1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: If you're about to make a change in your life 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: and you feel uncomfortable, that's the best feeling you can 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: have because for the first time in your life, you'll 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: make a new decision that's going to be best for 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: you and not what somebody told you to do. And 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: that's when all bets are off. Welcome to Money Making 7 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 1: Conversation Masterclass. I'm your host with Shan McDonald. Our theme 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: is there's no perfect time to start following your dreams. 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: I recognize that we all have different definitions of success. 10 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: For you and maybe the size of your h It's 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: time to stop reading other people's success stories to start 12 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: living your own keep winning. My guest today is Derek D. Hayes. 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: He was recently featured on the cover of Essence magazine 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: his vision for his restaurant, Big Dave's Cheesecake beginning twenty fourteen, 15 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: as he aimed to merge his passion for community food 16 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: and business. Well started as a small water ice shop 17 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: in seven half roughly seven hundred fifty square food gas 18 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: station and Donewoodie, Georgia. Since twenty sixteen has generated nationally 19 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: and on big days cheesecake. If you've not been there, 20 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: I recommend you go there. He's right down the street 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: from my business. My staff they need, they need to 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: have stock in these business that's how much they go. There. 23 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: A thriving cheesecake empire with store and mobile locations all 24 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: across Metro Atlanta. Hayes is also the founder of Dave 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: and Derek Hayes Foundation and co owner of vegan cheesecake 26 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: concept Dinkies with Sludy Vegan Atlanta CEO and vegan restaurant 27 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: phenom Pinky col In twenty twenty one. Hayes' passion for 28 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: community and food landing him an illustrious spot as a 29 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: Forbes twenty twenty one next one thousand on a rate. 30 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: Let's discuss this journey into Big Dave's Cheesecake, being a 31 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: community leader, being bigger than food. Please, welcome to Money 32 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: Making Conversations, Masterclass, Derek D. Hayes. 33 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 2: How you doing, sir, I'm good man. Thank you so much, 34 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 2: mister Rashan McDonalds for having me. 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 3: Man. I appreciate you. Brother. 36 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: Hey Man, had I had to lay it out there 37 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: for you, Derek, because you don't Because now you did. 38 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 3: Man, that was good. 39 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: You know sometimes hearing you know the stuff that you did. 40 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 3: You know along the way it feels good. 41 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: You know, ah, your heart wreak, you know somebody else innerness, 42 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: So it's always a blessing. 43 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: Well, the thing about it is you should be because 44 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: sometimes I have a segment I do a local show, 45 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: Must Show Syndicates, and I do it live every Tuesday. 46 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: I love to invite you on it, by the way, 47 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: on WCLK every Tuesday, and it's called a bragging segment, 48 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: and I encourage people to call in and talk about 49 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: what they've done. Because we tend to be too humble 50 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: about our business. I always encourage people to remind them that, 51 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: you know, McDonald brags for brags, and we need to 52 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: brag about what we do. So everything that you have 53 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: accomplished is part of your success story. Is not what 54 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: we see when we get that sandwich because that cheesecake sandwich, 55 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: because what happens was there's a journey to get there. 56 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: So how did I hear the date twenty fourteen? I 57 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: hear the small gas station. I hear seven hundred and 58 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: fifty square feet, which is the size of my apartment 59 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: in college. So I know what that feels like. So 60 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: talk to us about it because obviously there was a 61 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: walk kid, there wasn't a sit down diner. Tell us 62 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: about the whole concept of what you have turned into 63 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: an empire so far and it's growing. 64 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: Well, well, first I want to start off with saying 65 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 2: the mission and you know, and an honor was my father, 66 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 2: you know, that was everything. 67 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 3: That the reason why I built big days. 68 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 2: He passed away from lung cancer in two thousand and nine, 69 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 2: and my dad dying wish was for me to you know, 70 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 2: stand on my own ten toes and change my generational patterns. 71 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 3: And you know, not to get in trouble. 72 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: And you know, he worked his whole life and he 73 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 2: thought he left a lot behind and he didn't. 74 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 3: So I was able to see. 75 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: A blue collar work of my whole life and now 76 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: transpiring to me building my brain and honor and my father. 