1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: As black folks, Man, we don't always have the opportunity 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: to be opportunistic, right because once we graduate college, man, 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: we thinking about these loans that we gotta pay back. 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 2: We gotta go get this job. You know, we gotta do. 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: All the things that our counterparts don't have to worry about. 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: So we don't have canceled opportunity to just be opportunistic. 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: Where As if I had a nest egg and my 8 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: family set me up, you know what I mean, I 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: can go out there and make a thousand, two hundred 10 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: thousand dollars to stay. 11 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,279 Speaker 3: I'm Will Lucas and this is Black Tech, Green Money. 12 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 3: I'm gonna introduce you to some of the biggest names, 13 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 3: some of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're 14 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 3: black and building or simply using tech to secure your bag, 15 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 3: this podcast is Field. Derek Moore aka mo Clint gray 16 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 3: An E Manual E. J. Reid Ever found us a 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 3: slim a Husky's Pizza Beiria, a fast casual artist in 18 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 3: pizza shop with the love for hip hop and R 19 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 3: and B culture. The Nashville based company now both restaurants 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 3: are Antioch, Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as well as Elanta, Georgia, 21 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: and Sacramento, California. I talked with Clinton Moe about the 22 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 3: Italian history of pizza places and how their take on 23 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 3: a pizza restaurant instead amplifies Black culture and how that 24 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 3: takes each slice and topping to another level. 25 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, I would say, you know, our initial vision concept 26 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 4: was all about being you know, authentic. We we wanted 27 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 4: to you know, basically put our story, our culture of 28 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 4: everything that you know creates the. 29 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 5: Black experience on our walls. 30 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 4: You know, we grew up, you know, on the era 31 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 4: of adult nineties, you know, hip hop music videos, movies 32 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 4: such as Do the Right Thing, and you know we 33 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 4: even got you know, Boycott Soyles, you know, on our 34 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 4: will and our restaurants because you know, you know, we 35 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 4: felt like there was room for a concept and restaurant brand, 36 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 4: not just pizza actually, but just something that told, you know, 37 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 4: the story of Black culture in a high end way. 38 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 4: And so you know, the only thing you know Italian 39 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 4: about our concept is the pizza. Everything else is one 40 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 4: of African American culture and our way to tell that 41 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 4: story to the world. 42 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I was reading something where you positioned this 43 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 3: as music, art and good food obviously, and so how 44 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: how does the music part fit into Like what is 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 3: the experience like for somebody who's not been to Islam 46 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 3: and Husky's what is the experience like inside one of 47 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 3: your stories? 48 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: So yeah, it's a piece of art. 49 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: Music, man, that's something that we we live by is 50 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: slim A Huskies and and. 51 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 2: Music is aside from fusing, aside from. 52 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: The pizza in the art, the music is is probably 53 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: maybe maybe a little bit more important than the art 54 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: because when you come into clim of Huskies, it's a 55 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: feel that you get when you listen, when you hear 56 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: the music through the speakers, And that's something that that 57 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: when Clint's talking about it's been authentic as an Afric 58 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: American culture. 59 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: Man, Like we noticed that we would be going. 60 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: To all these restaurants and stuff, but we wouldn't be 61 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: We wouldn't hear our music, you know what I'm saying. 62 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 2: We wouldn't see our art on the wall. 63 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: But you got a bunch of black folks in the 64 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: bad cooking, you know what I'm saying, or patronizing the spot, right, 65 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: So so so the music says off the rip, you know, 66 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: what I mean this is aside from looking at all 67 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: the employees. Uh, this is a black owned business, you 68 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. But inclusive though, so like that's 69 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: very important for us to make sure that you know, 70 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: as black as it is. Man, you know, this is 71 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: an inclusive business. So you know there is green you 72 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: feel me. So you know, we ain't turning nobody away 73 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: or you know what I mean. But but but our 74 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: culture is uh, you know, we set the trends in America, 75 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, from the food, to the music, 76 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: to the clothes. Uh you know, uh you know the 77 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: film you know, education, all those type of things. 78 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: Man, We set the trends. 79 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: So so it's no so so it's no uh like 80 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: we don't apologize for it, you know what I mean. 81 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: It's just instead of instead of hiding behind uh you know, 82 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: some walls, man, we put it out out on the front. 83 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 5: Man. 84 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: And so the music, we gotta Unplugged series that we do, uh, 85 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: which we feature local and artists from from out of town. 86 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: Man. And we do that once every other monthlyin so 87 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 2: so and it's it's a huge deal man. And we 88 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 2: do concerts. 89 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 1: We got a park called Piece of Park we do 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: concerts with a live band. Uh so, so music is very 91 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: much important to to slim a Huskies. 92 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 3: I love that, and I want you to go a 93 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 3: little bit deeper because I was I was reading a 94 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 3: lot about your story and this idea of gentrification. Like 95 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 3: you think that there's so many parts of our country 96 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 3: that are historically black, and you know, affluent white people 97 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 3: are moving in, and you found success in areas that 98 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 3: you know, are in the middle of that. And so 99 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 3: while they may love our culture, they love our music, 100 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: they love you know, the colors and all the things. 101 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 3: They may not always love us, but you guys have 102 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 3: found success in areas where that are being gentrified and 103 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 3: our you know, you got fluent white people moving in, 104 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 3: but we're still here trying to hold onto those properties. 105 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 2: So talk about how. 106 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 3: How slim and Huskies fits into geographies and how you 107 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 3: bridge the gap in those communities. 108 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, what's crazy is when we first opened up, you know, 109 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 4: it was it was stemming from the sale of our 110 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 4: initial business, which was a moving company, and a moving 111 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 4: company was like you know, community base. 112 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 5: We were hiring our friends that have been incarcerated. 113 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 4: Uh, you know, we had a we had a big 114 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 4: just you know, focus on giving back to our people, 115 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 4: right and giving them jobs, providing opportunities. 