1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: Season two of the Black Tech Green Money Podcast is 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: brought to you by Lexus in the December to Remember 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: sales event from graduation parades to birthday parties. This year 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: Driveways hosted some new traditions. Here's to celebrating them all. 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: Experience Amazing at your Alexis Dealer. Afro Tech World. Jeff 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: Nelson is co founder and CTO at Blavity, the paying 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: company of afro Tech and the Internet's biggest destination for 8 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: black millennials. And in his talk at afro Tech World, 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: he focuses on the idea of building a tech product 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: as a non technical founder and here's his thoughts and 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: what kinds of tech products are best suited to fine 12 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: success in the marketplace. If you think about the biggest companies, 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: things that we use every day, the the Ubers of 14 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: the world, social networks like Instagram, um, companies that we 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: know and use every day. The key thing about the 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: the sort of tech companies that are emerging and will 17 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: continue to emerge and the successful are those companies that 18 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: are simplifying the collaboration between humans and technology. And that's 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: a really really important distinction. You know, some people have 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: the mistaken belief that the goal of technology is to 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: displace humans. That you know, things like artificial intelligence and 22 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: machine learning are there to eliminate jobs and eliminate humans 23 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: from certain UH sectors in certain things, and that's not 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: really the case. Really, the sweet spot for technology is 25 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: if you make the lives of people easier, if you 26 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: allow people to be more productive, if you allow them 27 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: to be more efficient, and you allow them to be happier. 28 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: The secrets and technology is leveraging it to take things 29 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: that humans aren't really good at doing. Its scale right, UM, 30 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: So if you think about, you know, some of the 31 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: tasks that you have to do on a daily basis 32 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: UM and some of the tools that you may know 33 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: and use on a daily basis UH to to take 34 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: repetitive tasks and make it easier to scale those up 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: or to scale those out. It is replacing you. And 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean that you don't have to be a 37 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: part of that equation, but it simply means that you're 38 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: using technology to make yourself more efficient and more productive. 39 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: And going forward, that's gonna be even more important, especially 40 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: as we live in a world where technology is going 41 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: to be more paramount. If we're video conferencing more if 42 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: we're working remotely, if we're video, video conferencing, instant messaging, 43 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: doing all those things, having virtual events. Technology is gonna 44 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: be a play a big role in that. But as 45 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: we see, technology is the only part of the solution. 46 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: There's still that human element that we hold near and 47 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: near and so that's gonna be super, super important. So 48 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 1: as you're thinking about your vision of the world, think 49 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: about how the area of technology that you're passionate about it, 50 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: that you're working with, is going to make it easier 51 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: for humans to be productive and more efficient. How do 52 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: you simplify that interaction between humans and technology. I'm with 53 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: Lucas and this is Black Tech, Green Money. I'm gonna 54 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: you do see to some of the biggest names, some 55 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're black 56 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: in building or simply using tech to secure your back, 57 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 1: this podcast is for you. Ruben has his co founding 58 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: CEO at Career Karma in the Bay Area, transplant from Atlanta, Georgia, 59 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: where he worked as an investment banker. He got bit 60 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: by the tech bug early in his career and wrote 61 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: a blog post that went viral called breaking in the Startups, 62 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: which put him on the radar Silicon Valley a lead 63 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: career karmas an app that helps job training programs, specifically 64 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: coding boot camps, but also other verticals find qualified applicants. 65 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: I asked him why he wrote that blog post, which 66 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: you can finally from the show notes, and how likely, 67 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: at least in part it opened up his pathway to 68 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: success and the reason why I wrote that blog post 69 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: because I learned about the power of riding through my 70 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: experience breaking into finance. So when I broke into fine 71 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: I first started writing actually in college, UM, when I 72 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: took a class on music history, and I learned about 73 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: philosophers and social reformers and how they were great writers, 74 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: like Socrates and Aristotle and things like that. So I 75 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: had a blog called The Social Reformer that turned into 76 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: my own blog. And then when I graduated from banking, 77 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: I mean from from college, UM, I didn't have any 78 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: internships or and I didn't have any work experience either 79 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: because I was just studying the whole time. And so 80 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: I wrote a blog that explained all the reasons why 81 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: someone wouldn't hire me as an investment banker. But I 82 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: declared that I was going to do it. Anyway, And 83 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: the reason why I think that was powerful for myself 84 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: is because it kind of forced me to do it, 85 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: because I told people I was going to do this 86 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: thing and if I didn't do what, I was gonna 87 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: be embarrassed. And so that also led to thousands of 88 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: people reaching out to me after I got a job, 89 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 1: and me helping a lot of people do it. And 90 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: so I just did the same playbook that worked for 91 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: me for finance for tech so um. I actually wrote 92 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: this blog post that I published on LinkedIn a few 93 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: years ago called Hey startups, you don't live in Silicon 94 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 1: Valley and kind of went crazy the on LinkedIn because 95 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: I was frustrated at the time because all the advice 96 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,239 Speaker 1: that was coming out about how to raise capital from 97 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: angels and vcs was from people from Silicon Valley to 98 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: Paul you know, uh, Paul Grahams and etcetera in the 99 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: sam autments where you know well, and I was finding 100 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: that that advice didn't work in a place like Georgia 101 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 1: or Ohio or etcetera, right, but it worked for Silicon 102 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: Valley people. But there was nothing that related those experiences, 103 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: you know, across geographies. And so how do you keep 104 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: you have this amazing podcast breaking in the startups. You're 105 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: avid writer and etcetera. You put out a lot of content. 106 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: How did you keep that information you distribute on your 107 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: podcasts and etcetera relevant to people who may be not 108 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: in Silicon Valley? Yeah, I mean I think I think 109 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 1: Afrotech knows as well. Um this like career comminos as, 110 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: I would say, keeping fresh content is the key, just 111 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: staying relevant every company. A lot of people in tech 112 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: talk about how every startup, every company is a media company, 113 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: and I think I would take it to another level. 114 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: Every human being is a media company. In order to 115 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: be successful in this day and age, you have to 116 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: take either an artist or a um even a model 117 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: approach like a supermodel has to be their own brand. Um. 118 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: Kanye tweeted artists our founders, and somebody else said founders 119 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: are artists, right. You have to promote yourself right and 120 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: so um in especially in a COVID nineteen world. And 121 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: if you want to work remotely, writing is a superpower, 122 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: and writing fast is even better, and not just because 123 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: it gives you clarity of thought, but it can greatly 124 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: um increase your your your economic salary and attract people 125 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: to you. Um, there's a u UM, there's a great 126 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: quote that one of our investor says is that inbound 127 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: is what happens when outbound is your DNA. And so 128 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: Career Comma like we we we produce six D seven 129 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: hundred articles a month, right, so that's a company general content. 