77 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: It was it was you know a lot of hard work, 78 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: but it was something that my mission and my passion 79 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: what I really wanted to do because just think about it, 80 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: a lot of people build brands just for money. You know, 81 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: I built this for a purpose of really, you know, 82 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: believing in my father, you know, his dreams and where 83 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 2: he wanted before he left their So it actually helped 84 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 2: me and tricked me into one and more out of 85 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: my own self. So when I built big days, I 86 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: didn't know anything about business. I didn't know how to 87 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: you know, pay sales and use text. I didn't know 88 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 2: anything about you know, getting ADP. I didn't know anything 89 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: about food costs. 90 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 3: All I wanted to do was. 91 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: Better my life and you know, get out of situations 92 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: I was in at the time. But in the midst 93 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: of all of this, I was able to start in 94 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: a small gas station because nobody went to rent me 95 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 2: in space out you know, I'm going all over Atlanta. 96 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 2: I'm saying, you know, I got the money, you know, 97 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 2: I you know I need that, you know, need the space, 98 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: and everybody's like, you know, but you don't have the 99 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 2: business experience. It only took me this one shot. I 100 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: always learned this in life. One shot can change your 101 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: life forever. And that gas station was my shot because 102 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 2: that Indian guy rented me that space. And you know, 103 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 2: I had no business experience, and I was able to 104 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: make that nationally known. You know, in seven years of 105 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: my hard work. Now along the way, I had a 106 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 2: lot of roller coaster rise. You know, I got taken 107 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 2: advantage of a lot by contractors, even you know, employees, 108 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: you know, because I had a you know, soft heart, 109 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 2: you know, you know, I wanted to see everybody grow 110 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: at the time. But it built my tough skin along 111 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: the way because I had to understand for me to 112 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: scale this business, I had to become a real entrepreneur. 113 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: So I started really, you know, doing my Google university, 114 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: my YouTube university. I'm learning, you know, how to really 115 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 2: you know, do these things. And so I don't get 116 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: taken advantage of it because I didn't finish school. You know, 117 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 2: I got a high school diploma, but I don't, you know, 118 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 2: I didn't finish college. So and I got forty some 119 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: tattoos on my body, so I don't look like the 120 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 2: average CEO. So when people look at me, you know, 121 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 2: I got to come on my things together so they 122 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 2: could take me serious. And the way I did that 123 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 2: was to build multiple successful businesses along the way throughout 124 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 2: the years. 125 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: Now, when you show this gas station, there's a gas 126 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: station seven hundred and fifties roughly, they said, you said 127 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: seven forty nine. I'm just gonna say, se get one 128 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: more square for seven fifty seven fifth square free? Why 129 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: and what area of town was? They done witty, But 130 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: what area of doun witty? And why did you think? 131 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: What did you have to bring it? Because this is 132 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: a gas station. Now you're cooking in the gas station. 133 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: So talk about that setup and then being able to 134 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: sell the concept to the community and to your friends, 135 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: because the friends really is a hard sale because they 136 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: gonna tell you it's not a smart idea. 137 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: So that's how I actually wounded up in the kitchen 138 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: cooking myself because I tried to get a cook of 139 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 2: cheese steak. 140 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 3: And my friends was like, nah, it's not home. 141 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: And not to mention, I am in this little gas 142 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 2: station with one grill and one fryar and it's all electric. 143 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 3: You know. I don't know if a lot of people know. 144 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 2: Cooking on electricity and cooking on gas is totally different 145 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: because the grill goes in and out. 146 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 3: You know, temperature is different. 147 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 2: When you pick cold no items on there, you lose temperature. 148 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 2: So I had to actually learn how to cook on 149 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 2: these disadvantage you know, equipment that I had, and then 150 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 2: I was cooking on used the equipment. At the same time. 151 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: I had no employees at the time. It's just me 152 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 2: being a cashier. The cook accounting inventory, anything that I 153 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 2: had to do to make it because I wanted to 154 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: be successful in a way I had to do that 155 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: was put myself in all these situations. 156 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 3: To be able to you know, work hard to do 157 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 3: that myself. 