116 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 5: And so, you know, we sold. 117 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 4: That business and now we had this, you know, this 118 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 4: money that you know we need to you know, do 119 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 4: something with and that we couldn't just ride off from 120 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 4: the sunset. Man, we're entrepreneurs. It's like, man, what we're 121 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 4: gonna do? So we decided to open up a restaurant. 122 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 4: So we started, you know, we had the funds to 123 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 4: go in any of Nashville's fluent areas, right, Like, we 124 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 4: went and looked at them all and you know, solid 125 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 4: real estate prices, you know, and that wasn't an issue. 126 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 4: But what was an issue was we just didn't really 127 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 4: feel connected to any of the areas. Like it's like 128 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 4: we were lacking purpose if we went to one of 129 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 4: these areas that you know, we're about to reinvest all 130 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 4: of our you know, money and time into. And so 131 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 4: you know, we started really think like do we have 132 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 4: to open up in these areas that are already booming 133 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 4: or do we want to open up somewhere that's need 134 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 4: and like, you know, what we can bring value? And 135 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 4: so that's when we decided to open up uh in 136 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 4: zip code three seven two zero eight, which is North 137 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 4: Nashville historic African American side of town, home to you 138 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 4: know severalations we cused Tennessee State University, Fish University, Maherry 139 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 4: Medical College, but also home to you know, some of 140 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 4: the highest you know rated uh, highest rate of crime, uh, 141 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 4: you know in America. And so you know, there's reasons 142 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 4: for that, and it was not our culture. The reason 143 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 4: was that our city wasn't you know, just like other cities, 144 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 4: wasn't reinvesting the time, money and resources into our neighborhood 145 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 4: the same way as they were the others. Uh, and 146 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 4: also taken away from the neighborhood by you know, changing 147 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 4: infrastructure and you know, running interstates throughout the middle of 148 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 4: our neighborhoods, cutting off economic you know, uh commerce and 149 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 4: things like that. 150 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 5: So uh, you know, we said, you know what, like 151 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 5: this is where we want to go. We want to 152 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 5: bring life. 153 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 4: Energy, business jobs back to our own communities because not 154 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 4: just because it feels good, because it's needed, right. And 155 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 4: so we opened up on the tenth block of a 156 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 4: street called Buchannan And you know, Bucannon had suffered for 157 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 4: a long time from you know, crime. 158 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 5: Drug use, and there was not an open business. 159 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 4: For probably like ten blocks and not. You know, it 160 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 4: was considered a food desert in a very populated area, 161 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 4: you know, populated you know, African Americans. And so we 162 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 4: decided to open up. And you know, from day one 163 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 4: we saw what it meant to, you know, to open 164 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 4: up a black business in a black neighborhood, you know, 165 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 4: by providing jobs. We had a fifteen year old come 166 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 4: apply for a job and we told them like, you know, hey, man, unfortunately, 167 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 4: you know, you got to be eighteen to work here, 168 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 4: you know. 169 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 5: But he gave us a spell. He was like, man, 170 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 5: I've been getting off this bus for three years. 171 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 4: You know, I'm sorry for Yeah, it wasn't fifteen, he 172 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 4: was seventeen. Yeah, he was seventeen. We couldn't hire because 173 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 4: it was eighteen. He hadn't you know, he'd been riding 174 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 4: the bus for three years and couldn't get off the 175 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 4: bus and find. 176 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 5: A job close to the way he works. 177 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 4: So he had to get on another bus ride to 178 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 4: go find you know, work to help support his family. 179 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 4: So I said, you know what, man, if you show 180 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 4: up tomorrow on the dock at three o'clock, man, and 181 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 4: you know, we'll see you know, we'll see what you're 182 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 4: talking about and we may hire you know what I'm saying. 183 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 4: And he ended up, you know, being one of my 184 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 4: best employees, turned around, became an entrepreneur itself, you know 185 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 4: what I'm saying. Now, He created his own business, can start, 186 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 4: you know, supporting his own family. And you know, we 187 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 4: just realized that, Man, if it will work, If this 188 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 4: works in North Nashville, it could work anywhere. You know, 189 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 4: it could work in Atlanta, can work in Memphis, it 190 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 4: can work in Miami, Houston, Dallas. 191 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 5: You know. You see, it doesn't matter because you know, 192 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 5: neighborhoods are. 193 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 4: Being gentrified everywhere, and what they need the most to 194 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 4: sustain and continue to keep the heritage in history is 195 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,359 Speaker 4: ownership of those that live in the community. 196 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 5: And so that's what we've dedicated ourselves to do. 197 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: Now. 198 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,719 Speaker 4: All of our restaurants aren't in you know, areas that 199 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 4: are being gentrified right now, but we are still very 200 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 4: focused on those areas and committed to serving them. 201 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I want you to. I want to spend some 202 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 3: more time because I think this is important because I 203 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 3: was thinking about like the belt line in Atlanta when 204 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 3: I was thinking about this questions because you talk about uproars, 205 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,959 Speaker 3: like when they are a whole around around that belt 206 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 3: line is you know, property values are skyrocketing there, for 207 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 3: property taxes are skyrocketing. Therefore people are getting pushed out. 208 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 3: And then you see, you know, new cultures come in, 209 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 3: and I wonder from your perspective, what role does small 210 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 3: business play? What role do entrepreneurs like yourself play and 211 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 3: protecting that heritage and creating opportunities. So if you can 212 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 3: go in there, I think I think. 213 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: The role for entrepreneurs especially you know, I'm gonna just 214 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: single out, you know, I want to I don't want a. 215 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 2: General realize it. 216 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: What role for for Black African American entrepreneurs, UH, to 217 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: maintain that culture is is at the highest level, you 218 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like we have to do that. 219 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 2: It's our responsibility to do to do that. 220 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: As well as take part in the in the economic uh, 221 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: you know, advantages and benefits of being a part of 222 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: an area such as you know in the line where 223 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: the beltline is, right, it's it's our responsibility when it 224 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 1: comes to owning property. But if you can't do that, 225 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: put your business in these areas to allow the culture 226 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: to continue to be there, continue to thrive because as 227 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: just to be honest, when you when you have a 228 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: black owned business, nine times out of ten, your employees 229 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: are gonna look like you, you. 230 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 2: Know what I mean. 231 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: So that allows that allows you to number one, uh, 232 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: maintain the culture by the people that work there. Maintain 233 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,359 Speaker 1: the culture a byt giving your employees on the opportunity 234 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: and economic opportunity, uh so they can go out. 235 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 2: And replicate, you know, what you've done in your business. 