130 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: I know approtype produces a ton of articles a month. 131 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: But then you also have user generated content, right, you 132 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: have opinion writers and then in our community, since we 133 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: have over a hundred thousand users, they're all asking questions 134 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: of getting advice that gets discovered on Google. And then 135 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: you also have programmatic landing pages. So our engineers create 136 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: different combinations of landing pages that will pop up in 137 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: Google that are relevant so that Career Comma stays in 138 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: its position as the number one destination for career advice 139 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: on the Internet. And when they come here and they're 140 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: looking for advice, we can match them to the right 141 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: training and give them support to get his up. Oh 142 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: it's it's it's so good you did that, because I 143 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: mean I was gonna go there later in the interview, 144 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: but since we're here now, UM, I was going to 145 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: talk about this is because you know, when I learned 146 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: the kind of philosophy that every business should treat themselves 147 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: like a media company. Is Gay advantage Chuck said it. 148 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's other people who said it, but I 149 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: heard Gay Advantage talk about, you know, every company should, 150 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: and every startup is for that matter, should think of 151 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: themselves as a media company. And you've done a great 152 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: job at that with the podcast, the written content and 153 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:24,239 Speaker 1: news even um, how do you let's you're an early 154 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: stage startup, how do you justify um or how do 155 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: you even get good at doing so many forms of 156 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: media when you still have to be good at what 157 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: your core business is UM and you may not you know, 158 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: be the best writer or if you are a great writer, 159 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: you may not be great at podcasting. If you great 160 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: a podcast, and you may not be great on video. 161 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm. That's a good question. I mean, so we're 162 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: a marketplace, like on one side, there's there's the demand, 163 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: there's workers, or there's people that are looking to rescale 164 00:08:57,559 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: an upskill and get a new job. And then on 165 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: the other side you have training programs and hiring platforms 166 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: and companies and even financiers that can help people that 167 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: are looking for these career transitions and need guidance. And 168 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: so whenever you think about a marketplace, you want to 169 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: pick a side, and especially in the beginning, and so 170 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 1: decide that we chose in the beginning was workers, because 171 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: if we do right by workers and students that are 172 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: looking to make a transition, then all the other platforms 173 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: are going to come to us. Because recruiters don't own 174 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: their own supply, right, schools are always trying to compete 175 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: to get students right UM. Hiring platforms also they need 176 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: to get qualified applicants from not just one school but 177 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: all the schools. And so if we serve workers, then 178 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: we're able to get everybody else. So you'll see in 179 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: the beginning, all of the content on YouTube and on 180 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: our podcast and everything was just catered towards making sure 181 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: they are informed versus us just talking about all the 182 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: things that the schools are offering. You don't hear us 183 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: talking too much about what the schools are offering. It's 184 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: always like the struggles of the users. Now, UM, to 185 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,599 Speaker 1: your point. You know, there's a lot of formats that 186 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: you can follow. You can follow video, you do podcasts, 187 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: you can do writing. Um. We started off with the podcast, 188 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: which is breaking in start us and I think it's important. 189 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: But we learned quickly that podcasts are helpful in certain ways. 190 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: But you have to be mindful of how Google's algorithm works, 191 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: all right, And when it comes to podcasting, it's we 192 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: definitely want to put out our own account content, but 193 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: don't sleep on the importance of being on other people's podcasts. 194 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: Like for example, I'm on your podcast now, and when 195 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,719 Speaker 1: you publish it and you linked, we linked to each other. 196 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: We support each other. That helps me better in Google, right, 197 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: And since these podcasts aren't always transcribed, then like that's 198 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: not gonna pop up very quickly. And the reason why 199 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: you to pop up very quickly and searches because people 200 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: with that are searching for a career advice are going 201 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: to use Google to search. And you want to be 202 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: number one. And so what ranks number one on top 203 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: of you know, podcasts or or programmatic landing pages and reviews. 204 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: It's gonna be written content, right or user generated content, 205 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: and so um we double down heavy on creating user 206 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: generated content, which that is to the point where now 207 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: we have by October will be at over a million 208 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: people coming to us per month. And so I'm in 209 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,559 Speaker 1: the beginning. We started off with video UM after podcasts, 210 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: and we still do a little bit of video, but 211 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: then COVID nineteen hit and now almost all of our 212 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: content is UM either user generated content, company generated content, 213 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: or um A programmatic landing pages, which is kind of 214 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: like what the pinterest will do, although like aggregate different content, 215 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: like if you're looking for a wedding, it looks like 216 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: they made that, but it was actually an aggregation of 217 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: what everybody else did together. And we will pick up 218 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: our podcasts games stronger more. But I'm spending most of 219 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: my time doing other people's podcasts, which allows us to grow. 220 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 1: But you'll see more of that drops on. Yeah, and 221 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: just because I'm interested as a marketer, you know, I 222 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: think about UM. I wonder what your philosophy is on 223 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: the written stuff, because you know, when I think about 224 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: content and specifically the types of people that career karma 225 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: is targeting because you're helping people reskill is these people 226 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: are consuming content while they're inline that target or while 227 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: they're in line at the grocery store, while they're cooking 228 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: and their kids are making noise in the background. Is 229 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 1: uh So I think about video a lot in that 230 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: way because again, it takes very low pressure, low you know, 231 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: engagement in order for them to be paying attention. They 232 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: don't have to do a lot. Yeah, I think it's 233 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: a good it's a good point because um, I think 234 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: you want to figure a go ahead. I think you 235 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: got it. I think you got it. Um, I think um. 236 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: The written part is more for Google, even though they 237 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: are recognizing audio and video. But whenever you discover written 238 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: content on career Comma, you'll also see audio and video 239 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: inside of those pages. For the people who don't have 240 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: time to that. You kind of like get the best 241 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: of everything when you go to the page and so UM. 242 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: To your point, a lot of people are busy, which 243 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: is why we created audio and video for people to 244 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: consume UM. But most of the written content programmatic landing 245 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: pages are designed to optimize for Google. But now that 246 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: podcasts are blowing up and videos go blowing up, we're 247 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: monitoring to see what is recognized the most by Google 248 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: so that we can make sure that those podcasts and 249 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: those videos rank as well and are discovered by people. 