1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:01,040 Speaker 1: Money. 2 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 2: It comes with a lot of questions. How do I save? 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 2: Where should I invest? Can I build wealth to pass on? 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 2: It's hard to know where to get answers. That's why 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 2: the people at Fidelity do what they do to make 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 2: it easier for you to get information to make better 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 2: money decisions. It's what they've built their business on. They've 8 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: got articles and videos, tips and apps and insights and 9 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 2: perspectives that make planning, saving and investing a little less stressful. 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: And when you want to talk it through, there's a 11 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 2: real person on the other end with real answers. Helping 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 2: people is what they do, and they can help you too. 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 2: Help you buy a home, save for your kids education, 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: start a business, support your community, and feel more confident 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: about the future. Want to learn more, visit Fidelity online 16 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: at fidelity dot com. Slash black Wealth. 17 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 3: An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child 18 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 3: in Massachusetts. An MS thirteen gang member from Al Salvador 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 3: accused of murdering a Texas man of Venezuelan charged with 20 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 3: filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just 21 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 3: some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President 22 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 3: Donald J. Trump's leadership. I'm Christy nom the United States 23 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,639 Speaker 3: Secretary of Homeland Security. Under President Trump, attempted illegal border 24 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 3: crossings are at the lowest levels ever recorded, and over 25 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: one hundred thousand illegal aliens have been arrested. If you 26 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 3: are here illegally, your next you will be fine nearly 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 3: one thousand dollars a day. Imprisoned and deported, you will 28 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 3: never return. But if you register using our CBP home 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 3: app and leave now, you could be allowed to return legally. 30 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 3: Do what's right, leave now. Under President Trump, America's laws 31 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 3: border and families will be protected. 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 4: Sponsored by the United States Department of Homeland Security. 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,919 Speaker 5: You know, as a contractor, you know, you're you're making 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 5: three percent on a you know, two hundred million dollar 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 5: deal as opposed to the developer making twenty percent. So 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 5: you start looking at that money and you're like, oh 37 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 5: my god, this this you know math, it would be 38 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 5: better if I was on that side of the table. 39 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 5: But don you know, I've been knowing for so long, 40 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 5: back when I was in college, and so Don had 41 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 5: said to me for many years, like, you know, I 42 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 5: really want you to come in on the development side. 43 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 5: And so Affirmation Tower is one of the projects where 44 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 5: he said, this is a good opportunity for you to 45 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 5: be a partner in the development money. 46 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: It comes with a lot of questions and Fidelity can 47 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: help you get answers. Visit fidelity dot com slash black 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: Wealth to learn more. 49 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 6: My graduates from my school being forced back drop bag drop, Mike, 50 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 6: drop back drop drop. 51 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: All right, guys, welcome back, lay back home and we 52 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: got an exciting, informational, powerful episode today. 53 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: This is big. This has big. When we talk about 54 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 2: generational wealth and sustainable wealth, I don't think it gets 55 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: any bigger than this. 56 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: Yeah. So Cheryl McKissick Daniel is fifth generation. So it's 57 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: interesting because a lot of times, you know, unfortunately we're 58 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: first generation you starting businesses is the first person in 59 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: the family to ever start a business, and you know, 60 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of trials and tribulations that come with that. 61 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: This trial has come with any any level of business, 62 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: but especially the first people to start it. There's so 63 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: many different challenges we just spoke about, like you know, 64 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: not having enough money, not having mentorship, not having an education, 65 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: and unfortunately that's one of the reasons why a lot 66 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: of businesses fail. But you know that's not all to 67 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: this story. There are some businesses that have generations of 68 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: success and have been passed down generations, not only white businesses, 69 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: black businesses as well. So Cheryl fifth Generation, I believe 70 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: the largest black owned construction company in America, and it's 71 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: a fifth generation business, largest and oldest. Yes, yes, yes, yes, 72 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: and currently has one hundred and fifty employees more than 73 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: fifty billion dollars of construction in the past decade. I 74 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: saw LaGuardia Airport. 75 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: Yes, JFK as well. 76 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:35,799 Speaker 5: JFK. 77 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 2: We want to thank you personally for that. 78 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 5: Grey It's so much better. 79 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, especially with GUARDI I was like, this 80 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: can't be the best city on earth. And when you 81 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 2: land here, they're gonna look at this. So thank you. 82 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: Thank you hallm Hospital so much. The Fulton Fish Market, 83 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: the Mark one hundred twenty fifth Street, Planic Yards, Columbia University. 84 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: If you're from New York, you're familiar with everything that 85 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm just naming, so you know, have done a lot 86 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: of construction. As I said, fifth generation and still standing 87 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: and still you know, one of the top not only 88 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: black owned company, but one of the top construction companies 89 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: period in America. A very impressive heat and working with 90 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: our friend Don peeble Yes on Affirmation Tower, we covered 91 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: that several different times, so I'm sure you guys are 92 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 1: familiar with that right now. So you know, it's important 93 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: to highlight these stories because I feel like, you know, 94 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: too often we don't know people like you, even Robert Smith. 95 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: When we spoke to Robert Smith, I was telling him 96 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: like he's gained a lot of recognition now, but I 97 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: remember a couple of years ago, nobody knew who he was. 98 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: At that time, he was the richest black person in America. 99 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: So it's just mind boggling that. You know, we always 100 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: know the athletes, we always know the entertainers, but a 101 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: lot of times we don't know who the entrepreneurs are. 102 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: Those are the most import and Peter. 103 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 2: And even Robert's story, he I mean, obviously he's accumulated 104 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: so much wealth and it is obviously giving back, but 105 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: he's first generation, whereas your fifth, and you've created a company. 106 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 2: A lot of times when we said we lacked the mentorship, 107 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: we lack the education, but we lack the scalability. And 108 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: so that's something that you and your family have mastered. 109 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: And it doesn't stop here. The sixth generation is next generation. 110 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: We're getting it, so I'm sure she's carrying on the baton. 111 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: So first and foremost, thank you for joining us. 112 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 5: Appreciate it, my pleasure. I'm so glad to be here. 113 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: Thank you for sure. So I want to get into 114 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: a lot of the technical aspects of it, but before 115 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: I do, I want to get the backstory. I think 116 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: it's the people that important to understand. Can you tell 117 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: us a story of how the company started and how 118 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: it was passed down from generation and generation. 119 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 5: Yeah. Absolutely, As you said, we are fifth generation goes 120 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 5: back two hundred and thirty years in this country. The 121 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 5: first descendant of our family came here in seventeen nine 122 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 5: as a slave and taught the trade of making bricks. 123 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 5: That was Moses mckizwick the first. His slave master was 124 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 5: a contractor named William mcizick. That's why we have the 125 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 5: Irish name uh. And his son, Moses mckiswick the second, 126 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 5: was a master carpenter and he was known for building 127 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 5: a Maxwell House hotel which is in downtown downtown Nashville. 128 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 5: But he also moved our family to a place called 129 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 5: spring Hill, Tennessee. And in spring Hill, Tennessee, there's a 130 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 5: mansion called the Cheers Mansion. Well, he donated all the 131 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 5: bricks for the Cheers family to build that mansion, and 132 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 5: that mansion is still standing and it was bought by 133 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 5: Saturn Corporation. Uh, and so that's pretty much preserved the 134 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 5: mansion all of these years. And of course they bought 135 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 5: acres because they have a car plant manufacturing plant down there. 