236 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: And then also ownership, just ownership of the street, ownership 237 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 1: of the business. I mean, I think it's for us, 238 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: it's detrimental in our community that we start and not 239 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: start because we had a mentality, but continue to advance 240 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: the mentality of ownership in our communities and not just 241 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: allowed to be not just be allowed to be pushed out, 242 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, Like and you and and. 243 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: You know it's his thing. 244 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: Like you know, we talked about a little bit about 245 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: the family and in La you know that sold. 246 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 2: The beach bag right to the city. 247 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: But you know we can say, well they should have 248 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: went with a developer, they should have diddeas they should 249 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: have did that. But man, lord knows how much the 250 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: taxes were was right. You know what I'm saying. Lord 251 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: knows how much you know how much infighting or maybe 252 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: disagreements it was with the family, they just had to say, 253 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: you know what, we just got give it up, you. 254 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 2: Know what I'm saying. But so so I'm saying that 255 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 2: to say it's like. 256 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: At times, you know, we can talk about being not 257 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: being pushed out, we're giving up Grandmama's house and all 258 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: that type of stuff. That's not necessarily true all the time, 259 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. We literally can be pushed 260 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: out by how much it costs just to maintain to 261 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,839 Speaker 1: live in that neighborhood, you know what I mean. So 262 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: we have to like form these groups just like you 263 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: know some of these other cultures that help each other out. 264 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: And it doesn't have to always be a monetary help, 265 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. It could be, Hey I 266 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: gotta account, They can show you how to save some 267 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: money this way. You know what I'm saying, Hey, I 268 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: got a we got an opportunity. We can do this 269 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: on the street together. Like, we have to maintain these 270 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: working relationships in order to stay in these neighborhoods that 271 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: are being gentrified because it is unaffordable, you know what 272 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: I'm saying. So it's to ask your question, man, we 273 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: have a true responsibility as black entrepreneurs to maintain and 274 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: to hold on to a little bit of peace of 275 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: what we have because as you know, you know, we'll 276 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: like these property values. 277 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 2: You know they go up. You know what I'm saying. 278 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: So right, So if you got a restaurant, a busy like, man, 279 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: I need some help with just with just the property itself. 280 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 2: Get you a partner, get you somebody that had it up. 281 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: Don't necessarily want to be in the operation side, but 282 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: hold on to the property because it's going up, that's 283 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: absolutely if that's if that's the case, but don't sell 284 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: it to the to the lowest, to the lowest better. 285 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 3: And one thing you said was so important is because 286 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 3: it's so it's important to know about the economic advantages 287 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 3: to be in in these areas. Is because when I 288 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 3: bought my three commercial real estate properties right in the 289 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 3: same neighborhood, lower economic disadvantaged area, but it's on the rise. 290 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 3: And if I was, if I was not aware of 291 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 3: and things like opportunity zones and things like we have 292 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 3: I'm blanking on the name right now, but it's a 293 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 3: program you can lock in your property value tax for 294 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 3: ten years off to fifteen, up to fifteen depending on 295 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 3: how many improvements you made, and et cetera. Because they 296 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 3: want you to invest in these areas. But you can 297 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 3: buy the property and not know these things are available 298 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 3: and end up getting your taxes raised. But you got 299 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 3: to understand how to play with governments, and so have 300 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 3: you ever had to you know, engage with politicians to 301 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 3: make these things work at the scale that you're at. 302 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, we you know, unfortunately where we're from Nashville, there 303 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 4: hasn't been as many advantages to engage the politics, especially 304 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 4: when it comes to reinvesting in our own communities. 305 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 5: You know, at one point, there. 306 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 4: Was the opportunity zones that they were you know, trying 307 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 4: to push, and there was I think there was a 308 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 4: blight and property grant where if you if you spent 309 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 4: one hundred thousand, uh you know, on on. 310 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 2: Your property exteriors and get. 311 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: To the tem percent back how many how many how 312 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: many you know startups got one hundred thousand just to 313 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: burn to get temperacent. 314 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 315 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 4: But then but then I have a friend and uh, 316 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 4: you know in d C. You know, she's a restaurant 317 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 4: tour as well. Uh that was telling me about you know, 318 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 4: a program there that uh, you know, if you want 319 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 4: to open up a concept and you have you know, 320 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 4: history of being a business in business, then uh, you 321 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 4: know you can get a grant for eighty thousand you 322 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 4: know in certain neighborhoods to be able to open up 323 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 4: you know, your your business, uh, to improve the economy there. 324 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 4: And so I think a lot of it depends on, 325 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 4: you know, what the city is looking for and what 326 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 4: they were going to do and what their leadership already 327 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 4: looks like. 328 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 2: We gotta yeah, yeah, we got a grant from Memphis. Uh. 329 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: You know it's in the exterior. It was black like 330 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,479 Speaker 1: almost like a bland and property grant. But but you 331 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: didn't have to you didn't have to have a spin. 332 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 1: It was automatic. If you if you open a business 333 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: in this area, you know we're gonna give you sixty 334 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: eighty eighty grand. 335 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 2: Uh, you know for your exterior for your facade. That went. 336 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 2: That went a long wait for us, Yeah, you know 337 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. 338 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 5: And then you go vice versa. You know here in town. 339 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 4: You know we've had and there's articles about it where 340 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 4: h you know, they bring in an economic development person 341 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,360 Speaker 4: within the like mayoral's office, and that person came out 342 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 4: publicly it was basically like, man, I don't have any power. 