250 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: Actullent um before I get too much for them. People 251 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 1: will have regio bio and I already introduced you talk 252 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: a little bit more about what career Karma actually does 253 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: and forth. Yeah, so career Comma is the easiest way 254 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 1: to find a job training program online. So we are 255 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 1: our core user is we serve blue collar workers between 256 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: the ages of thirty five years old. Doesn't matter what 257 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: age you are, but just that's the core years old 258 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: that want to want to get a job in tech 259 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: and we help them choose from six different career paths 260 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: that are technical and non technical. So if you want 261 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: to break into tech, we can help you become a 262 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: sales person, an engineer, designer, data scientists, data analysts, or 263 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: in cybersecurity. And the Irish salary that we help you 264 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: make is about sellars and that will usually take you 265 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: between three to twelve months in order to get a job. 266 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: I think what's unique about our platform is not only 267 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: are we the easiest place to find the right job 268 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: training for you, but we'll also match you with the 269 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: people that have your shared struggle in a small group 270 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: called a squad that will give you support during the program, 271 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: during the job search, for the rest of your life, 272 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: all the way through the jobs. So you get access 273 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: to not just the right job training programs, but you 274 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: get access to a network. We have over a hundred 275 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: twenty years inside a Career Comma now last year it 276 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: was ten thousand, so we're growing very fast. And so 277 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: these users are people that can that are currently intending 278 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: these programs that can that you can always message to 279 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: help you find a school, finish the school, and get 280 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: a job. So I think that's what important. So you're 281 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: getting access to a network, and that's important because we 282 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: are in a world where people are changing careers five 283 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: or more times in their lifetime the average tenor and 284 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: the job is one or two years. So anytime you 285 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: want to switch jobs or or get a new skill, 286 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: you can always come to Career Comma. We can manage 287 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: to the right training. Currently we offer a safe career past, 288 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: but we're gonna offer We're gonna launch twenty five new 289 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: career pass in the next twenty four months, so stay tuned. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 290 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: I remember when it was just just coding, and so 291 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: we'll talk a little bit more about that in a bit. 292 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: What I think about um, this pandemic COVID nineteen is 293 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: that a lot of people without work um and and 294 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: many probably I don't want to say more, but in 295 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: many cases less desirable work realities, right, and for the 296 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: people you target as career common users or people who 297 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: would benefit from the programs was typically the makeup of 298 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: those people who might find it interesting. Yeah, and so 299 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, most of the people if 300 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: you look at the frontline workers that are fighting hard 301 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: and the essential workers that are like the heroes in 302 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: this pandemic, UM, a lot of them also are are 303 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: suffering too. You know, you see a lot of retail 304 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: workers UM that are giving us food, that are that 305 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: are affected from from restaurant closures. You see a lot 306 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: of UM nurses that come to career commedies, see a 307 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: lot of UM. You see a lot of teachers that 308 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: come to career COMMA because schools are shutting down as well. 309 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: You see a lot of people that most of the 310 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: time they went to community college or got their specialists 311 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: or UM got some college and a degree, or never 312 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: finished college, never tried to do college, UM that come 313 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: to career COMMA. That doesn't mean that we don't have 314 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: like white collar people that went to Avolie schools that 315 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: come to career come as well. But the core's people 316 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: that have gone to college or had some schooling that 317 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: are an adult that are looking to make a career 318 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: transition in their life. I'll say that's that's the core 319 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: user that comes to Career Comma when it comes to 320 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,680 Speaker 1: their struggles. That a lot of people don't realize is that, yes, 321 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: matching you to the right training is one thing, but 322 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: many people that come to us have bad credit. You know, 323 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:31,400 Speaker 1: how do you navigate that a lot of people don't 324 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,919 Speaker 1: understand how to navigate that. We can help you navigate that. 325 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: A lot of people come to us and their child 326 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: stepped on their laptop. How you navigate that? So we 327 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: can help you get access to a laptop because we're 328 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: giving away five thousand laptops right now. We're currently running 329 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: this campaign called Rescale America, the Great Rehiring Initiative, and 330 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: we have cool people like Colin Kaepernick and Square and 331 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: get Hub and a Firm and air Table and always 332 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: other people that have donated um in our campaign to 333 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: raise about half a million dollars to get you all devices. 334 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: So we'll give you that for free if you're serious 335 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: about this, like it's super important to obviously there's conditions, 336 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: but like we want to make sure that you have 337 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: all the support that you need in order to get 338 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: a job. So I would just say, um, it's the 339 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: core users, that blue collar worker between the needs of 340 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: of of of five years old that's looking to get 341 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: a skill, and I think it's important to have empathy 342 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: with what's happening right, you know, jabry training is this huge, massive, 343 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 1: growing trend and everybody's getting at a game. And this 344 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: is why there's there's over fifty five million people that 345 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: have filed Americans. I filed for unemployment UM this year alone, 346 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: and fifty four percent of the workforce requires reskilling about 347 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: two all right. Also, you know, how are you going 348 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: to pick what job training program you're gonna do. There's 349 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 1: nine thousand boot camp and trade schools out there, sixty 350 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: million people go there every year. There's over five thousand 351 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 1: different colleges out there. Twenty million people go to college 352 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: every year. And then you have college employers launching their 353 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: own boot camps, you have you know, uh, their own 354 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: credentials and things like that with Google launching their credentials. 355 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: So how do you pick what's going to be best 356 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: for you? And so we help people navigate that sea 357 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: of options UM through our software, but also about connecting 358 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: up with people that are currently doing it and they 359 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: have done it before this maybe you know a mind 360 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: field for you. But I wonder how you think the 361 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: educational system has to adapt the traditional education system colleges, universities, 362 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: and etcetera, um forced or otherwise have to adapt because 363 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: of the COVID nineteen pandemic and preparing people for actually 364 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: being able to get out there and find a job 365 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: versus you know, people graduating with a communication degrees and 366 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 1: don't really have and I know not to you know 367 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: down that, but you have to actually have a skill, 368 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: right yeah, yeah, I think. Um. So, the reason why 369 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: we chose to start with coding book camps, that's because 370 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: we felt that boot camps are the first rapid rescaling 371 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: model at SKI that house blue collar workers enter high 372 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: paying career fields. Right and now that bootcuts have set 373 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: the example, traditional education players are not following their lead. 374 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 1: For example, you know, boot cants prove that flexible financing 375 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: options like income share agreements or defer tuition work and 376 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:19,719 Speaker 1: for the people that don't what an income share agreement 377 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: is an income share agreement as a promise to get 378 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:24,360 