WEBVTT - Rob Hardy Full Interview 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:04.320 So it's everyone needs a great pair of wireless earbuds. 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.480 But before you go dropping hundreds of dollars on a pair, 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:10.040 you need to check out the wireless earbuds from Recon. 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 Recon earbuds start off about half the price of any 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:15.840 other premium wireless earbuds on the market, and they sound 0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:18.760 just as amazing. The company was actually co founded by 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.760 Ray j and celebrities like Stoop Dog, Melissy Athridge, Cardib, 0:00:21.960 --> 0:00:25.800 Brandy j R. Smith and Moore are already obsessed. 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If you've been 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:03.200 eyeing a parent, now is the time to get an 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:07.120 amazing deal. One more time by raycon dot com Slash 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:11.240 my heart. My next guest is on the phone called in. 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.360 I made him one time and it was one of 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.920 our screenings that the movie uh, I Think Like a Man, 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.920 very first movie we did. Um. He's an incredible TV 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:26.160 and film director, producer, and writer. He has directed television 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:29.040 shows Check This Out, Slow Down That when you see 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.759 a lot of people sad, the direct Stuff, Okay, this 0:01:31.800 --> 0:01:37.520 guy Wrestlemans, Crazy, Empire, Power, How to Get Away with Murder, 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.039 The Flash which I love, Blind Spot which I love, 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.120 Criminal Mind which I love, Being Mary Jane which I love, 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:47.200 Errol which I love, Castle Grays Anatomy, their Vampire Diaries, 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:51.440 Bones the Original which I love. Currently directing See That 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:54.520 is All American. He has produced movies like I said there, 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.360 Think like a Man, Think like a Man. To Stump 0:01:57.440 --> 0:01:59.360 the Yard. That's when I first discovered him way back 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:01.960 when so we can play that game. Is currently director 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:04.680 and EP director of The c W. That means when 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:06.760 your EP and your director, that means you get to 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:09.919 two checks to check You're to check. Man Inspired of 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:13.919 inspired by the life of NFL player Spencer Pasenger. Please 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:19.120 work on the money making conversations. Rob Hardy, Hey, how 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:21.600 you doing? Hey? Rob? How are you doing? My friends? 0:02:23.080 --> 0:02:25.760 I'm doing good, man, I'm doing good. I appreciate first 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:28.079 of all, thank you for coming on my show. And uh, 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.440 like I told everybody on the air, uh, you know, 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:33.079 I met you one time and I first screening when 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:34.840 we did uh Think Like a Man, which we went 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:37.880 on to a huge success. But you you're You're interesting. 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.360 I'm glad they got you on on the on the 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.079 phone and right now on my show, and I want 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:44.040 you to be a regular in my life because you're 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.080 one of those talents that flies on the radar but 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:49.480 just as busy as heck? Am I saying that wrong? 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:52.160 Or are you all? Or everybody know about you? And 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:55.680 I'm just the last one to find out about you now, 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:59.880 I don't know if everybody knows, but but you know, 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.360 I've had a good run so far, so so I 0:03:02.400 --> 0:03:05.239 can't complain. I can't complain. Well, just it's really different 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:07.960 because of social media and the way the digital world 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:11.359 works nowadays, is that you always start. It used to 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:13.880 be the day where you know the talent was the star. 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:18.600 Now executive producers are stars, writers or stars, and directors 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:21.359 or stars because people can follow you. How is it that, 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:23.959 How has that changed? Because you've seen the change from 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:26.440 stuff to yard to now, how has that changed the 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:29.720 way you present yourself or are you all you communicate 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.959 with your fans? Yeah? You know. I think social media 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:36.840 has played like a really big, you know, part in 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.640 in how a lot of directors and and producers are perceived. 