158 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: Because I didn't have the money at the time to 159 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 2: to you know, give people to help me. Because at 160 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 2: the end of the day, I blew my money, you know, 161 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 2: and I spent my last you know, building Big Dave. 162 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,679 Speaker 3: So I really had to get it out the mud. 163 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: So I would say that self belief is more than 164 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: anything that I had to do along the way, is 165 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 2: believing in myself. If you don't believe in yourself, there's 166 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,119 Speaker 2: no way that you can get somebody else to believe 167 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: in you. So when I started believing in myself more, 168 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: I started to get you know, a little bit of traffic. 169 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 2: And to be honest, man, I tell everybody, Eve the rapper, 170 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: Eve Man, she was a big play, you know, a 171 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: big part of my story because in the midst of me, 172 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: you know, going through this year and now open, I 173 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 2: don't have no traffic. 174 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 3: Still I'm going under. You know. 175 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 2: Of course, if you can't pay the bills, eventually you're 176 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 2: gonna have to shut them doors and she posted me 177 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 2: on her social network. 178 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 3: Man, I made a chicken cheese steak for her. Man right, 179 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 3: and you know, so I did? 180 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: You I did because rapper, you famous, you know, great following, 181 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: so loyal following first of all. And so where were 182 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: you at for that connection to make? Did you know her? 183 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: Or did she found out about your fusion recommended your food? 184 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: Tell me about that stuff. 185 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 3: I was a friend. It was a friend. 186 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 2: It was a friend friend of a friend, and she 187 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 2: was shooting barbershop. 188 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:25,679 Speaker 3: You know, she was shooting the movie. 189 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: And I waited all day for her to come, like 190 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 2: a kid on Christmas, I'm talking about. 191 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 3: She ain't come. 192 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 2: Man, you know, you know I ain't get discoveraged that. 193 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 2: I said, you know, I'm gonna keep on fighting. And 194 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 2: the next day she really came. And as I was 195 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: making this chicken cheese steak. You know what she told me, 196 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 2: She said, if this sandwich is good, I'm gonna post 197 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 2: it on my social media networks. 198 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 3: Now you gotta think about it. 199 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 2: I'm a kid from Philly, I'm all my red sizes. 200 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: I exhausted everything and now I'm like ship my life 201 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 2: depends on is I gotta make the. 202 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 3: Sandwich the best I can make it. 203 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 2: And when I made this sandwich, she bit it. She 204 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: wentn't crazy. She said, oh man, you brung me home. 205 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: And she put it on every social media outlet she 206 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 2: had at the time. And when I tell you, the 207 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 2: next day, I made five thousand dollars. That was my 208 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 2: biggest day ever at the time. And it was just 209 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 2: up from there. I started to be able to get 210 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 2: the community more involved because they seem traffic. You know, 211 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 2: people eat off of their eyes. You know, they see lines, 212 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 2: they say, well, got to be good. So I was 213 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 2: able to start building lines. And then the next part 214 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: of my journey that was a very big part of 215 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: my mission, was in twenty eighteen, I was picked to 216 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 2: go to a sandwich competition and Orange Beach, Alabama, and 217 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 2: I ranked number seventh in the world. 218 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: Okay, Orange Beach, Alabama sandwich competition. Okay, now this ain't 219 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: New York. This ain't that like, You're not even Atlanta. 220 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: You a Orange Beach, Alabama sandwich competition. So see, that's 221 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: what I love about you. You know, you tell this 222 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: story is so normal to you. But Orange Beach, Alaba, 223 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: I don't think going to orangeby Alabama gonna do anything 224 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: for anybody, but tell us about this competition and why 225 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: it was important to go. 226 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 2: So so it was important to go because, for one, 227 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 2: I wanted to represent that not only had the best 228 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: cheese steak, but I wanted to have the best sandwich. 229 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: And honestly, it was an opportunity for me. You know, 230 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 2: I was hungry, you know, I had to fire in 231 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 2: my belly for success. I was waiting for my moment, 232 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 2: and when I got picked, I was ready for it. 233 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 2: But to be honest, when I got there, you know, 234 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 2: it was a little discussion because I was cooking on 235 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: a barbecue grill. Now, mind you, how do you make 236 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:36,719 Speaker 2: a cheese steak on a barbecue grill because they. 237 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 3: Don't have flat tops. So what I had to do. 238 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 2: I went to Walmart and got a skill it and 239 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 2: like a flat top, and I put it over that 240 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 2: gas grill and I got that thing hot and I 241 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 2: made them cheese steaks, just like I was at Big Days. 242 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,319 Speaker 2: You know, I took my obscoles and I pivoted, because 243 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: that's the thing. When you don't pivot when stuff happened, 244 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: you're gonna sink, You're gonna give up. You know, I'm 245 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 2: already at disadvantage, you know, to Americans. I'm a black 246 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: man to come from the ghetto, so I was supposed 247 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 2: to be here anyway, sure, you know. 248 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 3: So the way I was. 249 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 2: Looking at it was, this is my opportunity to make 250 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: some noise for me and my people, to show that 251 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: I deserve to be here. 252 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 3: And when they. 253 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: Show what I'm saying when you say that in the 254 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: diversity at this competition was not much, when you make 255 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: a statement. 