Speaker 1: you a job, and if you don't get a job, 379 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 1: you don't pay anything. But if you do get a job, 380 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: then the tuition comes out of your new salary. And 381 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: there's variations on the model called defer tuition and things 382 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: like that. So now that that has worked consistently, now 383 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: you have UH welding schools and diesel training centers that 384 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: are offering this as well. And now that traditional edification 385 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: players are are copying them, this model is expanding into 386 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: other industries. Houses and universities themselves not have their own 387 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: boot counts, and so as you, I think what's gonna 388 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: happen now is all these traditional industries that have destroyers 389 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: of workers need to understand what the needs of the 390 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: employers are and match it with the right training so 391 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: that you cannot just get people the job, but get 392 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 1: people the job quickly. Because this the wrong decision has 393 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: a high cost of failure. Right, people are investing time 394 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: and money into this right three to twenty four months 395 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 1: of your time, ten of your money, whatever program that 396 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: you go through, and if you choose wrong, then that 397 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: could cause financial ruin for your family for generations to come. 398 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: When your question was about education players, I think education 399 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: players have to understand the needs of the worker and 400 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: understand this high cost of failure ideally provide accessible financing um. 401 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 1: Maybe even the employer paying for it themselves right um, 402 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 1: which is even better than the income share agreement. UM. 403 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: Maybe the government even figuring out how to give workers 404 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: some kind of reskilling stype in which would be cool 405 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: if that had But in general, education players need to 406 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,120 Speaker 1: do things faster and make sure that they're relevant with 407 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 1: what employers want. Um. And honestly, I think what will 408 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: be radical is like some type of uh not keeping 409 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: the Department of Labor in the Department of Education separate, 410 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: just like put them together. For people who are not 411 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: super technical, um, but have a maybe maybe don't have 412 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: a desire to be engineered, but they want to be 413 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: in this industry that is obviously the future and it 414 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: is today. Also, even talk about what career cerminent offers 415 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 1: those people who have no interest in sitting in front 416 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: of a computer writing code every day. Yeah, I would 417 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: say the faster way to get in outside of coding 418 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: is sales. And the reason why I say sales is 419 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: because you know he talks about this too. In the beginning, 420 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:50,840 Speaker 1: in the early days of startup, you want to be 421 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: writing code and talking to users. The people that talk 422 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: to users are the CEO of the sales guys are 423 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 1: the people that the distribution guys, the customer support, customer 424 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: success guys. Sales is the highest page job in the world. 425 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: It is, all right, It is like I have a 426 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: friend who's a contract. Last year he made fos. But 427 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: the reason why it pays so much is not just 428 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: because it's like a walk in the park. It's hard 429 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 1: most of the time. They say, like closing an enterprise sales, dude, 430 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: is like passing a bill in Congress. Right, it's not. 431 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 1: It's not easy. Sales cycles be long and and it's 432 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: not easy to It's very easy to have that first meeting, 433 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: it's not easy to do the follow up. It's not 434 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: easy to like make sure you're on it for understanding 435 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: everybody's paying with multiple people in your pipeline, and you've 436 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: got to be recognized that most of the things that 437 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: you're gonna do are gonna fail. Right, And but well, 438 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: it's nice about sales is you can get a job 439 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: faster than coding. It pays well, uh, you can. You 440 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: can make the same amount of money the engineers and 441 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: make and there's no cap to your upside. Obviously, you 442 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: have to choose a company that has no cap, which 443 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: most companies is that standard. Like you're gonna have no cap, 444 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: they're gonna have a quota for you, which is a 445 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: goal for you to hit and usually that's going to 446 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,719 Speaker 1: get you in the six figure range if you hit it, 447 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,679 Speaker 1: and then anything else that you cause is upside. So 448 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: you are in control of your own destiny, which is 449 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: also very good experience for running a company. The other 450 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: thing that's a good experience for running company is when 451 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: things are going well, they're gonna acknowledge you. When things 452 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: aren't going well, they're gonna holize and they can't you manage, 453 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: you know, and you've gotta be comfortable with that and 454 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: recognize that, Like, even if it's not directly your fault, 455 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 1: leaders take more. In my opinion, I think it's better 456 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: to take more of your share of the lame and 457 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: less of the credit even when things are going well. Right, 458 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: So whenever you're going through this process, it's always like 459 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: recognize that, like in order to keep the party going, 460 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: you want to keep going in and acknowledge all the 461 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: people around you to help you get there. Like if 462 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: I'm a sales and I'm doing well, marketing helped me, right, 463 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: the research team helped me get inside, you know, like 464 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: like all the engineers helped me understand, Like when I 465 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: told him what the problem was, they built the feature 466 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: to make sure that this person was happy. So you 467 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: gotta always spread love to everybody else, you know. Also, 468 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: the reason why this is important because the fort loss 469 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: of power UM, you know, number one of four. The 470 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 1: loss of power is never outsiging the master. If you 471 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: start getting too good, especially in the Dog Eat Dog team, 472 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: you know, they want to cut your head off, So 473 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: you always want to kind of like downplay yourself a 474 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,440 Speaker 1: little bit. Played again. So I would say, for the 475 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 1: people are listening that are non technical, I would I 476 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:57,159 Speaker 1: would explore UM sales UM. Another close runner up is 477 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: UM Marketing, but marketing and starting to become more technical 478 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: these days. UM. But it's great because you know, what 479 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: we talked about earlier with s c O is that 480 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 1: UM and and mark and content is that most startups 481 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: don't understand how to do SCO properly. That's why forty 482 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 1: cents of every dollar, may see dollar goes to Facebook 483 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: and Google, all right, And it's hard to create content epically, 484 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: especially written content, but also video and audio. Although HR 485 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: and there too. We need more back people in HR. Yeah, 486 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: that's how more of us get in the door, because 487 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: these compass right. Season two of the Black Tech Dreen 488 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: Money Podcast is brought to you by Lexus, known for 489 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 1: celebrating driveway moments for over thirty years, Lexus invites you 490 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: to create more with exclusive offers on the most popular 491 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: Lexus models at the December to Remember Sales event experience 492 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: Amazing at your Alexis dealer. According to Myers Briggs, I'm 493 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: an I N T P and if you like me, 494 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: many jobs in tech will be a great fit, per 495 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: study done by Career Kerma. For instance, as an aerospace 496 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: engineer you can make it around eighty thousand dollars annually. 