136 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 5: I bring that up because recently the last of the 137 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 5: mckisick bricks were stolen. I'm like, I didn't even get one, 138 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 5: and that was my great grandfather's. They were his bricks. 139 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 5: Moses mckizick the third was the first black licensed architect 140 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 5: with Calvin mckizick his brother, first black license architect in 141 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 5: the country, and they incorporated our business in nineteen oh 142 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 5: five in Nashville, Tennessee. Now just think about that. The 143 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 5: klu Klux Klan started in Pulaski, Tennessee, fifty miles from Nashville. 144 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 5: And for these two black men to not only start 145 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 5: a business, but then fifteen years into their business, they 146 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 5: had to get architectural license to stay in business. So 147 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 5: that is a whole story in itself. Motionure, It's a 148 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 5: motion picture. Two black men coming, you know, to the 149 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 5: state board to say they want to take their exam. 150 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 5: They were denied over and over again, and finally one 151 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 5: board member said, listen, let's let them take it. They're 152 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 5: not going to pass, and of course they did on 153 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 5: the first try. But they eventually got their license, and 154 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 5: because they were the first black license in the country, 155 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 5: the board got a lot of notoriety and they went 156 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 5: to bat for them to get licensed in twenty two 157 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 5: other states. And they worked in Haiti with Papa Doc 158 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,839 Speaker 5: all up through the North all the way to New York. 159 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 5: You will see the cornerstone of McKissick and McKissick that 160 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 5: was built by my grandfather, and then the company was 161 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 5: passed down to my father, who was William McKissick, again 162 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 5: an architect. He had an architectural business, a general contracting business. 163 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 5: He did a little bit of development, and he's the 164 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 5: reason that me and my two sisters are all architects 165 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 5: or engineers. He used to tell us all the time, like, 166 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 5: you can go to school anywhere you want to go 167 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 5: to school, but the only school I'm paying for is 168 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 5: Howard University, and you're getting an architectural degree. So yeah, 169 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 5: he loved his HBCUs and you know, I have to 170 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 5: tell you that was just like a great experience. Howard 171 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 5: taught us what it meant to be black in America. 172 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 5: So I highly recommend HBCUs. We had the best thing, 173 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 5: the brightest that would come to our university and speak 174 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 5: to us, whether we understood it or not. You know, 175 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 5: Amaya Angelo, You know, every president that you know was 176 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 5: in office comes to Howard University, and of course now 177 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 5: the vice president has even made our college even more notable. 178 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 5: But Howard taught us a lot about out being black 179 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 5: and being comfortable with being black in a white world. 180 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 5: And then the company passed down to my mother. When 181 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 5: my father had a massive stroke. 182 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: She took over at your graduation right right. 183 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 5: Right before my graduation. Four days before we graduated. My 184 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 5: twin sister and I'm from Howard. My father had a 185 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 5: massive stroke. We didn't walk for graduation. We had to 186 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 5: go home and you know, help our mother and pray 187 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 5: for our father, who eventually, you know, got out the hospital, 188 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 5: but he couldn't speak. He was paralyzed on one side. 189 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 5: So my mother took over the business after being a 190 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 5: housewife and a school teacher. But she did have a 191 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 5: master's degree in psychology, and I used to say all 192 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 5: the time that you know, she could understand the manias 193 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 5: and the phobias of people who couldn't understand how all 194 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 5: black woman was going to run this business because she, 195 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 5: I mean, over and over again, was asked to sell 196 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,959 Speaker 5: the business because you're a woman, you can't do it. 197 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 5: You're not an architect, you can't do it. And she didn't, 198 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 5: and she didn't because she said she was going to 199 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 5: hold on to it for the next generation. And so 200 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 5: that's our family story. My mother called up my boss 201 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 5: when I was working at Turner Construction and told my 202 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 5: boss she's quitting today and coming to work for me. 203 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 5: And then she called me and told me to pack 204 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 5: up my stuff and come to Nashville. I'm like, what. 205 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:36,719 Speaker 2: U. 206 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 5: And you know, I was a little taken back then, 207 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 5: but now I know that was the best decision that 208 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 5: ever happened to me. And I'm actually doing the same 209 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 5: thing to my daughter right now, Like you're out of LA. 210 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 5: I'm sorry. She's in LA. She graduated from George Washington 211 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 5: and she went out to LA to live the LA dream. 212 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 5: And it's not going well, so not the way I 213 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 5: think the. 214 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 2: Way you thought it was, so I'm imagining right. There's 215 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 2: a lot of to unpack there. First thing is, I mean, 216 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 2: you grew up around architect Did you ever think that 217 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: you want to do anything else? It's kind of that 218 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 2: ultimatum that your dad gave to you that I feel like, 219 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: did that stick with you when you were having children, Like, look, 220 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 2: this is the business, and you're gonna run a bed. 221 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 2: You can do anything you want, but you're gonna come 222 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 2: back to this business. 223 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 5: I never thought I had the personality of an architect 224 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 5: or engineer. You know, I'm just very gargarious and outgoing. 225 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: You know. 226 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 5: I thought I would do something like an airline stewardess 227 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 5: or a flight attendant so I could travel the world. 228 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 5: But it was a different day. You know, we didn't 229 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 5: have choices. You know, your parents really guided you where 230 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 5: you're going to go, and it was hard to say no. 231 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 5: So it's the type of thing where you do what 232 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 5: your parents ask you to do with respect to education, 233 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 5: and you put your dreams and desires to the side, 234 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 5: like I can always come back to this and what now. 235 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 5: I fly everywhere whenever I want, So it's like, right, 236 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 5: and I'm not serving people on the plane. But that's 237 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 5: I had that dream I was going to do that, 238 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 5: and so it's fine, it's fine, I understand that, and 239 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 5: you know, that's sometimes I don't know if it's a mistake, 240 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 5: but our kids are being raised on the internet. Like 241 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 5: I thought, if I raised my kids and provided the 242 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 5: right model and they saw me get up every day 243 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 5: and go to work and explain to them what I 244 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 5: do and call them presidents, that it would matter. But 245 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 5: it doesn't because I'm at work. They're on the internet. 246 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 5: So there's this instant gratification out there. That's a lie. 247 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 5: That's a lie out there that it's being perpetuated to 248 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 5: our kids over and over again. And it's not about 249 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 5: hard work. It's putting on something that makes you look 250 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 5: good to get noticed. 251 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: You know. 252 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 5: It's you know, unless you you know, really are a 253 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 5: great artist, a great athlete, it's very hard to make 254 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 5: it in those areas. So, you know, the narrative, I 255 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 5: think it is not very positive for our kids if 256 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 5: we want them to go into business. And I see 257 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 5: that in my own kids. 258 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 2: It's a few guys might be trying to change the 259 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 2: narrative a little bit. 260 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 5: I mean, yeah, I've seen that I see that. I've 261 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 5: watched the Steve Harvey today. 262 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: Appreciate it, so shout out to sh So let me 263 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: ask you this. Let's unpack this a little bit. So 264 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 1: five generations it was passed down to so that it 265 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: has to be some level I'm assuming of planning in 266 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: place to because there's other family members involved, right, So 267 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: there's no other family like I mean, like, so it's like, 268 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: how does is it like, is it written document in place? 