256 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: I can't I can't count on my fingers how many 257 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 2: black people in this competition. And it probably was maybe 258 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 2: fifteen thousand, you know, could have been could have been 259 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 2: a little less, a little bit more, I'm not sure, 260 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: but I know that it was a good amount of people, 261 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 2: know that's trying to qualify for this, for this cooking competition. 262 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 3: And honestly, I never forget. 263 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 2: I gave Bo Jackson a Dave's Way, and I said, 264 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 2: I know I had a big shot because I knew 265 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 2: I was. 266 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 3: Making this sandwich. 267 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 2: But you know, all of my grind, my blood, sweat 268 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 2: and terrace, all these years of me working, I said, 269 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 2: I ain't come here to lose, man, you know, I 270 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 2: came here to show out and show on. 271 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 3: And honestly, and they called Derrick Hayes. 272 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 2: They said, you know, top qualifiers, top ten in the world. 273 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 2: And when they called me, I was talking to somebody 274 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 2: because we was in this big facility, right and I 275 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 2: was looking at them like they just called my name. 276 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 2: And it was mind blowing because at the end of 277 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 2: the day, you want to win, you want to get 278 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 2: to the mountain top, you want to get there. But 279 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: when they really call you a name, all your years 280 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 2: of your heart. 281 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 3: Work and everything you've been through start to pan out. 282 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 2: And honestly, it was emotional for me because again, just 283 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 2: like you said, it was an Orange Beach, Alabama, and 284 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 2: me as a black man, winning anything at Orange Beach, Alabama. 285 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 3: Was a win for me. 286 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 1: On a barbecue grill on a barbecue grill on a 287 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: barbecue was skill it for Walmart exactly. 288 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 2: You know, That's how a lot of myo a lot 289 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 2: of my journey was built off of blood, sweat and 290 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 2: tears and getting it out the mud for real, because 291 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 2: I wanted people to see a real, authentic side of 292 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: what I was building. I don't want people to, you know, 293 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: see that anything that was given because I wanted them 294 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 2: to see that if the reason verses with short and 295 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 2: they looking at me. 296 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 3: They can do it too. 297 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 4: Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more 298 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 4: Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making 299 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 4: Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. 300 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: Well, the beauty of this conversation that I'm having with 301 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 1: you is that I know that establishing your brand because 302 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: setbacks are part of your growth. Now, in twenty twenty, 303 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: we all faced the pandemic and at that point we 304 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: didn't know what to do, and so you used the 305 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: word pivot early in your conversation, the word pivot, which 306 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: I think is really important this conversation. When we talked 307 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: to young entrepreneurs who have a goal set in place, 308 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: this is how I'm going to do it, and sometimes 309 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: when something interrupts that goal, they frustration sets in or 310 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: they throw their hands up. When COVID the country was 311 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: set down, how did you react to that and did 312 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: you have a game plan? 313 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 2: Dave, I'm gonna say this. I'm gonna say this in 314 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 2: the most humblest way. My life was a pivot. I 315 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 2: come from West Philadelphia, I come from the jungle, I 316 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 2: come from Atlanta. Opportunity if you want it, because you 317 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 2: got to go get it. So when this happened in 318 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 2: this pandemic, of course, nobody had ever seen this tragedy 319 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 2: happened in the world like this, But I knew the 320 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 2: city I came from taught me how to pivot, So 321 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 2: I wasn't. 322 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 3: Going to quit. 323 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 2: I was going to find out a way to help 324 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 2: people while I was helping my brand be able to 325 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: grow at the same time. 326 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 3: In a way I was able to do. 327 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 2: That was I was able to give a thousand plus 328 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: meals to the community because those same people that was 329 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 2: going through those hard times. 