343 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 4: I'm here to be a to be a face, uh, 344 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 4: you know for an administration. And you know, so that 345 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 4: takes a lot out of you when you think about 346 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 4: going and you know, fighting because at the same time, 347 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 4: we have responsibility to make sure we're seeing to open 348 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 4: up uh businesses and run them. 349 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 5: You know, well that right, Yeah, so U I think 350 00:17:58,760 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 5: it depends. 351 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 4: On the place a lot of times versus you know, 352 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 4: the person that wanted to fight the battle. 353 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it did come to me it was what 354 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 3: I was talking about. It's called a community reinvestment area CRA, 355 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 3: and a lot of geographies across the country have them. 356 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 3: So if you're looking into buying commercial real estate, it 357 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 3: is something to look into, whether it be calling your 358 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 3: mayor's office or the city administration economic development offices looking 359 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 3: to community reinvestment areas. They are often in the lower 360 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 3: income zip codes and they because they need them to 361 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,959 Speaker 3: turn around, So we need that investment. Clinton, you had 362 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: said something a couple of times about investing in these areas, 363 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 3: particularly historically black areas. You said it's needed, and it's 364 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 3: one thing for it to be needed. It's another thing 365 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 3: for it to actually make money in that area. Because 366 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 3: you could have something that's needed and you can't get 367 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 3: two nickels out of it. How do you balance what's 368 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 3: needed in a particular geography, whether it's be your pizza 369 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 3: shop or whether it be one of your other businesses, 370 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 3: and having the need to turn a profit. 371 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 5: I mean, well, I got a piece of. 372 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 2: Damn. 373 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: It's it's it is a it's a tough balance, man, 374 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,120 Speaker 1: because on one end, you want to do what's right 375 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: for the people in the neighborhood. You want to do 376 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: what's right just for your people, right, but you know 377 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: you gotta you gotta make a profit. And I think 378 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: that for us, we found a good formula uh two 379 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 1: to be able to do both. And that is it's funny, 380 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: but it's true when we talk about these these gentrified areas. Right, 381 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: so when we go find a spot, the spot in 382 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: Atlanta on Metropolitan, this one on but Cannon, Man, we'd 383 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: be like, man, if you see, uh, if you see 384 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: some little black kids running around and you see a 385 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: white a white woman walking the dog or running on 386 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: the Street. 387 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 2: You found it, right, because it's it's. 388 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: The perfect mix when you know, you know, you know 389 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: that the affluent they moving in. You know what I'm 390 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: saying that number two, they don't fear the people in 391 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: the neighborhood. They feel safe enough to run with you 392 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, take a run early in the morning. 393 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: But you see these black kids and they still here, 394 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: you feel what I'm saying. So so we we we 395 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: that formula has worked for us. It's getting a little 396 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: bit more tricky because you know, gentrification is on the rise, 397 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 1: and it's and it's a fast rise, so a lot 398 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: of that is going away, you know what I'm saying. 399 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: But if we can find that, then then that's that's 400 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: then we know we got some balance. We can provide jobs, 401 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: but we also got these affluent people here that can 402 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: afford our product. They feel safe and they want to 403 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: be a part of the neighborhood. 404 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 2: They just don't really know how. So we we Yeah. 405 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 4: And then on the you know, on the young investment side, right, well, 406 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 4: we found is you know, it's hard, you know, it's 407 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 4: a young African American to go out and you know 408 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 4: areas that already thrive and purchase property. But what we 409 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 4: can do is find areas like moj just suggested where 410 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 4: you know it's still affordable, right, and you can find 411 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 4: some commercial real estate that's affordable, uh you know, fits 412 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 4: your budget, and you open up a business in it, 413 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 4: then you can play the prop co OpCo game. 414 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 2: Right. 415 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 4: So like for us, for example, we own about fifty 416 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 4: percent of our properties. 417 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 5: Well, we come in, we. 418 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 4: Purchased a property, let's take Atlanta, a there park close 419 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 4: to the story West End for example. I think we 420 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:41,959 Speaker 4: you know, we purchased that property for what about three 421 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty thousand. Where can you find you know, 422 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 4: buy an entire corner in a huge metropolitan city for 423 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 4: three hundred and thirty thousand, right, But we found that 424 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 4: in West Atlanta, right, So uh, you know, we reinvested, 425 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 4: got some financial with the bank to build a brand 426 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 4: new restaurant on. 427 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 5: Top of it. We come out of there. 428 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 4: You know, the building's worth over two million dollars at 429 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 4: this point, right, But that's an extreme amount to be 430 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 4: able to have the mortgage. But when you have a 431 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 4: business that can come in as a tenant initially and 432 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 4: do business, now you're paying your mortgage at the same 433 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 4: time you're paying your rent. 434 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 5: So we own two companies on that block. 435 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,879 Speaker 4: We on the real estate side of it, and we 436 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 4: own the operational side of it. And the operational side 437 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 4: is paying the bills. And so playing that game in 438 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 4: the right areas with the right deal can be very advantageous. 439 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 5: And you know, look at that area that I was 440 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 5: just describing. 441 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 4: Now, when we first went there, there was nothing on 442 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 4: the street that we invested. Now there's a multi use, 443 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 4: a huge project being built across the street. So that 444 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 4: two million dollar evaluation is going to probably go up 445 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 4: to about you know, hopefully three or four, you know, 446 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 4: in the next six months with that once that's complete. 447 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 4: And that's all about just taking uh an opportunity on 448 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 4: reinvesting in the hood. And so I think it's very 449 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 4: important to learn that game if you own a business 450 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 4: and you're looking to you know, by property. Uh you know, 451 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 4: prop co op co game was taught to us by 452 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 4: our mentors we were coming up, and. 453 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 5: It really works. 454 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 3: Too often entrepreneurs, especially black entrepreneurs, are asked about what 455 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 3: makes them so passionate about an idea that they need 456 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 3: to start a business around it. However, it is an 457 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 3: idea called opportunistic that we don't perceive as possible for ourselves. 