269 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: Is it like, Okay, this is what's going to happen. No, 270 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: it's just all through word of mouth and understanding. 271 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 5: I think that's been the downfall of a lot of businesses. 272 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 5: If you think about first generation that make it to 273 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 5: the second generation, that's like forty percent, the third generation 274 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 5: going the second generation going to the third generation is 275 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 5: like less than four percent. And then this is, you know, 276 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 5: fifth generation. And you know, while my father may have 277 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 5: had a plan, he didn't write it down for me. 278 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 5: He didn't tell me this is our official succession plan. 279 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: Succession plan, that's what I was looking for. 280 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I got you. And you know that's something 281 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 5: very important for us as black businesses, because succession's coming 282 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 5: whether we want it or not. And so it's better 283 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 5: to plan for it. And you know, if I look 284 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 5: eight years out into the future, I may not want 285 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 5: to be doing this right, you know, to the level 286 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 5: that I'm doing it right now. So to do that, 287 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 5: you've got to deal with succession. And it's interesting that 288 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 5: you ask, like, how did this happen? Because I'm not sure. 289 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 5: My father got a plan from my grandfather, and so 290 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,439 Speaker 5: you know, a lot of it I think is paying 291 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 5: it forward. It's what I call good karma. My grandfather 292 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,959 Speaker 5: and his brother used to build black churches at cost. 293 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 5: You know, they didn't make money off of it. You know, 294 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 5: they were charitable in the community. And you know, a 295 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 5: lot of that good karma and political will I think 296 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 5: created to a lot of our longevity. 297 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: So it hasn't been a succession plan. 298 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:00,640 Speaker 5: Hasn't been. 299 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: Do you have a succession planer? 300 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 5: I have a discussion planner. I'm working my succession planner 301 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 5: right now. 302 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 2: It's so speaking of succession, most people have heard the word, 303 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: probably by watching the HBO show, And if they watch it, 304 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,880 Speaker 2: they know the dynamics of the father and he's trying 305 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 2: to have a succession plan. But he has two sons 306 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 2: and he has a daughter he's very hesitant to give 307 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 2: it to his daughter. And obviously this is a female 308 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 2: run business. So what's that been like from your mom 309 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: down to you and now obviously hopefully down to your daughters. 310 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 2: What has that been like some of the challenges that 311 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 2: you saw your mom facing that you know some that 312 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:36,479 Speaker 2: you're facing them. 313 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 5: Well, my mom was very is very strong. She's like 314 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 5: a force of nature, and she taught me a lot 315 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 5: about business development. She taught me a lot about being 316 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 5: comfortable with who I am, no matter where I am, 317 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 5: which is kind of hard to do if you're sitting 318 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 5: in a room with fifty white men. You're and you 319 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 5: know they're talking, and you have a female voice and 320 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 5: you're like hey, hey, and they don't hear what you're saying. No, 321 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 5: Mom's like, no, take your papers and throw them down 322 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 5: the whole boardroom table to get people's attention, and then 323 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 5: you can talk soft, but you have to get their attention. 324 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 5: I'll never forget Mom. When I first started working with her, 325 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 5: we would get on the road and we would drive 326 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 5: all through the South to our projects, to clients, to 327 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 5: new clients, and so a lot of times she would 328 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 5: she would insisted on doing all the driving and I 329 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 5: would write all the thank you notes coming back because 330 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 5: this is you know, this is carbon paper, this is 331 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 5: we didn't have xerox machines business right. So but guess 332 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 5: what I learned the importance of building those relationships and 333 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 5: how to build those relationships, you know, by writing these 334 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 5: letters and what to say to people to really get 335 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 5: their attention to want to work with mcizick. But now 336 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,360 Speaker 5: we've been doing this for a couple months and Mom said, 337 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 5: you know what, today is your day. You're going to 338 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 5: go in. You're going to tell this client who mckisic is, 339 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 5: and you're going to sell the business. I'm like, it's 340 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 5: only been two months. 341 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:16,439 Speaker 2: Are you sure. 342 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 5: She's like, I'm sure. So we go in to meet 343 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 5: with this client. He's an old, old white guy. He 344 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 5: had like a road map in his face. He's looking down. 345 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 5: He doesn't even look up at us. And so Mom 346 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 5: looks at me like, okay, Cheryl. So I'm scared to death, 347 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 5: but I'm more scared of her than I am of him. 348 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 5: So I hello, we're sure, I'm Sureyl mckizick, and I'm 349 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 5: going through everything. He never looks up. So I'm like, 350 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 5: this white dude doesn't care about us. So next thing 351 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 5: I know, I'm like done and it's completely quiet, and 352 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 5: he stands up. He says, come here, little lady. I 353 00:20:58,359 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 5: was scared of death. I thought he's like the big 354 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 5: bad rule if he's gonna bite me or something. And 355 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,639 Speaker 5: he shakes my hand. He's like, I really want to 356 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 5: do business with McKissick. And I'm like, oh my god. 357 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 5: I didn't think he was paying attention. But that taught 358 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 5: me that it doesn't matter who I'm talking to. I'm 359 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 5: going to tell you who I am because I don't 360 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 5: know how you're receiving it or whether you're receiving it, 361 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 5: but you might really be receiving what I'm saying. And 362 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 5: maybe that's the way you are. You're, you know, maybe 363 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 5: an introvert. You're not as engaging as other people. So 364 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 5: I do that all the time now, but it's hard 365 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 5: to do when you are first starting out in business. 366 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 5: You don't feel worthy, you don't have it all together. 367 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 5: It's a little bit of smoking mirrors. You still have 368 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 5: to toot your own horn because if you don't do it, 369 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 5: no one else will. 370 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: Well let me ask you this, Oh all right, When 371 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: you took the business over how were you able to 372 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: scale it to where it is now? We talked about, 373 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: you know, all the developments that you've done and over 374 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: the last So I'm assuming that you know you took 375 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: the business to new heights when you took over over 376 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: the course of the time. So what are some of 377 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: the things you implemented with some of the best practices, 378 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: with some of the coab relations that you've done to 379 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: take it to the next level. 380 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 5: Well, I didn't expect for it to happen overnight. I 381 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 5: did think it was gonna take twenty years, but no, 382 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 5: it took thirty years. My strategy because construction is very 383 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 5: complicated in New York, it's very risky. So my strategy 384 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 5: was to work with very large contractors, form a strategic 385 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 5: alliance with them, and then have only three clients in 386 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 5: New York City. And those three clients were the New 387 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 5: York City School Construction Authority, Amatory Authority, and the Poort Authority. 388 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 5: Why those they had the largest budgets. But it also 389 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,959 Speaker 5: if you focus, you know, you can't be a scatter 390 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 5: You can't scatter your resources out because you won't have enough. 391 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 5: So my strategy was just to focus on the main 392 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 5: two or three clients, and I do that every day 393 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 5: on my life. What are the one or two things 394 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 5: I have to do today, And that's what I do. 395 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 5: Instead of letting all the little stuff get in the way, 396 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 5: I focus on the one or two things that are 397 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 5: going to make the biggest difference. So that's what I 398 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 5: did with these clients, and from there I understood how 399 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 5: to deal with you know, the New York system, which 400 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 5: is navigating the system in New York is no joke, 401 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 5: you know, from permitting, you know, just getting mwbe certified, 402 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 5: all of that takes a lot of time. So I 403 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 5: developed these clients, still off as a subconsultant and then 404 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 5: I work my way up to a joint venture partner 405 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 5: with other construction managers. 