330 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 3: Were the same people standing in my lines. 331 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 2: And then I wanted to help the healthcare workers, those 332 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 2: frontline workers. 333 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 3: Those were the. 334 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 2: Same people that was paying their life on the line 335 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 2: every day for people that had COVID, And we didn't 336 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 2: really know how dangerous COVID was at the time, so. 337 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 3: Those people I wanted to help. 338 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 2: I fed forty plus hospitals in a month of COVID 339 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 2: the first month. 340 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 3: You know, really, no, we didn't know what was going on. 341 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 2: And I put my life on the line just as 342 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 2: well going to those hospitals because I believed that it 343 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 2: was a bigger purpose that they seen an entrepreneur, a 344 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: young black kid that come from the ghetto standing up. 345 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 2: Some other people would stand up and then we will 346 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: all stand. 347 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 3: Up together, and we were reunite. 348 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 2: And being able to get our communities back together in downtown. 349 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 3: I was able to help out. 350 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 2: I donated twenty six thousand dollars to help businesses get 351 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 2: back open. So for me, it wasn't about making the 352 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 2: money in the pandemic pandemic, it was about helping others 353 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 2: get their doors back open, so that people could see 354 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 2: what type of person I was and what I stand from, 355 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 2: what I represent, and what I wanted out of my 356 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 2: own self. If you can look through a vision of me, 357 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 2: you can look through the vision of the community. 358 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 3: And we can grow together. And that's what I was 359 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 3: trying to do. 360 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: Well, you did it, and because you were recognized by 361 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: four twenty one, next one thousand on the red now 362 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: again you know it goes back to Alabama. You know 363 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: you got that. You're in a tent. You know they 364 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: call your name. Didn't know that was going to happen. 365 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: You shocked. Now you're doing all this great work for 366 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: the community. You know, like you said, now one part 367 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: in your conversation where you're talking about selling, You're talking 368 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: about uplifting, giving, giving, given twenty six thousand, there thousand 369 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: sandwiches there. All about the drive is if I give, 370 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: then they show support. It creates loyalty. That's a business 371 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: model the corporations do all the time and that comes 372 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: from service. Now, service drives your business. Customer service is 373 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: a high priority as far as how you communicate with 374 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: your with your customer base. 375 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: Correct, yes, yes, but I think I think with me, 376 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 2: with me, sir, I think with me. Is people see, yes, sir, 377 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 2: that I'm real. They see the authentic side of it, 378 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: like I'm not stripted. 379 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 3: You know, I show my flaws. 380 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 2: I show my my my ups and down so that 381 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 2: you don't make the same mistakes that I made. 382 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 3: I'm not selling you food. 383 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: I'm selling you hope and I'm selling you a dream 384 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 2: a kid like me believing and want to make a change. 385 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 3: And when they see that, they put the food to 386 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 3: the side for a second. They know I make good food. 387 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 2: Everybody loves my food, but they also love the passion 388 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 2: and the story that I'm putting out because it's so 389 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 2: many other people out here in the world that need 390 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 2: that help you think about it. It could be a young 391 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 2: kid that looked just like me, thirty four years old. 392 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 2: He might be in the hood trying to get out 393 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 2: of not being no. 394 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 3: Selling drugs or a bad situation. 395 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 2: He can go ahead and punch on Instagram and look 396 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 2: at me and say, listen, I know this kid came 397 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 2: from the same thing I came from. 398 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 3: I could do it too. That's bigger than me than 399 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 3: any money. That's the biggest thing for me. You know. 400 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 2: I could be walking in the market and somebody will 401 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 2: walk up to me and say, hey, man, you don't 402 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 2: even understand. 403 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 3: You saved my life. You made me want to change. 404 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 3: You made me want more out of myself. 405 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 2: And I used the food to be able to step 406 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 2: and stone and trigger that. I was told this once 407 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 2: upon in my life. My eye was bad on cancer 408 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 2: in two thousand and five. My name was Teresa Hennigan. 409 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 2: She eventually passed away, but in the middle of this 410 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 2: I went to a church with her and a pastor. 411 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 2: He told me in my ear, he said, you're going 412 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 2: to be a pastor. 