458 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 2: Mo. Clinton E. J. 459 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 3: Didn't grow thinking about starting a moving company or a 460 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,640 Speaker 3: pizza restaurant. They saw an opportunity. 461 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,440 Speaker 2: That's it. Most speaks on. 462 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: It as as black folks, Man, we don't always have 463 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 1: the opportunity to be opportunistic, right because once we graduate college, man, 464 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: we thinking about these loans that we got to pay back. 465 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 2: We got to go get this job. 466 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: We you know, we got to do all the things 467 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: that our counterparts don't have to worry about. You know 468 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. We got to go back and get 469 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 1: mama some money. We got to help MoMA on the bills. 470 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: So we take on jobs even though we had these 471 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,959 Speaker 1: grand ideas. But we take these jobs just based off responsibility, 472 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, and what we don't have. 473 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: So we don't have the opportunity to be don't have, yeah, 474 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: a chance of the opportunity to just be opportunistic. 475 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 2: Whereas if I had a nest egg. 476 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: And my family set me up, you know what I mean, 477 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 1: I can go out there and make a hundred thousand, 478 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: two hundred thousand dollars mistake. 479 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying so. 480 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,120 Speaker 1: But for us, I mean, I think that we were 481 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: young enough didn't have as many responsibility as we have 482 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: now to take advantage of of opportunities that came our way, 483 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: and and we didn't go in looking at when we 484 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: started a moving company. We were twenty five when we 485 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: started our first company, and we started that company with 486 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars, right, so we were naive. 487 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 2: Enough to think that this would work. 488 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 1: You feel what I'm saying, And it did, you know 489 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:21,640 Speaker 1: what I mean? But it's how can I say it? 490 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: We just wanted to solve a problem, you know what 491 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: I mean. 492 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 2: We saw our need. 493 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: It's it's not like we were passionate about moving furniture, 494 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, But we had we but 495 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: we had a passion of being entrepreneurs and we had 496 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 1: a passion for solving problems and filling voids and the need, 497 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: and that trickled down to a great business. So that 498 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, for seven figures something that 499 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: we started with three thousand dollars into what we're doing 500 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 1: now with slim and huskies. And again we see avoid 501 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: we see avoided in our community socially, but we see 502 00:25:56,119 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: avoid economically because we have the these all these restaurants 503 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: we have, you know, Chinese restaurants, Messtern restaurants, all these 504 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: cultures have their identity within the restaurants, and we needed ours. 505 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 1: So we feel the void a need there and then 506 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: also an economic or opportunity void by providing our people 507 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: to look like. 508 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 2: Us with jobs, you know what I'm saying. 509 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: So I think our thing is man We see an 510 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: opportunity to solve a problem and we and we jump 511 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: on it. 512 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 3: And sometimes you know, when you you just know a 513 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 3: market and you go after an opportunity, do you feel 514 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 3: the need to go deep into. 515 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 2: Like market studies. 516 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 3: It's like when I started my social club here, like 517 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 3: I didn't do a whole market study. I knew the community, 518 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 3: so I guess from that perspective it was a market study. 519 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:50,400 Speaker 3: But how do you when you say there's Chinese restaurants, 520 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 3: there's other types of restaurants, how did you know pizza 521 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 3: was the one to lean on that you could actually. 522 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 2: Add value to? 523 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 3: And so what I think about is when you started 524 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 3: the business, there's this you know phrase tech, like you 525 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 3: got to lean into the thing that you have a 526 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 3: unique value proposition, like, what do you what makes you 527 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 3: the person to solve this problem right? And how do 528 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 3: you think about from your perspective starting in Nashville, what 529 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 3: made pizza the thing that you're going to tackle versus 530 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 3: the other opportunities that could have been in front of you? 531 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 3: And that word for you? 532 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 5: I'm sure, yeah, I think there's several reasons. 533 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 4: The first reason was, you know, we grew up those 534 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 4: TGIF kids, you know, watching you know, our favorite shows 535 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 4: on Friday night, watching wrestling, you know, with a sleepovers, 536 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 4: you know, with our friends, and always eating pizza, you know, 537 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 4: and like pizza was just one of those things that 538 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 4: we love. So that kind of falls into you know, 539 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 4: we were talking about being authentic. I think pizza is 540 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 4: just one of those things that you know, if you 541 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 4: don't like pizza, man, I get a trust you. So 542 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,159 Speaker 4: we already had a love for pizza. Other thing, you know, 543 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 4: growing up in the South, you know, and a lot 544 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 4: of our neighborhoods, you know, a lot of our black 545 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 4: owned restaurants and concepts offer a lot of similar things. 546 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 4: So you know, you got your wing spots, you got 547 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 4: your soul food spots. 548 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 5: We wanted to come at something in Nashville Home with 549 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:14,639 Speaker 5: Hot Chicken. 550 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 4: You know, we got tons of hot Chicken spots, and 551 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 4: you know, we loved those places, but we wanted to come, 552 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 4: you know, with something different, something that we knew everybody 553 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,200 Speaker 4: would love, and something that we could just really put 554 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 4: our culture behind that wasn't done before. And also something 555 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 4: that's not too expensive. So, you know, knowing that we 556 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 4: wanted to serve our people, we wanted something that was affordable. 557 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 4: They could be created in a healthy way, fulfilling and 558 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 4: you know, just just offer who we are and our 559 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 4: best way possible. 560 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 2: And we and we did as far as like the 561 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 2: research part about. 562 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: It, man, we we knew, we did research on what 563 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: do Americans eat, you know what I mean, what are 564 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: the popular foods? 565 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 2: And that was Hamburger's, hot dogs, piece of tacos. 566 00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. It was we didn't want 567 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: to new Hamburgers. It was it was it was during 568 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: the time where craft Burger spots was popping up all 569 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: over the place in. 570 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 2: The city, you know what I'm saying. And then and 571 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 2: then hot dogs. 572 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: Man, we you know, we we didn't feel like we 573 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: could jazz that up enough. 