497 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: An electrician could put in fifty k. I as ruping 498 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: about the opportunity in tech and why too many people 499 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 1: are apprehensive to get started in the industry, Ruben Harris 500 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: speaks on it um lack of confidence, lack of belief 501 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: in themselves. Um, it's like imposter syndrome is a very 502 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: big deal for a lot of people. So, but if 503 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: you don't know what imposti syndrome is, it's um. It's 504 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,400 Speaker 1: when you are fully qualified to do something, but you've 505 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,360 Speaker 1: convinced yourself that you're not enough and that you don't 506 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,880 Speaker 1: belong UM, and so you know, you might be like, wow, 507 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 1: there's no women in tech and no black people in tech, 508 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: so you know, who am I to do this? Right? 509 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: When you don't realize that whatever you feel as weird 510 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,479 Speaker 1: or you're unique about you as I will be your 511 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: superpower on what you want to double down on. And 512 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: I think that we don't realize our power, like our story, 513 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: like you know, the fact that we didn't grow up 514 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: with the solver spoon or that we didn't grow up 515 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: in certain things, is is the key part of your 516 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: story that you really want to preach and you want 517 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: to tell and you want to and you want to 518 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,880 Speaker 1: hone in on. And I think that, UM, the reason 519 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: why a lot of people don't don't take that for 520 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: a step is not just because of lack of confidence UM, 521 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: but also and I positive, but also because of strife 522 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: around us, but also because of UM lack of familiarity 523 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: with the skills that are required and what it takes 524 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: in order to pass the emissions process, to survive the 525 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: program and go through the job search. Right. I think 526 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: that's part of the reason why we create a career 527 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: commons to be this rapid round support system that educates 528 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: you on what's going on. Right, Automation is going to 529 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: create and destroy jobs for ever, and that's not a 530 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: bad thing. That's just how it works, right, Um, but 531 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: you need to always and most of the time when 532 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: we're looking for a career advice, we're gonna talk to 533 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: our friends and family, but they're probably not going to 534 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: have the most up to date information about required skills 535 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: and the career paths. And since we don't have a 536 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: lot of friends and family that are in these roles, 537 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: that's another reason why we don't go in that direction. 538 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: And that's another reason why we create a career comments 539 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: so that you can have other people that look like you, 540 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: and why afro Tech has afro Tech World so that 541 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: you can see other people that look like you that 542 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: are doing this, so that you know that you're not alone. 543 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: You know. The post secondary education system, speaking of about 544 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: changes with colleges, they train you for your first job 545 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: and then leave you a loan to navigate forty forty 546 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: years of your life by yourself. All right, Loneliness is 547 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: a big deal. Now, suicide is a very big deal 548 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: now because of unemployment, depression, anxiety and UM, people are 549 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: seeking community even more today. You know, speaking of Afro 550 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: tech world, there's a very viral thing going on on Twitter. 551 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: They're not saying I grew up here. It's a picture 552 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: of video games that people played and that's where their 553 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: community was. It was an escape, you know, this thing 554 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: called second life. All right. It was beautiful about tech 555 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: today is that it's bridging the online of the offline 556 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: world and making it fluid. All right. People say remote 557 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: work is going to be there forever, and in my opinion, yes, 558 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: remote work will be an option forever, but there will 559 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: be some people that prefer in person, some people that 560 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: prefer a hybrid to go online or offline. That's what 561 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: we're going to so, UM, the story answer is imposter syndrome. 562 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: Second is lack of familiarity. And third there are struggles 563 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: that people deal with as blue collar workers and that 564 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: most organizations don't understand, like what I said, with credit 565 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: and devices and things like that, housing and things like that. 566 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: And so we'll help you figure that out if you 567 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: need it. You mentioned you know your target demographic. I 568 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 1: believe thirty five and UM, and I know that's a target. 569 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean you don't accept people younger and twenty 570 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: five or people older than thirty five. Specifically, for the 571 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: people who are older than thirty five, let's say, you know, 572 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: thirty seven and forty whatever years old, for those who 573 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: you found in you know what, I'm asking you about 574 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: specific cases, but you can be general. What is typical 575 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: about those on the higher end of your users that 576 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: I found success. What's what's typical about those cases? The people? 577 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: So we have several people that are in their fifties 578 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: and sixties that have gotten jobs in the career Comma 579 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: as well. The way that they get jobs is through 580 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: communication and through leveraging the life experience that they have 581 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: in other spaces. Right, there's a really good movie that 582 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: I watched recently called UM's called The Intern Yeah, I 583 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: saw with Robert de Niro and Ann Hathaway Because for 584 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 1: the people that don't know, it's about a senior internship 585 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: program and essentially it's for people in the sixties that 586 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: are that are going to get an internship at a 587 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: growing tech company run by a woman that's played by Hathaway, 588 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: e commerce company. That's really dope movie because this dude 589 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: was a very successful salesperson at a company that that 590 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: happens to be the same building where she works in. 591 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: And I'm not gonna tell the whole movie, but the 592 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: point is is that um whoever is older than thirty 593 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 1: five or has life experience in some place or work 594 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: experience in some place. So whenever you are thinking about 595 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 1: making a career transition as an engineer or designer, data 596 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: scientists or whatever, focus on building projects related to the 597 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 1: domain that you know. Right. So, for example, you got 598 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: a piano in the background, right, I say, Let's say, 599 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: let's say that you are a musician. I'm a musician 600 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: like that, and so like if you are building projects 601 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: related to music and you have a history, like you've 602 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: been playing, I say, you're a jazz musician for for 603 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: thirty years before you decided to break into tech. What 604 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: you get to the job search and you're applying to 605 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: companies like Spotify or SoundCloud or Title or whatever. You're 606 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: not a junior developer. You are a seasoned professional musician 607 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: that happens to know how to code, right, And so 608 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: you have to be able to communicate that story because 609 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you are in an 610 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: advantage because if you're applying for a company that's hot, 611 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: everybody's gonna have the coding skills, everybody's gonna have the 612 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: sales skills. There's gonna be nothing that makes like your 613 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: sales and code. Let's pretend like that that will and 614 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: I got the same skills and and in in coding 615 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: or sales. What's gonna make you hire him over me? 616 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: It's just he's a he's a benefit personality wise, life wise, 617 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: experience wise. And you might be like, well, I never 618 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: worked in corporate before. Great, what's your struggle that you've 619 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: been through. Bring that to the table and apply to 620 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: companies that are focus on solving problems related to that struggle. Right, 621 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: you might have been Yeah. I mean I could go 622 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 1: into many different examples of this, but the point is 623 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: is that it comes down to communication. Whether you are 624 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: senior or junior or mid level, like, communication at the 625 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: end of the day is what's going to get you 626 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: the job and your portfolio that you build. Yeah, it's 627 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:23,560 Speaker 1: this great Segle. I found this quote that you um 628 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: previously stated, and I want you to expand on this. 629 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: You said, it's easy to think that the way you're 630 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 1: doing you're going to rise is through your skills technically, 631 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 1: but the way that you rise is actually through your 632 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: non technical skills and understanding how to communicate and be 633 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: creative and manage your perception, which is also your story. 