406 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 2: What's the job of a subconsultant was the role of them? 407 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 5: So basically, if there's construction management services that have to 408 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 5: be done, we manage the construction process. So we have superintendent's, 409 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 5: project managers, estimators, so we do budgets, we keep the schedule, 410 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 5: and we make sure everything is operating the schedule out 411 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 5: in the field. So when you are a subconsultant to 412 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 5: a large contractor you're providing staff in the field to 413 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 5: perform some of these services. And so that's what I 414 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 5: would do. But in the meantime, well, my staff is 415 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 5: working out in the field. I made sure I was 416 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 5: at the meetings with the clients because that's how I 417 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 5: develop relationships with the clients. Also, this is how I 418 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 5: understand how to do business for them. What are their regulations, 419 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 5: softwares do they use? How do you submit your invoices 420 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 5: to them? How often do they pay you? Well, who 421 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,199 Speaker 5: does what's what's that stream like? Because you have to 422 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 5: understand that this back in the nineteen ninety one, ninety two, 423 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 5: ninety three, it was six months to get paid from 424 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 5: the City of New York. 425 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 2: And you said the three departments were schools, the school 426 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 2: department for the authority and what was. 427 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 5: The other The other one was the Domitory Authority, which 428 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 5: built all of the buildings for the for Higher ED 429 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,640 Speaker 5: and so that was across the entire state. They don't 430 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 5: do just dormitories. They built hospitals, higher ED you know, 431 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 5: technical centers, data center everything. They were like one of 432 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 5: the biggest agencies at the time. So then what happens 433 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 5: when you become a joint venture partner to a large 434 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 5: contractor you are now a prime contractor, and so you 435 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 5: know the contract is between you and joint venture with 436 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 5: someone else. So now you really do have a bird's view, 437 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 5: bird's our view of the agency, the people, the business, 438 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 5: how to implement the business. And then from there I 439 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 5: went to just mckisick being a prime. So that's why 440 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 5: it's such a process. I mean, we can go through 441 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 5: a sales cycle that takes us two years to win 442 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 5: a project and then another year for it to start, 443 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 5: so nothing is moving quick. In construction. We're finishing up 444 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 5: a billion dollar hospital at Coney Allen that we won 445 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 5: the first year Deblasio became mayor, so that's eight years 446 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 5: ago and we are just finishing up. We won't finish 447 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 5: until well into twenty twenty three, so Eric Adams would 448 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,399 Speaker 5: have been mayor for two years. So that's we have 449 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,239 Speaker 5: a very protracted sk schedule. It's a long cycle. And 450 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 5: so when I understood that, you know, it's all about pipeline, 451 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,919 Speaker 5: getting as much pipeline as I can. I didn't worry 452 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 5: about you know, a lot of people say, oh, I 453 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 5: don't have the people. I got to have the people. 454 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 5: I'm like, I don't worry about the people. Because the 455 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 5: project's not gonna start for about a year, year and 456 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 5: a half from now. By then I'll have the right people. 457 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 5: So it's having faith that you can pull it together 458 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 5: in the future, like you know, bonding, Like, Okay, that 459 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 5: project needs you know, eighty ninety million dollars of bonding, 460 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 5: but I only have forty. Well, by the time it starts, 461 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 5: i'll have it. Yeah. 462 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 1: So all right, So let's go into the So you 463 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: decide to work with those three departments, what's the process 464 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:52,439 Speaker 1: of even getting a relationship with them? Like do they 465 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:54,680 Speaker 1: have to pick you? Because I'm assuming. Oh, so let's 466 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:59,479 Speaker 1: take what's one of the department's school construction, pool construction. 467 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 1: Let's say Port authority. So Port Authority for anybody that 468 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: doesn't know, they do all the transportation stuff, bridges, tunnels, infrastructure, 469 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,399 Speaker 1: all the infrastructure, right, So I'm assuming and correct me 470 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: if I'm wrong. They have a bunch of different contractors 471 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: that are in their network, right, and then they put 472 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: the RFP out right for a bridge that's being built, 473 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: and then all of the all of the people that's 474 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: in the network, all of the companies submit proposals, and 475 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 1: then they pick which proposal they want. But how do 476 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: you even get in the network? Okay, so yeah, was 477 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: that correct what I just said? 478 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 5: It's pretty much there might be other steps in there. 479 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 5: So they have a pre qualification process, and so that's 480 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 5: from the very beginning. You have to pre qualify. You 481 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 5: have to get what's called vendexed in New York, meaning 482 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 5: you know, you don't have any criminal background, you don't 483 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 5: have you know, bankruptcies or old taxes or anything like that. 484 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 5: So just think about it. You have one is a 485 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 5: prequalification just to only talk about your experience and you 486 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 5: know your portfolio of work, the number of engineers you 487 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 5: have on staff, the number of architects you have on staff, 488 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 5: and then they decide to prequalify you. That could take 489 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 5: six months. Then you have this vendex that you have 490 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 5: to fill out that that goes a little quicker. And 491 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 5: then on top of that, you have the MWBE certification, 492 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 5: which tends to lag these days. 493 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: I mean that's Women Minority Women Business Enterprise right. 494 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 5: Correct, correct, And so the business has to be fifty 495 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 5: one percent owned by a minority or woman and you 496 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 5: can get that certification, but it's very intense. I mean 497 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 5: three years of tax returns to prove that you're black, 498 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 5: you gotta open, they have to do a site visit. 499 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,479 Speaker 5: I mean it goes on and on and on, and 500 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 5: you know, you can't even get pre qualified or certified 501 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 5: in any of these areas if you haven't done three 502 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 5: projects already. So that's another, you know, big hindrance to 503 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 5: people who are trying to get certified. 504 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 2: So that the person who's trying to start the construction 505 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 2: company has a disadvantage over somebody like you who's been established. 506 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 2: And this is where having a generation of business is 507 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 2: going to help a business like yours over somebody like 508 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 2: me who's trying to start. So is it How would 509 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 2: somebody who's trying to who has a construction company get 510 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 2: into a position like that, or they do they have 511 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: to go to another area of the country and then 512 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 2: come back to a place like New Yorker. What would 513 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 2: you suggest? 514 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 5: I would suggest trying to do something in the private 515 00:30:54,320 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 5: sector and get some experience that way, working as a 516 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 5: sub consultant to a contractor who's working, say at the 517 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 5: Poort Authority. There's ways to get three projects under your belt. 518 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 5: But again it's a hindrance. And I say that all 519 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 5: the time. You know, like design build is the new one, 520 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 5: the new project delivery method in New York City. And 521 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 5: every time we evolve to something new that might be better, 522 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 5: if it's technology, if it's how we deliver our projects, 523 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 5: minorities and women usually get left out of that conversation. 524 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 5: So right now, design build is new over the last 525 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 5: couple of years with all the agencies that I work for. 526 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 5: But for my staff to attend the Design Build Institute 527 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 5: and get so in the Design buil, they have to 528 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 5: have already had a design build project. And so I mean, 529 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 5: and it's interesting you say that. I think that all 530 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 5: the time. Like I came to New York with a 531 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 5: portfolio of work. What is it like for people who 532 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 5: have no portfolio of work? And when I testify before 533 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 5: city Council, you know, that's what I say, because most 534 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 5: of the people who are starting construction companies, who want 535 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 5: to be in construction, they didn't come with a big portfolio. 