574 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 2: To where you know, it would feel good to us. 575 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. 576 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,239 Speaker 1: We already in our community, you eating the glizzy, you 577 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, already behind the eight ball, right, 578 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. 579 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 2: You can't be then you know. 580 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 3: What I'm saying. 581 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 2: So you know what I mean. So it was like 582 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 2: we're gonna leave it. We're gonna leave it alone. 583 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: And then uh, you know, and then you know the 584 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: tacos man. You know, we didn't feel like we could 585 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: do we we could do anything, but we didn't want to. 586 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: We wanted to leave that to where where where it 587 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: was already working. So it was like pizza, man. We 588 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: Americans eat pizza, eating the bondics of pizza. It has 589 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: high growth, high growth, raised as far as an industry 590 00:29:55,960 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 1: or food industry, and and we understood the costs, and 591 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's not so like it's not segregated 592 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: into like you know, like a demographic of people that 593 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: will won't eat pizza. 594 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 2: Everybody's eating pizza, you know what I'm saying. And so 595 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 2: it's like, man, we can dive into that and make 596 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 2: that cool. 597 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: It fits us. We grew up on pizza. We grew 598 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: up on pizza parties. Ninja turtles, all that type of stuff, 599 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: like we could do that, you know what I'm saying, 600 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: and it worked out for us, you know, And so 601 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: it was a little bit of research, a lot of bit. 602 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 2: Of chance, and we knew that we didn't just want. 603 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: To depend on pizza to be the selling point of 604 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: to bring people in the doors. 605 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 2: It was the music, it was the art, it was 606 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 2: the community aspect of it. 607 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: So and we understood that that that was the need 608 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: to be felled in all. 609 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 2: Of those areas. 610 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 3: You know, how do you decide because you're in multiple 611 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 3: states even now, and forget your cities, but how do 612 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 3: you decide which markets to explore for new locations? 613 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 4: Well, you know, that's a very good question because you know, 614 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 4: we when we initially start going places, I think our 615 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,239 Speaker 4: first city we went to ventured into was Atlanta, and 616 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:10,479 Speaker 4: so we just knew that, man, Atlanta's gonna hit. 617 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 5: It's six million people down there. 618 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 4: Uh, you know, it's the you know, arguably the new 619 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 4: mecha of hip hop. You know, we got a hip 620 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 4: hop you know based brand, like it's gonna work, right. 621 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 4: We so we started off doing the eyebib tests, you 622 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 4: know what I'm saying, just kind of filling it out 623 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 4: and then also using social media and seeing you know, 624 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 4: what kind of traction were were getting from different places 625 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 4: outside of you know, Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. 626 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 5: Atlanta was that city. 627 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 4: Where everybody's like, non, y'all got to come here, Ya 628 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 4: gotta come here, right, So we listened to the consumers 629 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,960 Speaker 4: through social channels and engaging it that way. But I 630 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 4: think you know now that we you know, got to 631 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 4: you know, about ten units and looking to grow even more. 632 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 4: Now we're starting to dive in because it's it's gonna 633 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 4: become a lot of you know, a lot more about 634 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 4: dollars and cents now than ever before. As we you know, 635 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 4: grow the more locations and so you know, now we're 636 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 4: taking you know, advantage of the studies that are out there, 637 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 4: you know, getting with real real estate. 638 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 5: And community you know professionals to say, can you. 639 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 4: Guys give me the data that we need to ensure 640 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 4: that this location is going to be a hit, because 641 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 4: you know, we've had some locations where we went where 642 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 4: you know, we honestly, you know, thought that our brand 643 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 4: and our stories and marketing has been done on us 644 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 4: would carry us. 645 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 5: But we started off a little slower than what we expected. 646 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 4: And so that was a learning curve and business to say, 647 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 4: you know what, like you know, we're starting to get 648 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 4: up there with the big dogs. 649 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 5: We got to do what the big dogs do. 650 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, and so so you know, data is key for 651 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 4: us now. 652 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 3: And it was one thing to open up a shop remotely, 653 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 3: it's another there to manage it, you know from a distance. 654 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 3: And how do you do that because you got to 655 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 3: scale at this point. 656 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we got a great team. So first the 657 00:32:56,080 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: way the skill is processes. Man, you know what I'm saying, 658 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: So sps right, So no matter where you are, what city, 659 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 1: what time zone. 660 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 2: You know, at nine o'clock in Atlanta, Uh, they're doing 661 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 2: the same thing. 662 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: Uh you know when it's nine o'clock in Nashville, when 663 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: it's nine o'clock at nine o'clock, don't matter. We should 664 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 1: be at a call at their time zone and look on 665 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: the camera and they're doing exactly all the same things, 666 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, at the specific time. So 667 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: so process is important, document those and training those is 668 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: the most important thing we thinking about scaling, right, and 669 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 1: I think as a community we missed that. Like we 670 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: go into it with the mom and pop attitude, you 671 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 1: know what I mean. You know, mom and pop gonna 672 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:48,959 Speaker 1: go open the doors, turn the lights on, and operate 673 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: the business right. And we never scale, you know what 674 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: I'm saying. With great ideas, never scale. So for us, 675 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: we knew that we didn't want to be in a 676 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: building all the time. We knew that we wanted to 677 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: go take advantage of of. 678 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 2: What we have and grow it. 679 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: So we start these processes so the way you cook, 680 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:08,800 Speaker 1: the temperature of the oven is the same, where you 681 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,000 Speaker 1: get the product is the same. 682 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:14,240 Speaker 2: All those things allow you to scale. 683 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: And we did that with the moving company, even though 684 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: we stayed in Nashville. We started building these SOPs at 685 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: the ten age of twenty five. 686 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 2: Twenty six, man, and we understood that we wanted to scale. 687 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: One day we read a book called Built a Seal, 688 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,839 Speaker 1: which helped us out a whole lot. And uh So, 689 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: but anyways, man, that's how you scale, and that's how 690 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: you manage UH in these other locations. 