called level up movement and
Speaker 1: the purpose of that is to level the playing field.
Speaker 1: And you can't do that without understanding that economics play
Speaker 1: a vital role. And so if you want independence, and
Speaker 1: if you want to, you'll never get rich working on
Speaker 1: the nine to five. I can tell you that right now.
Speaker 1: So if you want to level up and rise above
Speaker 1: the hidden forces holding your business back, you got to
Speaker 1: find the keys and the capital and the knowledge to
Speaker 1: rise above whatever the forces that are holding you by now.
Speaker 1: In the beginning, when you first start a business, as
Speaker 1: this book point out, your network is your net worth.
Speaker 1: Your net work is your network. What I got out
Speaker 1: of that, your net where your net Sometimes we had
Speaker 1: to go to family and friends separates our money to
Speaker 1: start our venture camp, to start our business because oft
Speaker 1: the times we can't get no money from the bank.
Speaker 1: So start there. You know, when you start a business,
Speaker 1: sometimes that's challenging. Sometimes you're not gonna get the business loan.
Speaker 1: But don't let that stop you. Don't let obviously gonna
Speaker 1: stop you from your goal. You gotta find a way
Speaker 1: to make it have regardless, and sometimes going to family
Speaker 1: and friends and selling them on your ideas, selling them
Speaker 1: on your belief that's how you could sometimes raise the
Speaker 1: money to open up your business. Man, when I first
Speaker 1: opened them the League books, I ain't know much about business.
Speaker 1: I lost twenty thousand dollars. Why Because I put it
Speaker 1: in the wrong location and that just wasn't a thriving
Speaker 1: location for what I was trying to do. So I
Speaker 1: had to close in and read. I didn't give up, though,
Speaker 1: I opened up in another location where people were more
Speaker 1: excited about books and reading. Now, when you partner up
Speaker 1: with people, your differences, as this book point out, is
Speaker 1: your superpower. What what Sometimes you know opposes a trick.
Speaker 1: So sometimes when we too like minded, we rub each
Speaker 1: other the wrong way. But sometimes when we opposite, we
Speaker 1: attract each other. So in business, sometimes this principle really works.
Speaker 1: So your difference, is this book going out, is your superfowers.
Speaker 1: Sometimes that's what would allow you to become successful because
Speaker 1: that's what will separate your business model from another bit.
Speaker 1: And that's what this book Level Up points out. Also,
Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed this book review. My name is
Speaker 1: Malik Mohammed, your host of Malik's Book Show. Thank you
Speaker 1: for listening. Be shure to subscribe and leave me a reviewer.
Speaker 1: Check out my Instagram at Belief Books. See you next time.