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.800 I think that when when I was coming up, if 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:47.080 you were Spike Lee or Robert Towrenson or Singleton or 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:50.119 somebody like that, we knew you because you were kind 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.600 of like a celebrity and you did commercials and people 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:56.880 saw your face, but you didn't really see that in 0:03:57.080 --> 0:03:59.440 the TV world, you didn't know who directed your favorite 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:02.840 episode of whatever show it was, you know, Good Times 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:06.880 or Martin or some show. But now, because of social media, 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.000 you get a chance to follow people who get to 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:14.760 see behind the scenes, You get to see the you know, directors, producers, um, 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:17.800 you know, posing with the cast. And it's the much 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:21.880 different thing now because I think now, um, it's all 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:26.400 about it's all about the fact that we are um, 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:28.800 you know more accessible than we used to be back 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:32.440 in the day. So that's that's really important because that's 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.880 why I was excited that you can't you you're you're 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:38.599 on my show because my show is about entrepreneurs entrepreneurship 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.600 and entertainment, and my show is about the business side 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:46.760 and also and discovering unique talents like you that just 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:49.480 just have a dominant voice. Because I look at your 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:52.560 look at your resume and you're not an urban director, 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:55.840 you know you you're you're crossing over? How does that 0:04:56.560 --> 0:04:59.159 nothing negative? I'm just trying to how people understand how 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:01.480 are you able to do that? What in your resume 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:04.159 is allowing you to do you know, go from a 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:08.080 Vampire Diaries to the flash to Mary being Mary Jane? 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:12.800 So how how are you accomplishing that task? Well, you know, 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:15.440 when when I first started out, me and Will Packer 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:19.800 were business partners and we had our company, Ranford Films, 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.680 and all the movies that we did were kind of, 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:25.400 you know, in the urban space, so basically you know, 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:28.640 movies the movie starring us. And when I got in 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:33.400 the TV, I apprenticed on g R this hospital show 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:35.640 that was going on, and when I was doing that, 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.159 and I shadowed on that show. That was the first 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:43.120 television show that I did. And so when that happened, 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:46.800 it opened the door for other shows like and so 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:52.600 for all men on big networks, um that might only 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:54.920 have one or two, you know, people of color in 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.160 the cast. And I was kind of doing that for 0:05:57.200 --> 0:06:00.599 a while. And it was funny because I think the 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.839 first you know show I did it actually had a 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:07.719 predominantly black cast was The Game. And when I first 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.599 did that, some of my friends like, oh, so you 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:12.440 do TV now, and I was like, no, No, I've 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:17.159 been doing TV for like five years. You know. It 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:19.640 was in a different shows. There was Criminal Minds or 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.880 you know, another show like that. So I think because 0:06:22.880 --> 0:06:25.640 I kind of started TV there, it opened me up 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:28.000 to do a whole lot of different things. You know, 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:29.760 I'm I'm gonna get on you about this. You know 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.200 you you say e R you know a little hospital show? 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:36.400 What just one of the biggest hospital shows, drama shows 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:40.359 in the history of television. U creator what johns Wales 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:43.919 created that show? Correct, he did. He's in a John 0:06:43.920 --> 0:06:47.280 Wells and shoes. He did everything from Shameless, The Southman 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:51.920 and Smith West Wayne. You know, uh, Third Watch, that's 0:06:51.960 --> 0:06:57.400 all John Wells, nothing like being connected. Mr Hardy, Okay, 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:02.640 hey man, I'm just hey, I'm you know, well you 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:04.719 know that that but but you know that's that's important 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:07.680 because when people I jokingly say that, but you know, 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:10.680 that's how it is. Relationships. Then in this business, what 0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.240 people think of you, and and you know, when you're 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:15.560 doing one job, you know you're actually looking for your 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.440 next job. You know, and it sounds crazy, even though 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.080 you have Laurel to here. You have to realize that 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:23.600 a plug can be pulled. You know that, you have 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:26.480 to realize that multiple strings of income is important to 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.120 your life. And then you have to make these decisions. 