691 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 2: As well as having a good team, you know what 692 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 2: I mean. 693 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 1: So you got a good team with general manager, you 694 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 1: got a good good director operations and UH and UH 695 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 1: and chief Operations and those two guys make sure that 696 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: what we what we implemented, what we built is happening 697 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: all across all across our stores in these different states 698 00:34:58,080 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 1: and time. 699 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 5: Zone, and then it's all it's so important to know. 700 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 4: Like when we had the moving company, as most said, 701 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 4: we were building those SOPs, but as guys were coming in, 702 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 4: we're training and we're giving them paper package, like how 703 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 4: you take that home? 704 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 5: You know, read you know, read the handbook, look at 705 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 5: this training module. You know what I'm saying. 706 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 4: But now with the restaurant, we've been able to take 707 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 4: advantage of technology because you know, we know that you know, 708 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 4: papers are things in the past, but you know, we 709 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 4: work out checklist that you know, as he said, every 710 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 4: store is doing the same thing at the same time, 711 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 4: and we can put up on our cell phones and 712 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 4: log into the app and see which GM at this 713 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 4: store didn't do what, or you know, who's at one 714 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 4: hundred percent completion rate? You know, so it You know, 715 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 4: technology is so important to a doc when you're starting 716 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 4: to talk about scale nowadays, especially within hospitality, because it 717 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 4: saves us so much time and money. 718 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:57,439 Speaker 3: And for the people who are listening, who are thinking 719 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 3: about anything in the near the vertical you guys. I 720 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 3: want you guys to leave them with some words about 721 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 3: partnership because obviously. 722 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 2: You guys, three of you guys you know. 723 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:12,879 Speaker 3: With EJ, and talk about how because you mentioned, you know, 724 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:14,839 Speaker 3: you went in the scale a little bit, and how 725 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 3: we get stuck in the mom and pop you know 726 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 3: here in MO and so part of why partnerships get 727 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 3: broken up is because we don't understand our responsibilities. You know, 728 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,839 Speaker 3: Clint's doing what most should be doing, Mos doing what 729 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 3: EJ should be doing, and. 730 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 2: Et cetera, et cetera. 731 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 3: How do you guys designate who does what so you 732 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 3: don't feel like you're stepping on each other's toes. In 733 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 3: order to continue to build a great partnership with the 734 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 3: three of you guys, we define roles early on, you know, 735 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 3: and we understand each other's strength and weaknesses. 736 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,399 Speaker 1: Right So, uh so Clint Clinton, out of all of us, 737 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: he is he's a lot more social, you know what 738 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: I mean, Not a lot because me and Clinton by 739 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,880 Speaker 1: here and there. But but but I mean he's but 740 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: I understand and I have the mind for logistics and 741 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 1: operations more because I was an air traffic controller, you know. 742 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:06,399 Speaker 2: What I mean. 743 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,479 Speaker 1: At one point in time in my life, I worked 744 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: in sales. At one point in time in my life. 745 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,839 Speaker 1: I had all these jobs that I got fired from 746 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: at what point of time in my life that prepared 747 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: me for what I am what I can do now, 748 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,040 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, construction. 749 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 2: Jobs, all that type of stuff. 750 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: So so you know, we define roles really early on 751 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:25,959 Speaker 1: and don't step in. 752 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 2: And made it made it a goal to not step 753 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 2: on each other's toes. 754 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: Now, sometimes these roles were intertwined where I need to 755 00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:34,959 Speaker 1: pull on Clan or I need to pull on EJ 756 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: for something. But but we we define these roles and 757 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: we trust each other to do these roles the right way, 758 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. As well as you know, 759 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: forming the form of these operating agreements before we open 760 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: the door, you know what I mean. 761 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 2: So so uh so we make sure the legal. 762 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 1: Paperwork is right and that that that alleviates you know, 763 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: so there's one worry that we have. You know, we 764 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,600 Speaker 1: go into it as partners making sure that that's right. 765 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,919 Speaker 1: You know, we can that freeze us up to think 766 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: thing forward and start thinking about new ideas and stuff 767 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 1: like that. And you know, we just like I said, 768 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: understand each other strength and weaknesses, man, and define these. 769 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 2: Roles and that allows us to work. 770 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: Not it's not always great together because I mean we're 771 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: human beings, but that allows us to grow and scale 772 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:33,200 Speaker 1: and and when and when things get go straight, we're 773 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: able to fix it a lot faster than if we 774 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: were intertwined in all these roles and I was doing 775 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,359 Speaker 1: Clint job and I was doing EJ job. 776 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 2: Like so yeah, yeah, that's how we That's how we 777 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 2: pretty much work the partnership man. 778 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 3: And what would you leave the audience with things that 779 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,840 Speaker 3: they should do if they're interested in getting hospitality anywhere? Hospitality, 780 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:54,840 Speaker 3: food service? What kind of things were the things that 781 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 3: you wish you would have known in closing? 782 00:38:59,560 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 2: Uh? 783 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:04,800 Speaker 1: I wish I wish I would have under understood. Uh, 784 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,839 Speaker 1: you think about taxes, man, you know the you know 785 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: businesses and in the movie industry, we didn't have. 786 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:12,640 Speaker 2: Nearly as many taxes as we have now. 787 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:16,279 Speaker 1: You know, liquor tax, food tax, you know, franchise and 788 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:17,840 Speaker 1: excise tax, all these taxes. 789 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 2: Man. 790 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:22,840 Speaker 1: I wish I would have understood that early on, you know, Uh, 791 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 1: as well as uh doing more market research, site selection research, Uh, 792 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:33,799 Speaker 1: those type of things you know, as a restaurant are 793 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:37,520 Speaker 1: very important. Uh and sometimes man like, like you can 794 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,440 Speaker 1: go back to the opportunities thing like, sometimes we just 795 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 1: have an idea and we just need to. 796 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 2: Bust it open and try it right and learn as 797 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:44,839 Speaker 2: we go. 798 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 1: So I never want to say know everything or know 799 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 1: all these things before you start, because then you start 800 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,520 Speaker 1: to talk yourself out of it. But but but definitely 801 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:58,399 Speaker 1: do your research, have a have a have a good 802 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 1: working idea, not just an idea, but the go working 803 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: idea of what you're. 804 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:03,520 Speaker 2: Getting yourself into. 805 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: And then I mean, just go for it, man, and 806 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,279 Speaker 1: you know, to try and to feel man, you know, 807 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:10,440 Speaker 1: you gotta do it. 808 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:12,600 Speaker 5: So, yeah, a couple of things. 