536 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 5: I came with a big portfolio. And it's still hard, 537 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 5: it's it's ridiculous. It's a fight every day. Last week, 538 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 5: it was a fight that hasn't changed. And so I 539 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 5: don't know, I don't know how I mean. I suggest 540 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 5: that you know, these companies allow individuals to use their 541 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 5: their individual experience. Because maybe you came out of Turner 542 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 5: Construction and you know you've built X number of buildings 543 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 5: under that umbrella, but now you want to start your own. 544 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 2: It's like applying for the job and they tell you 545 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 2: need experience to do it when you're fresh out of college. 546 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 5: When I was in college, why didn't have the job 547 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 5: exactly right? 548 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 2: So it becomes extremely difficult. You said that when you 549 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 2: came to New York. So what was that transition like? 550 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 2: Because the business starts in Nashville. Mam was in Nashville. 551 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 2: How did we say, all right, we're packing up stuff 552 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 2: and which setting up shop in New York. Obviously it's 553 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 2: the big city. I'm sure budget just had a lot 554 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 2: to do it. But what was that transition like? 555 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 5: So my parents we used to do vacations every summer, 556 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 5: and one summer we came to New York and my 557 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 5: twin sister and I were probably like five or six 558 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 5: years old, and you know, I remember that week just saying, 559 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 5: you know, I love the city. When I become an 560 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 5: adult and have professional career, this is where I'm going 561 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 5: to work and I'm going to work in one of 562 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 5: these tall buildings. So I always knew I was coming 563 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 5: to New York after, you know, doing undergrad at Howard 564 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 5: and in grad school at Howard, I didn't apply to 565 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 5: work anywhere else but in New York City. So I've 566 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 5: been here. Even before I finished grad school, I started 567 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 5: working at an engineering firm in Manhattan. So New York 568 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 5: was always my endgame. And you know, I just love 569 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,720 Speaker 5: this city and it's hard for me to work anywhere 570 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 5: else because in New York we're doing like sixty one 571 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 5: sixty two billion dollars of construction every year right now. 572 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 5: I mean during COVID, Okay, it dropped down to fifty 573 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 5: I mean it is. The dollars here are incredible. I'm 574 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 5: chasing the project right now, which is Gateway. It's the 575 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 5: consultant like me. You're going to bring three hundred people 576 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:57,439 Speaker 5: to a job for eighteen years. It's like a Swan song. 577 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 5: And so you don't have that anywhere else in the country. 578 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,800 Speaker 5: Terminal one nine and a half billion is the largest 579 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 5: airport project in the country. The MTA, where we are 580 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 5: independent engineers, we oversee a fifty four billion dollar capital program. 581 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 5: What I mean, and you bump into to other agencies 582 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 5: and private corporate two hundred businesses that have portfolios that 583 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:35,959 Speaker 5: are huge, that are huge that I haven't even marketed yet. 584 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 5: And that's New York City. And so it's very hard 585 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 5: to leave here. Even though we were expanding in some 586 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 5: other areas of the country, New York is definitely our 587 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 5: bread and butter. And I'm glad I bet on New 588 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 5: York over thirty years ago and still betting on New York. 589 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 5: This place is incredible. If you have a down you 590 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 5: have a bad job, and a down year, the next 591 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 5: year in New York will bring you back. That's how 592 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 5: big it is now. 593 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: That's a fact. So all right, let me ask you this. 594 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 2: Let's go in New York. 595 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: So how does the how does the actual financing work? 596 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: Like you said, it used to be a time where 597 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:17,840 Speaker 1: it was a long time to get paid. Like do 598 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: they pay you in stages? Do they pay you a 599 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 1: lump sum upfront and on the completion of the job, Like, 600 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:26,359 Speaker 1: how does that actually work as far as you get 601 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 1: hired by the city and then when do they actually pay. 602 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 5: It depends on what service we're providing. Most of our 603 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 5: services are construction management and program management. I would say 604 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 5: that's eighty percent of our work. That means we are 605 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 5: billing our staff by the hour, and we submit a 606 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:54,560 Speaker 5: monthly bill for their services, like I said, to the city, 607 00:36:54,760 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 5: to the city, to the state, whoever we're working for, 608 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,959 Speaker 5: could be a private sector client. We submit our bill 609 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:10,759 Speaker 5: and it's gotten much better now because of technology. But 610 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 5: it's also gotten better because the MWBE community has fought 611 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 5: this fight for thirty years to say we can't sit 612 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,919 Speaker 5: out here this long. I mean, these agencies have put 613 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 5: contractors out of business because of how long it takes 614 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 5: to you know, get paid or approve a change order, 615 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 5: which means once they approve it, you can get into 616 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 5: the paid cycle. And so now I would say the 617 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 5: average is between forty five and sixty days. When we're 618 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 5: general contractors, that's different. Then we're billing on percentage of 619 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 5: the job complete, and we'll do that every month, so 620 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 5: the owner will have to agree that, yes, you know, 621 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 5: we've completed twenty percent of the drywall, one hundred percent 622 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:03,440 Speaker 5: of whatever else and say okay, yeah, let's we approve 623 00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 5: this and we'll pay you. So it's gotten much better. 624 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: Pretty much on a monthly basis than they pay and 625 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 1: it's like a net a net thirty. 626 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 5: Forty five sixty net sixty. 627 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, so you have to have positive cash flow coming 628 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:20,479 Speaker 1: in because even two months in business, that's a long time. 629 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, or a lot of credit or what have you. 630 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: So what have you been able to do, Like do 631 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: you just keep a lot of cash reserves? Do you 632 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: have relationships with banks? Because it's important, yeah, to know that, 633 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: because I feel like that's something, like you said, takes 634 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: a lot of businesses out waiting to get paid. And 635 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,040 Speaker 1: then it's like you still have your expense, you still 636 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: got to pay your employees and not gonna wait sixty 637 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 1: days to get paid like you got. They want to 638 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 1: get paid on Friday. 639 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 2: The bill ain't gonna wait either. 640 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 641 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 5: So when I first started my business, I did not 642 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 5: have any money to pay my employees. I had a contract, 643 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 5: I had a couple of employees. But I had good 644 00:38:56,239 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 5: friends who were on Wall Street, and I went to 645 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 5: them and I said, and listen, can you each like 646 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 5: give me five thousand dollars and I'll pay you back 647 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,960 Speaker 5: in six months, I'll pay you six thousand dollars. And 648 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:15,319 Speaker 5: I got five people to invest in my business, and 649 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 5: you know, I guess I got my first check three 650 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:21,480 Speaker 5: months three months later, and I was able to start 651 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,600 Speaker 5: paying my employees and then I had enough money to 652 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 5: pay them back in six months. And they all were like, 653 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,480 Speaker 5: this is terrific. This is a good return on our money. 654 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,239 Speaker 5: You know, Like can I investigate. I'm like, nope, your 655 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 5: money is too expensive. But that is discipline, Like when 656 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 5: you get paid, you got to look at that check 657 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 5: and say, that's not my money. That is not my money. 658 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 5: Matter of fact, I don't even get a salary out 659 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 5: of that. Those dollars go to pay for the expenses 660 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,920 Speaker 5: of the business. And I worked for someone else on 661 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 5: the side while I was starting my business, and that's 662 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 5: how I paid my bills. But I couldn't pay my 663 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:04,600 Speaker 5: bills out of my business. I didn't have enough money. 