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:31.160 So when you're sitting around and looking at these shows 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:34.680 like like The Flash and I look at which is 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:38.880 totally different from Power, tell us how you how do you? 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.679 How do you do that? How do you the Flash? Power? 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:45.400 How do you do you? As a director? How do 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:48.520 you sit down and then conceptionalized how to move forward 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:51.480 with the way you direct those shows? Those two different shows. 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:55.720 You know, when you look at uh, the Flash and 0:07:56.120 --> 0:08:02.840 you know Power, they're actually both superhero shows. Like the Flashes, 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.200 you know, a guy that's looking for the people that 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:08.800 killed his parents or killed his mom in prison his dad, 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:11.000 and he gets these powers, so he put on the 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.960 costume and goes out to fight crime to solve the mystery. 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:20.160 Power is a drug dealer who's trying to go legit, 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.640 so he wears the mask of a legit guy while 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:25.520 he is a drug dealer by night, so he can 0:08:25.600 --> 0:08:28.280 change his stars. So he's trying to be a superhero 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:31.800 force family trying to change it up, and he's fighting 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.920 the bad guys for him, which is the people stopping 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:36.400 him from doing what he has to do. And they 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.360 all have, you know, themes that we can relate to, 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:42.640 wanting to prolong, wanting to be better, wanting to look 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:44.960 out for your family. And I think that you know, 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.320 as a storyteller, whenever you can, you know, make things 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:52.000 relatable to all of us, you know, whether you like 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:56.280 superheroes or not, then you win as as a filmmaker 0:08:56.360 --> 0:09:00.480 because you make people care about the story. That is amazing. 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.480 It's the truth. It's absolutely truth. Like one of my 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:12.360 favorite series on Netflix is called Knuckles, His Knuckles, and 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.480 that show is really about parody. You know, you have 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:19.280 a guy, Okay, how horrible he is, he's still trying 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:22.280 to do good for his family, but unfortunately he does 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:25.840 so many bad things to other people to satisfy his 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.679 personal gains. And when you look at when you when 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:31.000 you when you carve it down to that, like you said, 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.800 a superhero trying to do good in this situation, drug 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:38.400 dealer in other situations. He has powers that are that 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:43.200 outrageously fast, and so those things are really how you say, 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:45.640 you'd really just go to the core of something. That's 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:48.520 that's that's that parallels both of them, and that's how 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:53.120 you're able to make the transition that's wow. That's how 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:57.120 you know. It's funny because I think a lot of times, 0:09:57.120 --> 0:09:59.880 on the surface, we could say, man, we're different because 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.800 you know, you grew up here, I grew up there, etcetera, etcetera. 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.800 But underneath the dog, everybody kind of wants the same 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:10.040 day right as to kind of like you know, be 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:14.240 secure and like matter, get love, get respected, be a 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.960 part of something. And so I think that all those 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:20.400 things that I'll be right back, hold that thought right back. 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:24.360 I just Rashan McDonald. I'm on he's on the phone. 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:28.160 He's incredible. I'm gonna just word incredible. I'm a fan. 0:10:28.720 --> 0:10:31.040 He's currently the EP and director of the c W 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:34.679 is an all American series. Uh that's uh, that's that's 0:10:34.760 --> 0:10:38.520 this winning. He directed such TV shows as Empire, Power, 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:41.760 How to Get Away with Murder, The Flash, The blind Spot, 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:46.160 Criminal Minds, Being Mary Jane Arrow Castle, Gray's Anatomy, The 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:49.439 Vampire Diariest produced movies like Think Like a Man too. 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:52.120 I know something about that executive producer on that movie, 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.240 Think Like a Man. I know I was a NEXTI 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:57.040 on that movie. But stop the yard just when he's 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.120 a funny story about that rob about the stuff the 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.880 yard is that I remember when that movie came out. 