634 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: I want you to go deeper on that whole thing, 635 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 1: because you just started there. I'm pushing you to go further. 636 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: I love it, I love it. I love that you 637 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: bring this up. So and in addition to communication, you 638 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: have to realize that building company is as a team sport. 639 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: And using the music analogy, it's like playing in the band. 640 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 1: Right when you're playing in a band or you're doing 641 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: chamber music, you can't always play loud do. You have 642 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: to figure out how to play in a way that 643 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: blends well with everybody else. But you gotta know when 644 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: to rest. You gotta know when to fall black. You 645 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: don't know when to lean it, and you gotta know 646 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: when to just this is not your this is not 647 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,799 Speaker 1: your turn. Like maybe sit on the bench, you know, 648 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 1: ask the right questions, watch the plays like so I 649 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:33,240 Speaker 1: think that, Um, something that people don't understand is people 650 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: aren't just looking for hires that they like. They want 651 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,680 Speaker 1: to understand how you work with others, how you work 652 00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: with us. That's why things like pair programming are very important. Um, 653 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,319 Speaker 1: if you're in sales, like, how do you talk for 654 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 1: people who don't know program? Pair program Pair programming is when, Um, 655 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: if you're a developer, you're gonna be coding with somebody 656 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,839 Speaker 1: else in order to get something else, like somebody being 657 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: in the driver's seat and you're in the passenger seat 658 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,720 Speaker 1: and somebody like you're doing the steering wheel, somebody else's 659 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: like pushing the pedal. It's kind of like it's like 660 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: Batman and Robin. So it's it's a way to get 661 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: things done. And there's a lot of a lot of 662 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: other things that developers do on a team. Um, I'm 663 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: not an engineer. I'm in sales, so I'll use a 664 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,680 Speaker 1: sales analogy which is similar, right, and sales you have 665 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:25,240 Speaker 1: sales development representatives that you have account executives. Sales development 666 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: representatives are going to take all the leads that marketing 667 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: is giving you, or they're gonna hunt their own leads 668 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: that are coming to get those sponsorships from airports site. Right, 669 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: They're gonna qualify them to see if they budget is 670 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: big enough, and if they are, then they're going to 671 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 1: pass them on to the account executive like an alley 672 00:36:42,520 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: and then the context of supposed to slam dockhead. Right. 673 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: So this team collaboration is really important. And when you 674 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: think about these non technical skills, it's not just communication 675 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 1: team dynamic is it's time management? Right. So the time 676 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,320 Speaker 1: management that it took you to figure out how to 677 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: manage your own skill it is important. But how do 678 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: you coordinate schedules for people all over the world in 679 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 1: a remote COVID world nineteen world. You gotta understand time zones, 680 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 1: you gotta understand calendar advice, you gotta understand things like that. Um, 681 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: how do you speak EMOHI and givet right? It's different 682 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:21,439 Speaker 1: level of communication. You know, it's not just verbal, it's 683 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,760 Speaker 1: not just video. It's like how do you talk slang? 684 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,760 Speaker 1: Written wise? So you understand I'm down for the culture? 685 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,760 Speaker 1: How do you do it? You know, it's a different 686 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:34,239 Speaker 1: it's a different level of thing, and so that takes practice. Um, 687 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:40,800 Speaker 1: I think um. Understanding when to delegate it is probably 688 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: one of the biggest challenges, Like if you're someone that's 689 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: used to doing things yourself and getting everything done, understanding 690 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: when to if you want to be a leader give 691 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: it to somebody else to do it, because you can 692 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,440 Speaker 1: actually be more effective by passing it on to multiple 693 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: people and the verse as you're doing it yourself. A right, 694 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,480 Speaker 1: That's something that has been a big challenge for me 695 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 1: in the beginning, Like it took me a long time 696 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: and additional communication to be like, all right, you handle this. 697 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: You handle this because I want to make sure that 698 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: it gets done right. You know, I think all of 699 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,920 Speaker 1: those things are are important. Um, outside of that, I 700 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 1: would say, make sure you get an outside of perspective 701 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: on yourself. So when we talk about perception, right, um, 702 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: you can be perfect at doing everything that you feel 703 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: you need to do to make your own brand, but 704 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: what you may not realize is the way that you 705 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:40,960 Speaker 1: think that you're being perceived. It's not how you actually right. 706 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:45,040 Speaker 1: So you always want to ask people how they feel 707 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 1: that you're doing right or like if it's your manager 708 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 1: or your colleagues, like or your roommates or whatever, like 709 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: how do you feel things like like how's your week been? 710 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: Like have a reflection time. That's why like Sunday Sunday. 711 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,439 Speaker 1: Success on Monday starts on Sunday, Like reflect on your week, 712 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,359 Speaker 1: talk to your girl talk to your your people, be like, 713 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: am I being like how you like? You may not 714 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,400 Speaker 1: even know they might have penta frustration, you know, and 715 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 1: so you've got to understand how to get better and 716 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:16,359 Speaker 1: based off of that feedback. You need to be open 717 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: to the feedback because they might tell you something that 718 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 1: hurts or that you didn't intend, and if you don't 719 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 1: respond to it, then you're not gonna be able to 720 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:30,239 Speaker 1: do better. Right, And so that is all relevant to 721 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:33,760 Speaker 1: your work, also relevant to your company and your brand. 722 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 1: So make sure you're constantly checking, asking for feedback, understanding 723 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: your perception, working on your perception, working on your brand. Um. 724 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: But yeah, and there's a lot of other things. It's fantastic, 725 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: it's real, it's really good. UM. Segue and just a 726 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: little bit because and you've talked about this before, like 727 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:56,960 Speaker 1: your first application of y Combinator wasn't successful. Um in 728 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: almost every starter founder has been through that, you know, 729 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,319 Speaker 1: hard when God, when you get that email right and 730 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 1: this um why y see has been its regale like 731 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:09,279 Speaker 1: like you know, criminal of criminal boot camps, accelerators right 732 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: for startups. Um. A lot of people who will be 733 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 1: watching this or listening to this will be thinking about applying, 734 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,359 Speaker 1: will have been denied and upset about that, or will 735 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:23,759 Speaker 1: be interested after this conversation? Right? And so, um, you 736 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: guys didn't get in the first time you applied, But 737 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,840 Speaker 1: what did you learn about that experience that helped you 738 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 1: get in in the nineteen cohord Um? That may help 739 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 1: other people. But what was the difference between that first 740 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: application in that second that or maybe the second third 741 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: I'm not sure which one it was, but I know 742 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: you applied before didn't get in, but you did get 743 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:48,320 Speaker 1: in in nineteen. What was different? Definitely it was the 744 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: second application that we got in. So they the reason 745 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: we didn't get in the first time was first because 746 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,320 Speaker 1: we didn't communicate well what they has important UM in 747 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 1: the beginning of the C stage is very important to 748 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:04,400 