664 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 5: And then from there, so that was probably the first 665 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 5: you know, influx of cash was you know, it's private 666 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 5: from just friends and family. Again another problem we have 667 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 5: with black people. We don't have friends and family that 668 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 5: have that kind of money. And then from there, it 669 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 5: probably took three years before I could get my first 670 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 5: line of credit. My first line of credit was like 671 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:34,400 Speaker 5: two hundred thousand dollars, maybe it was one hundred I 672 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 5: can't remember now, and then it went up to two 673 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 5: point fifty and I mean like you had to like 674 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 5: give your first born. 675 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:44,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, so what time frame when we were talking about 676 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,800 Speaker 2: when you're creating this is it's eighties, but nineties, this. 677 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 5: Is now the nineties. 678 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, so let's talk because for the people to really 679 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:55,840 Speaker 2: get understanding at the time period we're talking about black 680 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 2: women having your own business, I mean, these getting a 681 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 2: loan is like almost impossible. 682 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:02,960 Speaker 5: Oh, it's ridiculous. 683 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:05,440 Speaker 2: Yeah right, yeah, because he's like, what people do that? 684 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 2: Because I feel like even now it's tough, but you're 685 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,400 Speaker 2: talking about the time where they weren't even. 686 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 5: Would you consider it, right, it's not even an option, no, 687 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:17,920 Speaker 5: let alone if you hadn't even started your business. Fortunately, 688 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 5: I think we do have some funds that are in 689 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 5: New York that are available to contractors if they have 690 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 5: a contract, they can borrow from the state and then 691 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:34,760 Speaker 5: there's some city funds, but we didn't have that back 692 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:38,920 Speaker 5: in the nineties. You know, you go to the bank, 693 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 5: they want you know, three ways out, they want cash. 694 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,959 Speaker 5: So if you want to borrow one hundred thousand cash, 695 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:50,399 Speaker 5: you got to have one hundred thousand You gotta have 696 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:54,800 Speaker 5: contracts that show, you know, you can pay back the 697 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:00,440 Speaker 5: monthly payment, installment payments back to the bank. I mean, 698 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 5: it's it's a heavy lift. And then assets. You need assets, 699 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 5: and so that was very difficult. So finally in Philly 700 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,839 Speaker 5: I would save. By nineteen ninety five, there was a 701 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:20,319 Speaker 5: black banker at Melon Bank, and you know, I met 702 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 5: him through mutual friends, and you know, we started having 703 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 5: dinner and I was telling about my business and I'm like, 704 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:29,600 Speaker 5: you know what I really need, it's just a line 705 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:33,960 Speaker 5: of credit. He said, I'm gonna make this happen for you, 706 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:40,759 Speaker 5: and he did, and he gave me my first line 707 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 5: of credit that you know, just kept growing over the years. 708 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 5: You know, another tip I have is sometimes the smaller 709 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:50,719 Speaker 5: banks are better. They take the time to get to 710 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 5: know you and understand what the risk is. And so 711 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:58,359 Speaker 5: that would be my suggestion to people who are looking 712 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 5: for lines of credit, go to the smaller banks where 713 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:04,759 Speaker 5: the president is in the bank and you can sit 714 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,799 Speaker 5: down and talk to them. They tend to have the 715 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 5: ability to be flexible as opposed to the very large 716 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:15,319 Speaker 5: banks their rules and ricks forget about it. 717 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 2: That was something shout out to MG to the Morya's 718 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 2: got he actually when I was? This episode is brought 719 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:23,040 Speaker 2: to you by P and C Bank. A lot of 720 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,680 Speaker 2: people think podcasts about work are boring, and sure, they 721 00:43:26,719 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 2: definitely can be, but understanding a professionals routine shows us 722 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:34,239 Speaker 2: how they achieve their success little by little, day after day. 723 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 2: It's like banking with P and C Bank. 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What's Up? 732 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 2: You ever walk into a small business and everything just 733 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:09,840 Speaker 2: works like, the checkout is fast, the receipts are digital, 734 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:13,360 Speaker 2: tipping is a breeze, and you're out the door before 735 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:17,520 Speaker 2: the line even builds. Odds are they're using Square? We 736 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 2: love supporting businesses that run on Square because it just 737 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:23,480 Speaker 2: feels seamless, whether it's a local coffee shop, a vendor 738 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:25,799 Speaker 2: at a pop up market, or even one of our 739 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:29,480 Speaker 2: merch partners. Square makes it easy for them to take payments, 740 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:33,399 Speaker 2: manage inventory, and run their business with confidence, all from 741 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,920 Speaker 2: one simple system. 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Let's Square handle the back end so you 750 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 2: can keep pushing your vision forward. 751 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 3: An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child 752 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:17,840 Speaker 3: in Massachusetts. An MS thirteen gang member from Al Salvador 753 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 3: accused of murdering a Texas. Man of Venezuelan charged with 754 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:26,160 Speaker 3: filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just 755 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 3: some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President 756 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:33,600 Speaker 3: Donald J. Trump's leadership. I'm Christy Noman, the United States 757 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:38,440 Speaker 3: Secretary of Homeland Security under President Trump. Attempted illegal border 758 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 3: crossings are at the lowest levels ever recorded, and over 759 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,319 Speaker 3: one hundred thousand illegal aliens have been arrested. If you 760 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:49,240 Speaker 3: are here illegally, your next you will be fine nearly 761 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:53,359 Speaker 3: one thousand dollars a day, imprisoned and deported, you will 762 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 3: never return. But if you register using our CBP home 763 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,440 Speaker 3: app and leave now, you could be allowed to return legally. 764 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:05,560 Speaker 3: Do what's right, leave now. Under President Trump America's laws, 765 00:46:05,719 --> 00:46:07,719 Speaker 3: border and families. 766 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:08,160 Speaker 5: Will be protected. 767 00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:10,360 Speaker 4: Sponsored by the United States Department at Homeland Security. 768 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:13,239 Speaker 2: Going through the home buying process, he said, sometimes working 769 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:15,960 Speaker 2: with the smaller blanks is beneficial for that reason, just 770 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,440 Speaker 2: a little bit more flexibility, whereas in the larger banks 771 00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:21,719 Speaker 2: it's like this is what it is. You meet, These 772 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 2: guidelines over not approve of you at all. Right, I'm 773 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:29,000 Speaker 2: wondering because you said that the pay schedule was net 774 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:33,759 Speaker 2: sixty and so obviously I'm thinking, how many projects are 775 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:35,719 Speaker 2: you taking going to offset that? 776 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:36,000 Speaker 4: Right? 777 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:39,560 Speaker 2: Do you take on maybe two or three projects at 778 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:42,759 Speaker 2: a time, or how do you delegate that as far 779 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:45,880 Speaker 2: as when you're trying to obviously make payroll and make 780 00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:47,560 Speaker 2: sure that you make money, but you want to have 781 00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 2: the balance where you don't overdo it and now nothing 782 00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:50,640 Speaker 2: gets done. 783 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:55,200 Speaker 5: That's the art. That's what I was telling you earlier. 784 00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:58,160 Speaker 5: You know, sometimes you just got to lean into it 785 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,760 Speaker 5: and say, I'm gonna be ready when it comes, because 786 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:05,279 Speaker 5: if you missed the opportunity to win a project, it's 787 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,560 Speaker 5: not coming back around. And that's your pipeline. You got 788 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:13,640 Speaker 5: to build a pipeline to show the bank that you 789 00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:16,240 Speaker 5: have a future and that you're going to be making 790 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 5: money past the next twelve months. And so for me, 791 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:27,520 Speaker 5: I just always did all of that at the same time. 792 00:47:27,560 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 5: I would go after my pipeline, and I would just 793 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:32,920 Speaker 5: keep trying to keep money in the bank to build 794 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:36,600 Speaker 5: up my balance sheet so that when the new projects 795 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:40,360 Speaker 5: came online that are bigger that required more staff, I 796 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:44,239 Speaker 5: could either increase my line of credit or use my 797 00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:48,120 Speaker 5: own cash to pay for my staff. So if I 798 00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:50,960 Speaker 5: start out with two staff people for one job, and 799 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 5: now I know, I know the jobs coming in six months, 800 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:57,200 Speaker 5: and I need three people for that one, and nine 801 00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,520 Speaker 5: months after that I need, you know, five more, I'm 802 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:03,520 Speaker 5: up to ten people. And now it's all about after 803 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:09,600 Speaker 5: that those ten people, say the cycle or the schedule 804 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:13,239 Speaker 5: for a project that's twenty four thirty six months, then 805 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:15,320 Speaker 5: I have to find somewhere to put those people I 806 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,480 Speaker 5: brought on so they can have longevity in my company. 