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.320 Were you were you still in college, when you graduating 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.400 from college when you got involved with that movie. Now, 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:11.240 we just we had graduated. So basically when we were 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.160 we went to me and when we went to sam 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:16.480 u V Florida and the university shout out. And when 0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:18.319 we were down here, man, go ahead and go get 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:20.760 that alpha stuff out, that old alpha stuff out. You 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:23.200 know that a fire stuff. You fam me on it. 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:28.000 Get the A five a altum. You already know we 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:33.040 we we were a new boy fraternite all day. So 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.439 you know we were We came from that experience and 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:38.080 when we were at FAM We shot a movie down 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:41.120 there across Chocolate City and it was about college life. 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:45.960 And then, you know, almost ten years after that, we 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.080 got the chance to do Stop the Yard, so we 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:52.280 shot that in Atlanta, UM and it was we shouted 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:58.000 at Morris Brown Clark and Moorehouse. And for us to 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:00.000 be able to kind of go back to the college 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.720 world after that and deal with fraternities and step dancing 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.160 and all of that, it was it was a really 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:08.920 big deal for us. And it wound up being our 0:12:09.000 --> 0:12:12.760 first number one film that we did at screens Shifts, 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.640 So that that turned us from you know, the indie 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:18.920 filmmakers two guys that could make money in Hollywood. So 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:20.840 that was a big deal. Here's the funny part about 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:24.400 at the time I was I started to Steve Harvey 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:26.640 Radio Network on Steve Harvey Morning Show in New York 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.320 City and UM, and so I had the ability to 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:31.600 be able to talk to at the time, I think 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:33.599 it was in forty markets at the time, and I 0:12:33.679 --> 0:12:36.920 knew stuff The Yard was coming out, and in my mind, 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:39.520 I don't even know you. In my mind, I liked 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:41.640 the movie. I liked the concept and everything my goal 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:45.600 was to was to promote this movie to make it 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:48.800 number one, because I felt that we needed to start 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:53.360 started started leveraging these young African American movies so they're 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.080 gonna be profitable. But remember Gospel came out and I 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:57.680 did the same thing with that, and it was Stump 0:12:57.720 --> 0:12:59.800 the Yard came out. I did the same thing with that. 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:03.000 So in some in in a way, you know, I 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:05.559 didn't even have a relationship with you, and then years 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:08.240 move forward, then you're the one of the reasons that 0:13:08.320 --> 0:13:10.280 we had a successful movie like Think Like a Man. 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:13.760 So it is about placing those nuggets and dropping those 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:17.679 little moments of relationships. And I did it on the 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.720 Steve Harry Morning Show, pushing the movie that I only 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:23.640 knew that I enjoyed the concept, I enjoyed the storyline. 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.680 Didn't know who you two guys were from family. But 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:30.400 today one of the one of the incredible directors in 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:32.760 our business, one the incredible producers in our business, and 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:36.640 Will Packer one of incredible producers in the film business 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:38.840 and one of the key players in the Kevin Hart 0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:41.959 film game. But also the thing about you that's interesting 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:48.400 is that you are doing a one man playing. Tell 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:52.040 me about that. Tell me about that. So basically, there 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:54.680 there's a there's a one man a woman stage show 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:57.640 that I have called Amazing Story And it's kind of like, 0:13:58.280 --> 0:14:01.600 you know, a whild back Mike Tyson at his version 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:04.280 where he traveled around he told his story. So what 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:07.920 Amazing Stories is. It's kind of like, you know, an 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:15.079 inspirational Les Brown style. You know, uh, look into into 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:18.679 how you make it in the business, how you make 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:22.840 it to your dream. For me it was film and entertainment. 