413 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 3: Now. 414 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 2: At the time, I'm playing basketball, I had who dreams 415 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 2: to make it to the NBA. 416 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 3: I said, I'm not going to be no pastor. A 417 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,120 Speaker 3: pastor is not about getting on a poor pit. It's 418 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 3: about spreading the message. It's about giving a message so 419 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 3: other people could receive. And right now, every day I 420 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:02,160 Speaker 3: spread the message. 421 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 2: When these people out here seeing big day build these 422 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 2: two locations, young black kid come from the ghetto, bill 423 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 2: multi million dollar companies left and right right now, they 424 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 2: get motivated by that. So for me, that's the biggest motivation. 425 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 1: For me. 426 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 3: It ain't about the money. It's about the motivation for 427 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 3: my people. 428 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:17,959 Speaker 1: Well, you know the interesting thing about it. You know 429 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: when I saw you on the cover of Essence. You 430 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: know usually you know when you're on the cover of Essence, 431 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: you know you interest Ailblew. You know what I'm saying, 432 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: you know, Michael B. Jordan, you know what I'm saying. 433 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 3: That's man, that's the legendary Go go, go, go go. 434 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 1: That's it. Nice smiling y'all, y'all, y'all, all the y'all. 435 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:34,919 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you he's straightened up a little bit 436 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: when I started talking about being on the cover of Essence, 437 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: because Essence, like you know, because I'm older than you. 438 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: That's the you know, that's Ebony back in my day. 439 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: That's Jet magazine back in my day. You know you 440 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: saw that you left that on the coffee table. Wouldn't 441 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: happen because you know, that was an announcement about your brand. 442 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 1: But it's even a bigger announcement for you because it 443 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: wasn't entertainment driven your parent on there. It was about 444 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: you as a person, what you do for the community, 445 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: and you being able to step out. Like you talk 446 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,479 Speaker 1: about your background, you come from humble beginnings, you come 447 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: from Philadelphia, You come from a neighborhood like I came 448 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,199 Speaker 1: from a neighborhood where people stereotype your success. You know, 449 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,360 Speaker 1: you know exactly you driving that neighborhood. Then people will 450 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: question why you come out how exactly it's like you 451 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: you lucky. You turns like that you. 452 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 2: Don't like you don't belong here, like you like you 453 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,479 Speaker 2: ain't deserve it. And I think, see, and that's what 454 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 2: I'm trying to teach too. You know, I was asked 455 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 2: this question yesterday. I was having a conversation and they said, 456 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 2: why do you think our culture, you know, handle things differently? 457 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 2: And the reason what that being is just imagine if 458 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 2: you was a kid on Christmas, right, everybody got this toy, 459 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,959 Speaker 2: but this one kid got the best toy that everybody wanted. 460 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 3: That if that kid never. 461 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 2: Was taught how to share that toy because he never 462 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 2: had the resources to feel good about having anything that 463 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 2: feel good, then how can that kid ever know he's 464 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 2: going wrong? When you in an environment of everything a 465 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 2: certain way, that's what you're accustomed to. Now, what I'm 466 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 2: trying to show different is, Okay, we step out of 467 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 2: these boundaries of these inner cities, these lower income communities, 468 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 2: and now we got social media outlets showing us when 469 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 2: it's right from wrong. 470 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 3: But the leaders that. 471 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 2: Got the voice got to help out and say, listen, 472 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 2: now that we got the ball in our hands, let's. 473 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 3: Stick together and change these communities out and give resources. 474 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 3: Let's build community. 475 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 2: Centers, centers, Let's build financial literacy program so that when 476 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 2: kids get to high school and when they about to 477 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 2: get out of high school, they ain't lost on about 478 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 2: a credit card or or how they going to do 479 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: their financial literacy, or how they're going to get through college. 480 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 2: They know that spending over thirty percent on their credit 481 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 2: card going to mess they credit up. 482 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 3: Before the bill cycle hit, they know that they. 483 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,880 Speaker 2: Can now you know utilize their capital before that bill 484 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 2: cycle hit so that now they're not getting pittllized for interest. 485 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 3: So they rotating this money making money. 486 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 2: They know how to get cash back, cash rewards cards 487 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 2: when they spending money to put it in they savings 488 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 2: account when it earns enough money to now move the 489 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: money and it's free money off of spending money. But 490 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 2: we can't teach that when know that, and all we 491 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 2: can know is what's going on in these communities to survive. 