807 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:23,320 Speaker 5: And that's another thing that you got to like commit 808 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,799 Speaker 5: to that. If you want people, you know, to be 809 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:29,359 Speaker 5: dedicated and loyal to you, you got to figure out 810 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:31,720 Speaker 5: how to keep them employed at your company. 811 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:36,800 Speaker 1: So let me ask you this. In construction, there's always 812 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:40,080 Speaker 1: been a couple of you know, stereotypes. It's like it's 813 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:44,439 Speaker 1: all it's men dominated. But then like the mafia, there's 814 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:49,560 Speaker 1: always rumors that the mafia had a stronghold, especially in 815 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:56,040 Speaker 1: New York, and so yeah, any experience with that. 816 00:48:56,719 --> 00:49:03,359 Speaker 5: Yeah, let's talk about it. But it's changed. I mean, 817 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 5: so you know, a lot of my experience wasn't necessarily 818 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:10,960 Speaker 5: with the mafia because you know, back in the day, 819 00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:12,920 Speaker 5: you just did what you had to, like you know, 820 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 5: they were doing they would handle all the trash, the concrete, 821 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:18,920 Speaker 5: and you know, you just didn't touch that area. Just 822 00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:21,200 Speaker 5: go ahead and do what you had to do with 823 00:49:21,280 --> 00:49:27,880 Speaker 5: those folks. But there were coalitions like in Harlem, the 824 00:49:27,960 --> 00:49:35,799 Speaker 5: Black coalitions, yep, shaking down projects. Yes, we've had a 825 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:41,480 Speaker 5: lot of experience, but that but that now has changed, 826 00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:44,279 Speaker 5: and you know, it's it's cleaned up a lot. It 827 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:45,000 Speaker 5: really has. 828 00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:48,520 Speaker 1: So like the coalition would be like a preacher and 829 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:51,560 Speaker 1: something like that, and they would like have like pickets 830 00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:54,000 Speaker 1: and campaigns and things like I could get this to 831 00:49:54,000 --> 00:49:57,720 Speaker 1: stop if you pay me one hundreds. 832 00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:00,440 Speaker 5: I would say they were more like gangs and call 833 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:01,160 Speaker 5: them a preacher. 834 00:50:02,360 --> 00:50:04,359 Speaker 1: What I'm just saying that was that was the that 835 00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:04,880 Speaker 1: was they. 836 00:50:04,719 --> 00:50:06,080 Speaker 5: Start up with gods. 837 00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:11,640 Speaker 1: But because I went from honest, so all right city, no, no, no, no, no, 838 00:50:11,640 --> 00:50:13,560 Speaker 1: what I'm saying a preacher. What I'm saying to preacher 839 00:50:13,560 --> 00:50:16,040 Speaker 1: is that was the That was the gaze of it 840 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,759 Speaker 1: to make it look like it was something. But then 841 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:23,840 Speaker 1: underneath it it's other elements to it. But for the public perception, 842 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:26,960 Speaker 1: For the public perception, it's like, okay, we can do 843 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,440 Speaker 1: this and we can run on this because this is 844 00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: something that you know, it's safe. People look at it like, okay, 845 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:34,879 Speaker 1: this is black power. They're trying to fight for civil rights. 846 00:50:34,880 --> 00:50:35,640 Speaker 2: It's like what we talked about. 847 00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:38,880 Speaker 1: But the underlying theme of it is like extortion. 848 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:43,160 Speaker 2: Yes, lobby, an extortionist lobby where it's like all right, 849 00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:45,919 Speaker 2: well if you want this to stop, So. 850 00:50:47,840 --> 00:50:52,399 Speaker 5: The extortion that you understand because what happens a lot 851 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 5: in the black community is white contractors would come in 852 00:50:56,480 --> 00:51:01,920 Speaker 5: and work and all the workers were new Jersey license plates. 853 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:05,400 Speaker 5: You know that it didn't look like the community. So 854 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:09,359 Speaker 5: these coalitions really came together to say, look, we want 855 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:12,520 Speaker 5: to eat off this plate too, this is our neighborhood. 856 00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,920 Speaker 5: You're putting this in our neighborhood. So, you know, once 857 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:19,760 Speaker 5: you begin to understand the mentality and what they're really 858 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:23,759 Speaker 5: trying to do. And we're the ones who really kind 859 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 5: of ended all this in Harlem is we developed a 860 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:31,359 Speaker 5: workforce program and so we would have we would sit 861 00:51:31,440 --> 00:51:34,919 Speaker 5: down and meet with all the coalitions and we would 862 00:51:34,960 --> 00:51:38,200 Speaker 5: tell them on every job in Harlem, we're going to 863 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:41,799 Speaker 5: take one from you, one from you, and we're just 864 00:51:41,800 --> 00:51:45,040 Speaker 5: going to go, you know, round robin. As we're able 865 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:49,600 Speaker 5: to bring neighborhood people onto the projects, and that turned 866 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:53,000 Speaker 5: out to be very helpful at Harlem Hospital and Mother 867 00:51:53,080 --> 00:52:01,839 Speaker 5: Clare Depot, the State Plaza, Columbia Universe. You know, we 868 00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:05,880 Speaker 5: were able to make sure that the community people were involved. 869 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:07,919 Speaker 2: It's a certain level of pride, right when you yeah 870 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:09,560 Speaker 2: something and you know it's yours, and you know you 871 00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:11,680 Speaker 2: live in a community and it's going to be something 872 00:52:11,719 --> 00:52:14,920 Speaker 2: that's going to help elevate not only the economic opportunity 873 00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:17,520 Speaker 2: for the community, but more it's going to bring more 874 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:18,720 Speaker 2: jobs into it as well. 875 00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:19,120 Speaker 5: Yeah. 876 00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:19,279 Speaker 1: No. 877 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:22,840 Speaker 5: I sat in our Harlem trailer one day and I'm like, 878 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:25,359 Speaker 5: who are all these people coming in? They were from 879 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:32,440 Speaker 5: the ages of twenty four to seventy, dressed nights, speak English. 880 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:36,960 Speaker 5: They were all looking for construction jobs. So I asked 881 00:52:37,120 --> 00:52:39,600 Speaker 5: the assistant, I'm like, what is going on here? Who 882 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 5: are these people? She said, Oh, they're looking for jobs here, 883 00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:44,799 Speaker 5: they're applications. I'm like, well, how many applications are there? 884 00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:49,760 Speaker 5: There were seven hundred, seven hundred applications in a period 885 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,399 Speaker 5: of like six months. And then I'm like, oh my god, 886 00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,960 Speaker 5: Now I understand what's going on in Harlem. You know, 887 00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:01,480 Speaker 5: these people need to work on these projects. So the 888 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:06,439 Speaker 5: president of Harlem Hospital, Dr Palmer, I went to talk 889 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:08,719 Speaker 5: to him. I said, Dr Palmer, guess what this is 890 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:11,880 Speaker 5: what's going on. He's like, Cheryl, We're gonna pay for 891 00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 5: you to do a workforce program. It's not a lot 892 00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:17,040 Speaker 5: of money, but if you can get these people to 893 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:20,160 Speaker 5: work or in the construction industry, that's what the goal 894 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:24,400 Speaker 5: is and that's how we started our workforce program and 895 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:27,839 Speaker 5: now we've done that in Brooklyn when we worked at 896 00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:32,200 Speaker 5: the Barkley Arena is we did all of the rail 897 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:35,800 Speaker 5: around the Barkley Arena to make way for the arena, 898 00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:40,080 Speaker 5: the foundation of the arena, and then we did it 899 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:44,800 Speaker 5: in Queens. In Queens we had a thousand people sign 900 00:53:44,880 --> 00:53:50,799 Speaker 5: up looking for jobs in about three weeks. And so 901 00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:54,799 Speaker 5: it's it's real. Everybody in their in their own community, 902 00:53:55,200 --> 00:53:58,280 Speaker 5: they need to be able to work on these construction sites. 903 00:53:58,360 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: So for the construction workers though union, union and non union, Okay, 904 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:06,040 Speaker 1: So how because I know that's a hassle, that's another 905 00:54:06,080 --> 00:54:09,920 Speaker 1: story as far as the unions even have a lot 906 00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:12,359 Speaker 1: of pull and a lot of muscle in New York 907 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,520 Speaker 1: specifically because I used to work on Park Avenue, so 908 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:18,720 Speaker 1: I used to always see like it's issues with construction jobs. 909 00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:22,160 Speaker 1: If unions aren't involved, they can make it hard. That's 910 00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:25,319 Speaker 1: another kind of extortion play. So how have you been 911 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:27,279 Speaker 1: able to deal with the unions or do you work 912 00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:29,040 Speaker 1: with unions or do you not work with unions? 913 00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:33,760 Speaker 5: So we were a union contractor for many years, meaning 914 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:39,440 Speaker 5: we had we signed on with all the unions. But 915 00:54:39,560 --> 00:54:42,040 Speaker 5: then we realized we didn't really need to do that 916 00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:47,200 Speaker 5: because that type of labor can be very intensive. You 917 00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:51,760 Speaker 5: have to hey every week, you know, the rates change, 918 00:54:52,120 --> 00:54:56,000 Speaker 5: you know, every couple of months, and I mean, it's 919 00:54:56,040 --> 00:55:00,760 Speaker 5: just so easy to make a mistake. And so now 920 00:55:01,239 --> 00:55:04,160 Speaker 5: you know, we are contractors that will sign a pla 921 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:09,160 Speaker 5: project labor agreement on a job if we are general 922 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:14,640 Speaker 5: contractors and actually have to hire union labor as opposed 923 00:55:14,680 --> 00:55:20,000 Speaker 5: to just being in the union, because that the liability 924 00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:23,880 Speaker 5: to financial liability of being in the union was really 925 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:31,120 Speaker 5: really great. And so now the unions have gotten i 926 00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:35,640 Speaker 5: would say, a lot more flexible than their approach. There 927 00:55:35,640 --> 00:55:38,760 Speaker 5: are a lot more people of color working in the union, 928 00:55:39,480 --> 00:55:43,759 Speaker 5: and it's not anywhere the way it used to be 929 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:48,640 Speaker 5: in the nineties and early two thousands. Is much more amicable. 