809 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 4: First thing, if you're looking to go into a partnership, 810 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:18,840 Speaker 4: kind of stemming off the last question, don't think that 811 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 4: you know everyone of your friends is gonna be a 812 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 4: great partner, right, Like, I think what makes us great 813 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 4: is that, you know, we all bring something different to 814 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 4: the table. 815 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 5: We all have a certain level of responsibility of you know, 816 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 5: and you know we we know that you. 817 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 4: Know, we're working with good guys on the other side, 818 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 4: right like, we we trust each other and so you know, 819 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 4: we all got friends that you know, have a lot of. 820 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:43,240 Speaker 5: Fun with but they ain't gonna make a great business partner. 821 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 4: So you gotta know how to you know, cipher through 822 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 4: that a little bit, you know. On the hospitality side, man, 823 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 4: I think one thing that anybody can do. 824 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:54,359 Speaker 5: That's interested in, whether it's you know. 825 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,800 Speaker 4: Food service or you know, opening up their own spot 826 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 4: or lounge or whatever the case is, go working one. 827 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 5: You know, go working one. 828 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 4: Take take the opportunity to like see what it's like 829 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,760 Speaker 4: on the inside out of operating a business. 830 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,520 Speaker 5: When it comes to hospitality, that's the best way. 831 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 2: You can learn. 832 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:15,640 Speaker 5: You know. If somebody would work for us for you know, 833 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 5: for five. 834 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 4: Years, they could easily leave here, you know, with enough 835 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,680 Speaker 4: tools to go open up, you know, a restaurant, just 836 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:25,800 Speaker 4: based off of general knowledge, you know. And the last 837 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 4: thing I would say is, uh, you know, we we 838 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 4: haven't put a business plan together in a while. 839 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 5: Yeah, but I think we just got a knack now 840 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 5: we want to open up a business. We know what 841 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:36,960 Speaker 5: needs to be done. 842 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 4: But the very first one that we did, you know, 843 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:41,880 Speaker 4: it took us a while to put it together because 844 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:44,440 Speaker 4: we were doing so much research on everybody around us, 845 00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 4: and we did we did market research on pizza restaurants 846 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,799 Speaker 4: from the east coast to west coast, from you know, 847 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,120 Speaker 4: all of Carson, United States, to right here locally. We 848 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,719 Speaker 4: broke everything down. We got you know, I never forget 849 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,640 Speaker 4: we were creating our sauces. We went around, got about 850 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 4: ten different pizza sauags from places, did blind taste tests, 851 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 4: figured out which one we liked the best, you know, measure. 852 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:08,759 Speaker 5: That out to who was doing, you know, getting the 853 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 5: most sales. 854 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:11,759 Speaker 4: And you know, we were just doing different things man 855 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,279 Speaker 4: to figure out exactly who we wanted to be as 856 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:19,320 Speaker 4: a business and exactly what you know, the potential competition. 857 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 5: Would look like in the marketplace. And so a lot 858 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 5: of people don't realize that when we opened. 859 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:25,279 Speaker 4: Our first business, I'm sorry, our first restaurant, we had 860 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,879 Speaker 4: been working on it for two years. If you look 861 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:30,800 Speaker 4: at any one of our original locations, we got a 862 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 4: seal on the front. This is established twenty fifteen, but 863 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:37,040 Speaker 4: we didn't sell our first pizza open our doors until 864 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 4: March twenty seventeen. But that established what represents us in 865 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 4: the lab, figuring this thing out, testing pizzas, passing them 866 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 4: out to the community at different events, getting the word 867 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:53,760 Speaker 4: out of you know, figuring out our training program, working 868 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 4: on our floor plans, and going back and forth with 869 00:42:57,400 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 4: the architects. 870 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 5: Man. At that point we felt like this is when 871 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:02,920 Speaker 5: it got started. And I think that, you. 872 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:06,239 Speaker 4: Know, entrepreneurs in any field need to know that, like 873 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:10,000 Speaker 4: sometimes it takes a little time to build success before 874 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 4: you actually jump into it. 875 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:12,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then I would leave you. 876 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 1: One other thing is, man, I tell people all the time, 877 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:16,439 Speaker 1: you got to fall in love with the sacrifice. 878 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:18,479 Speaker 2: Right, so like like. 879 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:23,279 Speaker 1: If you don't love uh, if damn love what you do, 880 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:25,480 Speaker 1: you gotta love the sacrifice. You gotta fall in love 881 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,440 Speaker 1: with it because it's gonna be so many times, so 882 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:32,799 Speaker 1: many hours uh uh, in days where your friends are 883 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 1: able to go kick it, you know in Jamaica or 884 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 1: the Bahamas, or or take trips to Italy and you 885 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:40,759 Speaker 1: want to be a part of it's so bad. Or 886 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: you got the homie that that just popped up and 887 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:44,280 Speaker 1: pulled up in the new. 888 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 2: And the new whatever, you know what I'm saying, or 889 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:48,440 Speaker 2: this type of stuff, right, you know. 890 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: But but but but for what you're doing and what 891 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: you're what you can't do, now, that's the sacrifice, you 892 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. Because you setting yourself up for longevity. 893 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:01,440 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. I mean years and years 894 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,279 Speaker 2: and generations of wealth. You know what I mean. 895 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 1: Not saying that your homies just taking the trips. They're 896 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:08,040 Speaker 1: not doing the same thing. But it just ain't your time, 897 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:10,440 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. So you gotta follow in 898 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:14,279 Speaker 1: love with the sacrifice or you'll you'll just be living 899 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 1: in a moment and all the work that you put 900 00:44:16,719 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: in is just be no all the void. 901 00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:34,320 Speaker 3: Black Tech Green Money is a production of Blavity Afro 902 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 3: Tech on the Black Effect podcast network in iHeart Media. 903 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:41,000 Speaker 3: It's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, with 904 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 3: additional production support by Sarah Ragan and Rose Mick Lucas. 905 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:46,840 Speaker 3: Special thank you to Michael Davis. If it that's a 906 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 3: surroundo remember by Mike casting other tech disruptors an Innovators 907 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 3: afro tech dot Com. The video version of this episode 908 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:55,879 Speaker 3: will drop to Black Tech Green Money on YouTube next week, 909 00:44:55,920 --> 00:45:00,120 Speaker 3: So tap in enjoying Black Tech Green Money Shad with 910 00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:04,719 Speaker 3: Somebody Go Get Your money, Peace and love. 911 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:07,880 Speaker 2: H