492 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:05,679 Speaker 2: Like I said, where I come from at in Philly, 493 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 2: I was born to just survive and my day of 494 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 2: living it was my dead survival. 495 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 3: I ain't thinking about tomorrow. 496 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 2: So I'm trying to teach my generation now let's worry 497 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 2: about tomorrow. Because when you've got kids, you got to 498 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 2: lead them set up for when you ain't here, you 499 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 2: got to take care of them from the grave. 500 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying. That's why we're doing as 501 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 3: a life insurance initiative right now. 502 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: Wow. You know I love as we progress through this interview, Derek, 503 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: how your energy, your comfort zone with me has just 504 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 1: picked up and keep transferring to an even more positive level. 505 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: But the number one thing when I talk about and 506 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,719 Speaker 1: I meet individuals like you because you're a self made person. 507 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: Like I said, you're not a shame of your journey 508 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: now because at the beginning I always talk about friends, family, 509 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,639 Speaker 1: and don't let anybody stop you from living your dream 510 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: and stop you from planning your dream. Okay, when you 511 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 1: talk about the community and the next step, what is 512 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: Big Dave's future, how do you how do you conceptualize? 513 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: And because you know it, ain't you no more than 514 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty square foot shell gas station by yourself. 515 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: You have to put a team around you. What does 516 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: that team look like? So our team, so our listeners 517 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: and our viewers can understand. When you grow, grow has 518 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: to be surrounded by quality. You have to spend money 519 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: to keep that quality around you in order to you 520 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: dream to grow. 521 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 2: I like this topic right here because a lot of people, 522 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 2: you know, they might tell me I'm too top heavy 523 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 2: with the locations that I have. But the thing is, 524 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 2: if you ain't, if you ready, you ain't got. 525 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,479 Speaker 3: To get ready. You know when that moment happened. 526 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 2: So in the midst of in the midst of everything 527 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 2: that I'm done with my brand, you know, I just 528 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 2: want for me like philanthropy is a big thing for me, 529 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 2: you know, building this brand. I love it just as 530 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 2: much as I love, you know, the restaurant space. 531 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 3: I love talking to people. 532 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 2: Because, for one, I know that I'm giving them real 533 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 2: game that I've been through on my life to help 534 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: them change theirs. No, I don't think I know everything, 535 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 2: but me at thirty four years old, I was blessing 536 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 2: a lot of ways that you know, a lot of 537 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 2: people may not have got to yet, and I can 538 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 2: now help them when they get to the situation in 539 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 2: their life they're not making those same mistakes I made. 540 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 3: Let me tell you something, Mistakes costs in the business. 541 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 3: Right when you're in business. 542 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 2: Mistakes cost. It costs. When I mean it costs. It's 543 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 2: more than money. It hurts you in the finance side. 544 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 2: But scaling the business, you need it cro to be good. 545 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: The COO to be good, your gms to be good, 546 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 2: your assistant managers to be good, your fry. 547 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 3: Cooks, your grill cooks. 548 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 2: Everybody is a motor that works together to operate this vehicle. 549 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 2: And without that you can't scale. And it took me 550 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 2: years to really be able to get that together because, 551 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 2: like I said, I love hardt so I see the 552 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 2: best out. 553 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 3: Of people sometimes the down seeing themselves. 554 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 2: But I was also told this by multiple different billionaires, 555 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 2: and this was my blessing. 556 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 3: You know, you're never. 557 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 2: Going to scale if you don't get thick skin to 558 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 2: be able to do it, because these same people aren't 559 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 2: gonna be with you. The ones that belong what you're 560 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 2: gonna be with you because they want. 561 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 3: To better themselves along the journey. 562 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 2: But the ones who just tagging along and the business 563 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 2: is growing and they're not growing, you know, you're gonna 564 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 2: eventually have to leave them or the business is gonna 565 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 2: leave you. 566 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 3: And if the business leave the CEO. 567 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 2: You know what happens after that, It goes it goes 568 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 2: down to dream right, And and that's what I'm not building. 569 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 2: Like I told you, this a high this to my father. 570 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 2: I know in the end of this, I'm a building. 571 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 2: I'm building a billion oile of business. 572 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 3: I'ma have big. 573 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 2: Days everywhere, and I want to keep on setting a 574 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 2: bar high and setting the culture and what I got 575 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,159 Speaker 2: going on outside of you know, just the Big Daves brand. 