0:14:22.920 --> 0:14:26.160 For somebody else, you could be landscaping or design or 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:31.600 you know, computer services. But all the tribes and tribulations 0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:35.000 that we go through a people, um are part of 0:14:35.000 --> 0:14:36.920 our story. And I think a lot of times people 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.280 only see this success, so they only see the Instagram posts, 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:43.720 so they only see you know, um, you know something 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.640 on on Twitter. But what they don't see are all 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:49.360 the setbacks that you had along the way that really 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:53.120 helped build those those those bricks to help you step 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:55.600 up to where you need to go. So Amazing Stories 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.000 it's all about that. It's it's how to how to 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:01.720 two kids from family with no experience and no hook 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:06.880 up go on to have successful careers in TV and 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.400 movies and still be there now and like what does 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:11.760 that mean and how does that look to have a family, 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:13.960 try to have money in your pocket, to try to 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:17.240 have ballots to try to deal with you know, kicking 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:19.520 down doors and holding them open for other people that 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:22.400 look like you. So that's that's that's a real passive 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:25.240 project for me. Now it's it's it's a tour down 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:27.120 or it's just a whole it's something you're about to 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:31.000 be about to launch. So what we did was, um, 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:33.800 we we went on tour with it. And so we 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:36.320 went and we started in Atlanta, We did New Orleans 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:39.640 for Music Festival. We also did in New York UM 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.640 for the American Black Film Festivals. But what we did 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:47.160 was we we paused it temporarily because we um have 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:51.760 started which would kick off next year, the Amazing Stories Foundation. 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:54.600 So what that means is that when people go and 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.680 support Amazing Stories, when we take it back on the road, 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:01.560 it's gonna support our foundation. And the Amazing Stories Foundation 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:04.360 is a is a nonprofit that my wife and I 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:08.960 set up in Atlanta that basically trains and gives people 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:12.920 of color and women jobs and in the film business. 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:15.080 But we're not talking about coming to work as a 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:19.480 director or writer or producer. No, we're saying that there's 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:23.560 there's a hundred plus positions behind the scenes of people 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:28.400 that do everything from hair, makeup, wardrobe, grip, electric catering, whatever. 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:32.640 And what we want to do is trade our folks 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:34.800 so that way we can get them jobs. So that 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.120 way you can get a pension, you can get your 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.840 health insurance, you can get t fixed, your wife can 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:42.920 take some time off from work. And because Georgia is 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:46.680 one of the top producers of film and TV content, 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:49.640 we feel like you know, on the places like Atlanta 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:52.520 that is shut kind of help are people too. So 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:54.240 we just want to make sure that we create a 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:56.560 pipeline to to to get our folks to work and 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:59.000 put some money in pocket. Now, first of all, when 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:03.960 it goes back out, Rob, I'm in in, so okay, 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:07.560 just it's just I just help you promote it. I'm in. Okay, 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:12.480 I'm in. And because first of all your blessing to 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:15.640 me that just to hear your your tone, your consistency. 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.320 Now when you say we, who is we in the 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.240 in the in the process of putting this back on 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.240 the road, so I can get a sense of of 0:17:23.240 --> 0:17:27.520 how I can help you take it to the next level. Sure, 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:31.119 sure so. So the person that is running the foundation 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:34.600 for me is Nina Packer along with Tricia Harris. And 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:36.760 Tricia used to do a lot of work with uh. 