Speaker 1: talk about what you're doing today, UM, versus like your 749 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 1: vision UM. And we talked about the vision. And even 750 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,120 Speaker 1: when we talked about this vision, it was like all 751 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: over the place that we talked about a bunch of stuff, 752 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:20,359 Speaker 1: just like it's sounds scattered bang. Like when you talk 753 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 1: to people, it has to be a clarity of thought, 754 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,640 Speaker 1: like what do you do? It should be very easy 755 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 1: and say we're the easiest way to find a job 756 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: training program online, like I think. I think the beginning, 757 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: like our thing was like I don't know, um, the 758 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: like the largest social network for blue collar workers to 759 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 1: get a job or something like that, which sounds like 760 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,360 Speaker 1: marketing was I it could sound okay, I get a 761 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 1: large social network collar workers get a job, but it 762 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 1: doesn't clearly say what I do. You know it's big, 763 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 1: but it's like, okay, so how do you do that? 764 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: Like how do you create a social network? Things like that? 765 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,040 Speaker 1: So I think that's important. I think the other the 766 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,520 Speaker 1: thing that we did is we didn't wait. So as 767 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 1: soon as as soon as we got rejected um I 768 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:11,080 Speaker 1: got the feedback from the White combinated people, we took 769 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: the rejection letter, we printed it out, we framed it, 770 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:19,239 Speaker 1: we put it on our wall, and we raised the 771 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:22,840 Speaker 1: small seed round, which was the bare minimum amount that 772 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: we needed in order to live, which was about a 773 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,680 Speaker 1: hundred fifty three people to live on. We ended up 774 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:31,479 Speaker 1: raising a little over three hundred thousand and a couple 775 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 1: of weeks UM. And what we did was we made 776 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 1: sure that we followed up on what we said we 777 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: were going to do, all right, so we lost, we executed, 778 00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:46,919 Speaker 1: We built we generated revenue and then the platt again. 779 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,360 Speaker 1: But when we planted again, this time we spent a 780 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:53,120 Speaker 1: lot of time talking to otherwise the founders about the 781 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:55,439 Speaker 1: interview and got a lot of practice for the white 782 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: interview because the interviews only ten minutes and the interview 783 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: they they're gonna end if you interrupted the whole time. 784 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 1: And the first time they they interrupted us a lot, 785 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,399 Speaker 1: but I let them carry the conversation. But this time 786 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:12,800 Speaker 1: when they interrupted me, I would acknowledge their point and 787 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,840 Speaker 1: then bring it back to my main three points. Okay, 788 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,680 Speaker 1: So anytime somebody would say something that would try to 789 00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:21,480 Speaker 1: send me on a tangent, I would say, um no, 790 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:23,279 Speaker 1: that's a great point, and I could see how you 791 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 1: came to that conclusion. But the way that I actually 792 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 1: think about it is boom. Well that we think about 793 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 1: it's like boom. So you always want to bring it 794 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:32,400 Speaker 1: back to your points because they want to see how 795 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:33,880 Speaker 1: you align. They also want to see how you work 796 00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:35,719 Speaker 1: with your co founders. So we also like made sure 797 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:38,080 Speaker 1: that the banter was right between all of us and 798 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 1: that we're all aligned, that we all had the same 799 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 1: answer for the same type of things. So it looks 800 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:51,239 Speaker 1: like so it's it's clear that we are aligned. So practice, launch, execute, communicate. 801 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: Um yeah, practice, find other people, find out the peers 802 00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 1: that can help you. And if you if you want, 803 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: if you feel like you're ready, and I'm happy to 804 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 1: give you a back interview and his emails right on 805 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 1: his LinkedIn too, by the way, and so yeah. Season 806 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:23,439 Speaker 1: two of the Black Tech, Green Money Podcast is brought 807 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 1: to you by Lexus, who's been celebrating driveway moments for 808 00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:29,759 Speaker 1: over thirty years with the Lexus December to Remember sales event, 809 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: where you can find exclusive offers on the most popular 810 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:37,120 Speaker 1: Lexus models experience amazing at your Alexis dealer. I remember 811 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:40,000 Speaker 1: Paul Judge, who I love, you know, he's the Michael 812 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 1: Jordan poster on my wall of black startup guys or 813 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 1: black technologists. Um and I remember him saying something in 814 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 1: the talk that he gave several years ago, and he said, 815 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 1: you can't get great talent to come and help you 816 00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:57,439 Speaker 1: build a small idea because great talent wants to work 817 00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,759 Speaker 1: on big ideas. I love that, loved it. Change you know, 818 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,440 Speaker 1: change about that about stuff. And in the early days 819 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:07,320 Speaker 1: of career car books, I've heard you talk about you know, 820 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:09,279 Speaker 1: the mission. You know, we're gonna help a billion people 821 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: in ten years, you know, but against your y see 822 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:14,560 Speaker 1: things like okay, but how right? And so how did 823 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:17,120 Speaker 1: you get those early people who believe in your vision 824 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:19,839 Speaker 1: who aren't the co founders to come along and say, 825 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 1: you know what I believe in you know, and and 826 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:25,120 Speaker 1: Reuben and Damn and like, how do you how do 827 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 1: you get them early? That's a great question, UM, and 828 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 1: I love that quote. I would say it goes back 829 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,080 Speaker 1: to our earlier thing that we're talking about with Personal Brand. 830 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,719 Speaker 1: I think the fact that we have a podcast that 831 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: has powerful people on it, that our venture capitalists and 832 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:47,920 Speaker 1: founders and two years that have done big things and 833 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 1: they have billion dollars like success, I think helps us 834 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:58,240 Speaker 1: UM attract the right talent in addition to our writing 835 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 1: and stuff like that. OULD also say what I learned 836 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:07,239 Speaker 1: in UM in Atlanta, UM throwing parties and showing that 837 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,960 Speaker 1: I like I'm tied to celebrities and I know that 838 00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:17,000 Speaker 1: sounds kind of like, but like having the celebrities like 839 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:20,840 Speaker 1: a fel technologist, right, having access to celebrities in addition 840 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:25,319 Speaker 1: to the Top V Season, the Top Founders House, because 841 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: like things like these are these like larger life characters. 842 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:30,880 Speaker 1: How are they like on a friend basis with these people, right, 843 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:33,880 Speaker 1: And so I think I think that's important. I also think, um, 844 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,080 Speaker 1: doubling down on your unique qualities about you helps a 845 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:43,200 Speaker 1: lot um a lot of um a lot. There's not 846 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:45,480 Speaker 1: a lot of black chillis that played a lot of 847 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:47,319 Speaker 1: black people that played the cello. And I've been playing 848 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:49,480 Speaker 1: the cello for almost thirty years. And so a lot 849 00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:53,120 Speaker 1: of times when people talk about team, they'll they'll pump 850 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:55,359 Speaker 1: their chests about what school that they went to. They'll 851 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,640 Speaker 1: pump themselves about how they went to banking, they worked 852 00:46:57,680 --> 00:46:59,640 Speaker 1: at these cool companies. But then when you look at 853 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 1: the things that the outside of professional credentials, like they 854 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:04,840 Speaker 1: might be like, all right, I was an Olympic athlete, 855 00:47:05,200 --> 00:47:09,680 Speaker 1: or I was chest grand master and like all these things, 856 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,360 Speaker 1: or I played golf tennis, like those are all like 857 00:47:12,560 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 1: great things. Skiing, snowballing, snowmobilings. Those are all great things. 