576 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 2: You know, me and Pinky we jumped in real estate 577 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 2: heavy and the reason why we're doing that is because 578 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 2: we're trying to build up these communities. So when stuff 579 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 2: ain't looking right in these communities, what's better to say 580 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 2: it is it's people that look just like the people 581 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,640 Speaker 2: that's from these communities building them up, and they ain't 582 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 2: developers tearing them up and moving them out. You know 583 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 2: what I'm saying, right, We're gonna keep them. We're gonna 584 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 2: keep them in, We're gonna give them jobs. And the 585 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 2: way we're gonna do that is all these companies we build. 586 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: I love it, you know. Some Like I said, I'm 587 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 1: right down the street from your location over there, Brand Mark, 588 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: I'm right now, that's where you're at. I'm right down 589 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: the street from that. And so so my staff supports it. 590 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: First of all, A George, they talk to you, your passion, 591 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: your information, you gift man, your gift and a blessing. 592 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: You're an entrepreneurial spirit. You are what America is built on, 593 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: a land of opportunity. You know, we should never be 594 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: denied based on the color of our skin or the 595 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: education that people perceive we don't have. You are the 596 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: person that I bring on the show to educate my 597 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: audience that anything is possible. And I want to thank 598 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: you for coming out Money Making Conversation master Class. 599 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 2: Thank you man, and I thank you for having me, 600 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 2: and I want to I want to. 601 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 3: Release one more thing. Okay, people listening. 602 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 2: So it's not about how you start. It's not about 603 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 2: what's going to happen in the middle of that race. 604 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 2: Shoe get untied, your soul get messed up, you sneak 605 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: and fall off. 606 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 3: Just finish the race. 607 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 2: Don't worry about the place you're going to be in 608 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 2: because as long as you finish the race, the job 609 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 2: is done. And when the job is done, guess what 610 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 2: you can say at the end. 611 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:10,360 Speaker 3: Of the day. 612 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 2: I finished the marathon because I wasn't worrying about the race. 613 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying. So the end of it all, 614 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:18,160 Speaker 3: you gave it all you got. 615 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 2: As long as you give it all you got, and 616 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 2: you finished that line as long as you cross it. 617 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 3: Be proud of yourself and your journey, and. 618 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 2: Stop siusing yourself up to other people, because God got 619 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 2: everybody's journey for themselves to be able to better other people. 620 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 3: You don't know. 621 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 2: It may feel like that man or that woman got 622 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 2: that success overnight, but you don't know what they've been 623 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 2: through to get that success. 624 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 3: Absolutely, It's not attract me as a marathon. So I 625 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 3: always remember that. 626 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: I love it because I always tell people that, you know, 627 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: don't look at it. So it's saying, don't look at 628 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: somebody else's y'all. You know, you don't have to explain 629 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: the word I finished versus I quit. I quit, You 630 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 1: have to explain it. I finished me and I made 631 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: maximum effort to get the job done. That's all you're saying. 632 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: And I love it. 633 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 3: Brother. 634 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: We're going to talk in person because I want to 635 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: sit down and just chat with you. I appreciate your time, man, 636 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: because you're a special Again, I've had Pinky on the show. 637 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: Both of y'all are special. But congratulations. You know mister 638 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,439 Speaker 1: Andrewes Evil, Big Days Cheesecake. You know, mister sexy, mister sexy, 639 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: mister good looking, got the t fall out there, you know, 640 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: forty three tattoos straight out of Philly. 641 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 3: Big Day. Jeez Dak, keep doing your thing. I see 642 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 3: you be in the kitchen whipping up your. 643 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: Jeez steak man. I love it, man, Stay strong, bro, 644 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 1: Big Days Cheez steak Man. 645 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 3: Thank you man. 646 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 1: All right, we talked soon if you want to hear us, 647 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: see any of my interviews oh money Making Conversation, Please 648 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: go to money Making Conversation dot com. I'm with Sean McDonald. 649 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: I am your host. 650 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 5: Thank you for joining us for this edition of money 651 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 5: Making Conversations Masterclass. Money Making Conversations Masterclass with through Sean 652 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 5: McDonald is produced by thirty eight fifteen Media Inc. More 653 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 5: information about thirty eight fifteen Media Inc. Is available at 654 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 5: thirty eight to fifteen media dot com. 655 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 4: And always remember to lead with your gifts