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:41.280 Uh with Corrector Scott King, Dr. Bernie's King and also 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.160 Ambassador Andrew Young. So they're the ones that are kind 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:48.600 of help helping to push UM. You know that uh, 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:52.280 that whole initiative. So you know, as that's on its seat, 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:54.800 then we will be we will begin to re launch 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:58.960 the Amazing Stories programs and put it out there. Walter 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:02.920 Orgin with the company called the l Brand, Sirondo Britain, UM, 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:07.200 you know, and Latifa Mohamed who come from the Walmart World. UM, 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:09.840 as far as putting that back out there, uh, to 0:18:09.960 --> 0:18:13.240 really help relaunch the brand, and they expand it so 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:15.640 that where we can go see the city and talk 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:18.080 to the people about how to not just make an entertainment, 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.879 but how to live their best lives. Awesome. UH, I 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:22.240 brought you on the show because you have a hot 0:18:22.280 --> 0:18:24.240 new show on c W. I wanted I got a 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.000 couple of minutes left. Can you tell us about the 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.159 TV show? UM? And UH, just break it down and 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:31.240 the day comes on and uh so we can start 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:34.920 watching them a regular basis. Absolutely got a new show 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:38.200 on the c W network. UM it's called All American. 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:41.040 It's it's inspired by a true story of a guy 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:44.400 named Spencer pay Singer who's from South central Los Angeles 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:46.960 and eventually went on to win the Super Bowl ring 0:18:47.359 --> 0:18:50.240 with the Giants when they beat the Patriots. Our stories 0:18:50.280 --> 0:18:53.840 about a young kid from South Crenshaw High UM in 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:58.200 high school, he gets recruited UM to go play football 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.800 at Beverly Hills High. When he gets there, the kids 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:04.720 um don't really accept them. When he goes back home, 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:07.639 the kids back home don't really accept him because he left. 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:09.760 So it's like, what do you do when you have 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:12.600 an opportunity better yourself and it's not all that you 0:19:12.640 --> 0:19:14.560 think it's gonna be when you get there and your 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:17.600 people back home don't really support you. He gets recruited 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:20.760 by Tay Dix, who basically is the coach of the 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:23.960 Beverly Hills football team, who in our story is a 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.960 guy from Crenshaw is same high school who went on 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:30.640 to the NFL and married a woman and his son 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.480 is the quarterback of the of the of the of 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:37.439 the Beverly team and they all feel threatened by the 0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:39.800 fact that the new kid is here. So it's it's 0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:43.000 a show that deals with everything from you know, trying 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:45.320 to make it as an athlete to all of our 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:47.960 social issues of trying to fit in. And what we 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:51.239 discover is is that all things in Beverly Hills are 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:55.440 sweet and sugary, and all things in Crenshaw or South 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:59.560 Central aren't just mean, nasty and about gangs. There's balance 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:03.159 in both worlds. There's love in both worlds. There's danger 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:08.399 in both worlds. But our show looks at everything from classism, colorism, 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:13.000 police discrimination, you know, the sports world and just trying 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:15.960 to make it. So it's nine pm Eastern on the 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:19.359 c W, nine pm Easter on the c W every Wednesday. 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:23.560 It's called All American and the it's a new series, 0:20:23.960 --> 0:20:27.840 And on the c W website they have the h 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:31.159 the previous episodes. Well, man, I'm gonna get a Banner'm 0:20:31.160 --> 0:20:33.879 gonna post that Rob. I'm gonna get your number. I 0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:36.359 like you, man, I like you a lot. I'm a fan. 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:39.639 Could do launch of dinner, you know, hook up. I 0:20:39.680 --> 0:20:42.600 want to promote anything that you're associated with from now on. 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:45.399 I really am impressed with you as a person. I 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:47.240 really thank you for coming on my show man, and 0:20:47.400 --> 0:20:51.639 just keep winning, my friend, just keep winning. I appreciate that. Man. 0:20:51.680 --> 0:20:53.520 I forget you having me and listen. I just want 0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:56.960 to give you a shout out for inspiring so many people. 0:20:57.000 --> 0:20:59.639 I see you, I see your energy, So I'm looking 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:05.600 forward to uh awesome. Listening makes us smarter, more connected people. 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:08.680 It makes us better partners, parents, and leaders. And there's 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:11.600 no better place to start listening than Audible. Audible is 0:21:11.640 --> 0:21:15.280 where so many inspiring voices and compelling stories open listeners 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:18.159 up to new experiences in ways of thinking. Audible members 0:21:18.200 --> 0:21:21.160 now get more than ever before. Members choose three titles 0:21:21.200 --> 0:21:23.840 every month, one audio book plus two audible originals that 0:21:23.880 --> 0:21:27.040 you can't hear anywhere else. 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