858 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:21,480 Speaker 1: But it's not like super different, all right. So like 859 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:27,840 Speaker 1: if you are a I don't know, a lion tamer 860 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 1: on the side, like or something just something, it's like 861 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:35,640 Speaker 1: it's something that's like it's like something that's different, just 862 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:38,040 Speaker 1: like it has to stand out to be like not 863 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:44,080 Speaker 1: not just like not just um something that shows that 864 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:46,279 Speaker 1: you work hard, but just like that you you do 865 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 1: think big, and you can face danger and you can 866 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,160 Speaker 1: like be calm in that situation. You can be controlled 867 00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:55,640 Speaker 1: in that situation in the face you can you can 868 00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:59,040 Speaker 1: have courage. And and I think that, Like my my 869 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:00,719 Speaker 1: middle name is linea guy, so I guess and I 870 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:07,680 Speaker 1: had a big line. I thought about it so and 871 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:11,440 Speaker 1: as I also saw this like a crazy clip on Twitter, 872 00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:15,120 Speaker 1: this like alligator eating this like twitoise like it like 873 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:17,080 Speaker 1: jumped out and it was like running away. But anyway, 874 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 1: like the point is this, like you have to have 875 00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:25,040 Speaker 1: these like check boxes that get people to feel like 876 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:27,319 Speaker 1: you are someone that they can follow onto the promise line. 877 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:31,920 Speaker 1: And I think for for us, we've always made big 878 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:33,920 Speaker 1: claims about what we're gonna do, and we did it. 879 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:36,719 Speaker 1: Like going back to that original blog post, I told 880 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:39,239 Speaker 1: people I was going to be an investment banker even 881 00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:41,680 Speaker 1: though I had a two point energy Yeah, and I 882 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:43,920 Speaker 1: went to a school that nobody's ever heard of, that 883 00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:46,960 Speaker 1: had no interest, work, experience, and people's home. It was impossible, 884 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:49,520 Speaker 1: but I did it. I told people I was gonna 885 00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:52,440 Speaker 1: work and moved to West Coast. I did it. I 886 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:54,160 Speaker 1: told people I was gonna get into our commentator. I 887 00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:56,120 Speaker 1: didn't get in the first time. I told some of 888 00:48:56,200 --> 00:48:58,000 Speaker 1: my peer mentors that I didn't get in. They told 889 00:48:58,040 --> 00:48:59,919 Speaker 1: me their stories about how they didn't get in into 890 00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:02,320 Speaker 1: forget about it. I did it again. We got in 891 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:04,640 Speaker 1: from the people that I thought were gonna give me 892 00:49:04,680 --> 00:49:07,920 Speaker 1: our seed dround money. They didn't, didn't hurt me. Did 893 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:11,480 Speaker 1: tears come out? Yes? I had to like scrap to 894 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 1: get like forty seven plus people to get at one 895 00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:16,719 Speaker 1: point five, we got it right. Shout out to guy 896 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,759 Speaker 1: like it was. It was amazing. Now next fit same 897 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:22,160 Speaker 1: type of things. So you just gotta, like you have to. 898 00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:26,840 Speaker 1: You have to consistently have wins historically or like claim 899 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,120 Speaker 1: that you're gonna do something or proclaim that you're gonna 900 00:49:29,160 --> 00:49:31,319 Speaker 1: do something and be able to prove that you're gonna 901 00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:32,960 Speaker 1: do it, and people people will see that and get 902 00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 1: behind it. They'll say something special about will something special 903 00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:41,399 Speaker 1: about this person you know? And finally, Um, I read 904 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: this quote another quote from you which I loved. Um. 905 00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:46,160 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what I thought about when I read 906 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:47,880 Speaker 1: the quote first and then I read you the quote 907 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:49,759 Speaker 1: is when I when I read this quote, I thought 908 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,919 Speaker 1: about people who may not necessarily be dissatisfied with their 909 00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: current job, maybe comfortable, um in etcetera, and maybe not 910 00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:02,360 Speaker 1: thinking about the future that it may be disrupted. And 911 00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:06,560 Speaker 1: the quote was if you feel comfortable, that's your body 912 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:09,840 Speaker 1: telling you that you're ready to push harder. You're not growing. 913 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:13,480 Speaker 1: Challenges give you growth and growth is life. And I 914 00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:17,400 Speaker 1: want you to just close this conversation on what about 915 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: those people who maybe quite comfortable and living the life 916 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:27,080 Speaker 1: that they live right now and perhaps see the change coming, 917 00:50:27,320 --> 00:50:31,120 Speaker 1: perhaps don't more likely see that you know it changes come. 918 00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:34,440 Speaker 1: We didn't see COVID happening, right, and so people who 919 00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:37,960 Speaker 1: were making great money, designed for the future, and like 920 00:50:38,239 --> 00:50:40,560 Speaker 1: all indicators, they were doing all right, and then COVID 921 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:45,759 Speaker 1: happened and changed everything. Right. UM, talk to me about 922 00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:51,680 Speaker 1: comfort and its relationship to growth. Yeah. Yeah, I retweeted 923 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:54,400 Speaker 1: something this morning that I really I saw something that said, UM, 924 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:56,400 Speaker 1: it's okay not to know what you want in your 925 00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:58,760 Speaker 1: career at any age. The pressure to be a certain 926 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,439 Speaker 1: is a capitalist strut. The fuel of your productivity, which 927 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:04,680 Speaker 1: can be exploited. But productivity is not the goal. Becoming 928 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:08,319 Speaker 1: the fullest version of yourself and enjoying a life well 929 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:11,680 Speaker 1: lived is. So I agree with what you're saying about, 930 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:17,040 Speaker 1: like choosing, like being fully comfortable doing what you're currently 931 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:21,480 Speaker 1: doing right now. If you do that, you're winning. I'm 932 00:51:21,680 --> 00:51:25,520 Speaker 1: proud of you. You should double down on them. So 933 00:51:25,640 --> 00:51:28,399 Speaker 1: let's focus on that. But even if you are doing 934 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:37,960 Speaker 1: what you love, I do feel like if you aren't 935 00:51:38,040 --> 00:51:45,239 Speaker 1: pushing yourself in that space, you're not fully living. And 936 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:47,920 Speaker 1: what I mean by that, Like, what I mean by 937 00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:52,680 Speaker 1: that is if you've you've identified what you love and 938 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:54,279 Speaker 1: that you feel like you will put on this earth 939 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:58,080 Speaker 1: to do. I'm I believe in God, So like this 940 00:51:58,280 --> 00:52:01,800 Speaker 1: is versus I talking about airing your talent, burying your talent, 941 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 1: Like we shouldn't bury our talent, right we might die tomorrow, right, 942 00:52:08,080 --> 00:52:11,200 Speaker 1: you working hard and doing what you love and putting 943 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:17,120 Speaker 1: that out it's not for you, it's for legacy, and 944 00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:21,200 Speaker 1: your legacy might not be directed to your family, right 945 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:25,000 Speaker 1: might it might be a spark for somebody else, all right, 946 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:29,880 Speaker 1: And similar to working out right, you can have a 947 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:32,200 Speaker 1: perfect body right now, So let's let's use the knowledge 948 00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 1: of Like you chose your job the perfect body right now, 949 00:52:34,320 --> 00:52:38,360 Speaker 1: but if you're not at least maintaining your workout routine, 950 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:41,840 Speaker 1: you can slip right even if you even if you 951 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:44,399 Speaker 1: have all the resources that you need, So you gotta 952 00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:48,240 Speaker 1: still do some level of exercise, some level of challenge, 953 00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:50,759 Speaker 1: some level of like pushing yourself in some kind of 954 00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:53,480 Speaker 1: way doesn't always have to be a workout or a 955 00:52:53,600 --> 00:52:55,839 Speaker 1: meal prep type of thing. It might be now you're 956 00:52:55,840 --> 00:52:59,400 Speaker 1: gonna get into yoga or meditation or something like that, 957 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:02,719 Speaker 1: but something that's like pushing you because it's like it's 958 00:53:02,760 --> 00:53:04,719 Speaker 1: like a car that never that you never turned on, 959 00:53:04,960 --> 00:53:08,120 Speaker 1: Like sometimes it could be a perfectly a car just 960 00:53:08,200 --> 00:53:13,080 Speaker 1: won't start right. You have to use it. And I 961 00:53:13,239 --> 00:53:16,560 Speaker 1: and I and I feel like, especially with people from 962 00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:20,439 Speaker 1: underestimated backgrounds, it's super important for not just one person 963 00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:21,840 Speaker 1: to win, but for all of us to win. So 964 00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,640 Speaker 1: if you are fully comfortable in your own life and 965 00:53:24,719 --> 00:53:27,000 Speaker 1: you don't want to put yourself into your job, help 966 00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:29,880 Speaker 1: somebody else get to where you are right apply some 967 00:53:30,080 --> 00:53:33,239 Speaker 1: of your time towards that I'm not saying work of 968 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:37,400 Speaker 1: the time, but like we gotta get rid of the 969 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,840 Speaker 1: tropic debuokan mentality. We gotta put our our our do 970 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 1: what we were put on this earth to do, and 971 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:44,520 Speaker 1: figure out how we can support each other. So I 972 00:53:44,560 --> 00:53:48,640 Speaker 1: would just say, it's it's it's it's less of let's 973 00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:52,160 Speaker 1: become work of holics and more of let's figure out 974 00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:56,120 Speaker 1: how to make this world a better place. As corny 975 00:53:56,280 --> 00:54:19,400 Speaker 1: as that sounds. Black Tech Green Money is a production 976 00:54:19,440 --> 00:54:21,880 Speaker 1: of Black of the afro Tech is produced by Morgan 977 00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:25,960 Speaker 1: Dubon and me Well Lucas, with additional production support by 978 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:30,200 Speaker 1: Love Beach, Engraven Neerboard. Special thank you to Michael Davis 979 00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:32,880 Speaker 1: and some carsavan Yan you know like the wine and 980 00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:36,080 Speaker 1: yes that's his real name. Learn more about my guests 981 00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:39,080 Speaker 1: and other tech disruptors and innovators at afro tech dot com. 982 00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:42,359 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get your money. Peace and love,