930 00:55:49,239 --> 00:55:51,080 Speaker 5: But if you're going to work on a large project 931 00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:54,000 Speaker 5: in New York, you're definitely going to do it union. 932 00:55:54,520 --> 00:55:58,840 Speaker 5: Like our airport jobs, our MTA jobs, all those jobs 933 00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:01,839 Speaker 5: are going to reunion. There's no way around that. 934 00:56:02,960 --> 00:56:05,000 Speaker 1: Why is it no way around it? 935 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:12,800 Speaker 5: It's political, yeah, pressure, But the thing is about the union. 936 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:15,319 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, I just want to put this 937 00:56:15,360 --> 00:56:19,879 Speaker 5: in here. The union, they train their people extremely well. 938 00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:24,279 Speaker 5: And this is a highly technical business now and when you're, 939 00:56:24,400 --> 00:56:27,799 Speaker 5: you know, building in New York City or Scottscraper, you 940 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:30,799 Speaker 5: want some of the best guilled workers you can have 941 00:56:30,920 --> 00:56:34,360 Speaker 5: and you can't get that anywhere else but the Union. 942 00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:38,480 Speaker 5: So there is definitely a role to play. And there's 943 00:56:38,560 --> 00:56:43,240 Speaker 5: also a positive side to that. And a few bad apples, 944 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:47,359 Speaker 5: I believe you know tainted it from back in the day, 945 00:56:47,400 --> 00:56:50,360 Speaker 5: but it's not like that anymore. The union is very 946 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:51,560 Speaker 5: very flexible. 947 00:56:51,840 --> 00:56:54,719 Speaker 2: You said the word said the word pressure. So just 948 00:56:54,760 --> 00:56:57,560 Speaker 2: doing to me, do you feel that pressure? Obviously you 949 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:00,919 Speaker 2: said things aren't as they weren't worth as far as 950 00:57:01,080 --> 00:57:04,200 Speaker 2: people that look like us in the construction business, obviously 951 00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:07,840 Speaker 2: in contractors as well. Do you feel the pressure of 952 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:11,120 Speaker 2: obviously your families ignacy, but also being a black executive 953 00:57:11,160 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 2: in the space of making sure that everything goes right 954 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:16,600 Speaker 2: because I feel like, and this is interest too, we 955 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:18,919 Speaker 2: don't get a second chance to make it right right, 956 00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:22,120 Speaker 2: like if we mess up once you're out your tarnished forever. 957 00:57:22,480 --> 00:57:24,800 Speaker 2: So do you feel that pressure every day? 958 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:28,560 Speaker 5: Every day? I feel that pressure, like I feel we 959 00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:32,320 Speaker 5: have to be better, you know, we have to be smarter, 960 00:57:33,880 --> 00:57:36,600 Speaker 5: you know, our people have to be on top of 961 00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:39,800 Speaker 5: everything that they're doing. There cannot be slip ups, there 962 00:57:39,840 --> 00:57:45,160 Speaker 5: cannot be mistakes. And I'm just glad that over the 963 00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:50,640 Speaker 5: last fifteen years that our senior management they understand that 964 00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:54,800 Speaker 5: culture and that's that's how we work. And you know 965 00:57:54,880 --> 00:57:57,400 Speaker 5: that takes me to the succession planning too. You know, 966 00:57:57,520 --> 00:58:01,400 Speaker 5: succession planning is all about who's gonna run the company, 967 00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:03,800 Speaker 5: but then who's going to own the company. So there 968 00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:07,040 Speaker 5: are two parts of succession. Because I didn't know what 969 00:58:07,080 --> 00:58:10,560 Speaker 5: my kids were gonna do, and so what would I 970 00:58:10,600 --> 00:58:13,640 Speaker 5: do on the ownership side? But then how would I 971 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:17,520 Speaker 5: build a company to run, you know, beyond me? And 972 00:58:18,040 --> 00:58:20,960 Speaker 5: I've spent a lot of time dealing with my senior 973 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:25,240 Speaker 5: managers getting the right people in the right places so 974 00:58:25,360 --> 00:58:27,960 Speaker 5: that the company can run without me. And I have 975 00:58:28,000 --> 00:58:32,520 Speaker 5: to say my team is very good because I spend 976 00:58:32,560 --> 00:58:36,280 Speaker 5: my time really going after very large projects and then 977 00:58:36,320 --> 00:58:40,200 Speaker 5: I do a lot of my pr work, I do 978 00:58:40,320 --> 00:58:45,720 Speaker 5: a lot of speaking engagements, and the company runs extremely 979 00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:50,760 Speaker 5: well without me being there. And so that's another thing 980 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:53,760 Speaker 5: if I'm you know, talking about succession is making sure 981 00:58:54,120 --> 00:58:58,000 Speaker 5: you have the right people to carry the company on 982 00:58:58,240 --> 00:58:58,880 Speaker 5: beyond you. 983 00:58:59,720 --> 00:59:04,640 Speaker 1: So what do you think, all right, is it always 984 00:59:04,680 --> 00:59:09,040 Speaker 1: gonna stay family? Because some companies, after a while, they 985 00:59:09,040 --> 00:59:12,000 Speaker 1: still have the name, but they're not being run. It's 986 00:59:12,040 --> 00:59:14,200 Speaker 1: not a family run company anymore. The family can still 987 00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:16,760 Speaker 1: have control over it, they still have ownership, but there's 988 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:18,920 Speaker 1: nobody in the family that's actually like the CEO is 989 00:59:18,960 --> 00:59:22,920 Speaker 1: not a family member. Do you foresee that possibly happening 990 00:59:23,040 --> 00:59:24,960 Speaker 1: or do you always you think that always has to 991 00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:27,800 Speaker 1: be somebody that's actually in a bloodline running day to 992 00:59:27,840 --> 00:59:29,080 Speaker 1: day operations like the CEO. 993 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:34,040 Speaker 5: It could happen. It could happen that is not a 994 00:59:34,200 --> 00:59:41,200 Speaker 5: Macisic running the company. That definitely could happened. Could be 995 00:59:41,240 --> 00:59:48,840 Speaker 5: that music doesn't own the company. You know, I built 996 00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:54,320 Speaker 5: this company to I took the baton right from my mother, 997 00:59:54,520 --> 00:59:59,400 Speaker 5: from my father, and it's part of my charge to 998 00:59:59,440 --> 01:00:02,160 Speaker 5: make sure I of the baton to the right people. 999 01:00:03,280 --> 01:00:06,360 Speaker 5: And you know, I'm not gonna make that mistake of 1000 01:00:06,440 --> 01:00:10,920 Speaker 5: just giving it to my kids and then forget about 1001 01:00:10,960 --> 01:00:14,160 Speaker 5: all the people who have made us who we are today. 1002 01:00:14,880 --> 01:00:15,760 Speaker 5: That's not happening. 1003 01:00:16,240 --> 01:00:17,000 Speaker 2: That's something else. 1004 01:00:17,800 --> 01:00:20,880 Speaker 5: The best qualified person, the best qualified. 1005 01:00:20,560 --> 01:00:22,880 Speaker 2: Katy actually said that at investments, And he's talking about 1006 01:00:22,960 --> 01:00:25,600 Speaker 2: passing the baton to the family members. If the family 1007 01:00:25,600 --> 01:00:27,400 Speaker 2: member is not ready, they're not getting the baton. 1008 01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:30,320 Speaker 1: No, or it could be a family member, well. 1009 01:00:30,560 --> 01:00:32,479 Speaker 2: Maybe not your children, but it could be a different 1010 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:34,520 Speaker 2: family member. Could be a niece or nephew. 1011 01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:37,160 Speaker 5: Or like that. And I do have those in my 1012 01:00:37,240 --> 01:00:40,960 Speaker 5: family as well. But again, how. 1013 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:43,440 Speaker 1: Many of your family I should work in the company. 1014 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:45,360 Speaker 5: Just my daughter, Darryl. 1015 01:00:45,480 --> 01:00:45,880 Speaker 1: That's it. 1016 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:46,400 Speaker 5: That's it. 1017 01:00:46,440 --> 01:00:49,840 Speaker 1: Out of no nieces, no nephews, no cousins anything. Why 1018 01:00:50,040 --> 01:00:52,600 Speaker 1: is it a large Is it a large family? It 1019 01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:53,480 Speaker 1: is not a large family. 1020 01:00:53,880 --> 01:00:56,840 Speaker 5: Our family, it really isn't that large. I have a 1021 01:00:56,880 --> 01:01:01,240 Speaker 5: twin sister and I have an older sister. I have 1022 01:01:01,320 --> 01:01:05,240 Speaker 5: a niece, one niece. For my twin sister, she's just 1023 01:01:05,280 --> 01:01:10,000 Speaker 5: starting NYU so early. And then my other sister had 1024 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:15,480 Speaker 5: two daughters. That's it. But my oldest sister's grandson just 1025 01:01:15,520 --> 01:01:16,880 Speaker 5: finished architectural school. 1026 01:01:17,000 --> 01:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Okay, is he going to work in the company. 1027 01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:20,280 Speaker 5: I don't know. 1028 01:01:20,960 --> 01:01:23,280 Speaker 2: He's gonna get the same he's gonna get the same option. Listen, 1029 01:01:23,360 --> 01:01:25,600 Speaker 2: you can go out there, but I'm only supporting you 1030 01:01:25,640 --> 01:01:26,320 Speaker 2: if you come here. 1031 01:01:26,600 --> 01:01:30,480 Speaker 5: That's right. You got it. You got it? You got it? 1032 01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:32,880 Speaker 2: I mean, so, so what's that like? Right as a 1033 01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:35,080 Speaker 2: I mean obviously as a CEO and an executive, but 1034 01:01:35,560 --> 01:01:38,160 Speaker 2: also as a mom. Right, you have this lineage of 1035 01:01:38,760 --> 01:01:43,600 Speaker 2: civil engineer, civil engineer, architect cvial engineer, and now you 1036 01:01:43,680 --> 01:01:45,520 Speaker 2: have somebody who wants to deviate from that plan. 1037 01:01:46,600 --> 01:01:51,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's hard to take, but it's the cars I'm dealt. 1038 01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:54,840 Speaker 5: And you know, I'm really good at not trying to 1039 01:01:54,840 --> 01:01:58,560 Speaker 5: make something into what it's not, just accepting because the 1040 01:01:58,600 --> 01:02:02,760 Speaker 5: truth sets me for So if I recognize it is 1041 01:02:02,840 --> 01:02:05,240 Speaker 5: what it is, then I can make a decision. And 1042 01:02:05,280 --> 01:02:10,040 Speaker 5: I love making decisions. You take me as a Texas, 1043 01:02:10,760 --> 01:02:11,960 Speaker 5: I've making decisions. 1044 01:02:13,000 --> 01:02:16,840 Speaker 1: So okay, let's talk about Affirmation Tower. Okay, so this 1045 01:02:16,880 --> 01:02:21,600 Speaker 1: is a project, if it's able to be completed, the 1046 01:02:21,640 --> 01:02:26,440 Speaker 1: only skyscraper in New York with your majority black owned ownership, Yes, 1047 01:02:26,760 --> 01:02:31,200 Speaker 1: and all black, mostly black owned team as far as 1048 01:02:31,200 --> 01:02:33,720 Speaker 1: on the construction side, on a lot of different aspects 1049 01:02:33,760 --> 01:02:39,200 Speaker 1: of it. Don Peebles leading in charge, the most successful 1050 01:02:39,200 --> 01:02:43,840 Speaker 1: black real estate developer in American history. So you're going 1051 01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:47,360 Speaker 1: to come in as the construction on it? Is that correct? 1052 01:02:47,520 --> 01:02:48,240 Speaker 5: And developer? 1053 01:02:48,520 --> 01:02:51,000 Speaker 1: Oh, you're a part of the development team too. Okay, 1054 01:02:51,200 --> 01:02:53,960 Speaker 1: So so you guys develop you do realestate development. 1055 01:02:55,520 --> 01:02:59,440 Speaker 5: I've invested in projects that I've worked on. So a 1056 01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:03,360 Speaker 5: lot of time developers become contractors because they have all 1057 01:03:03,400 --> 01:03:06,800 Speaker 5: these you know, real estate assets that need some type 1058 01:03:06,800 --> 01:03:11,360 Speaker 5: of maintenance or you know, refurb machine or whatever. So 1059 01:03:11,440 --> 01:03:15,560 Speaker 5: they create construction companies, and a lot of times construction 1060 01:03:15,680 --> 01:03:21,560 Speaker 5: companies become real estate developers because you know, they're taking 1061 01:03:21,600 --> 01:03:25,200 Speaker 5: on the biggest risk for real estate developer is the construction, 1062 01:03:26,280 --> 01:03:30,280 Speaker 5: and the contractor takes that risk. So you know, as 1063 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:34,680 Speaker 5: a contractor, you know you're you're making three percent on 1064 01:03:35,160 --> 01:03:39,040 Speaker 5: a you know, two hundred million dollars deal as opposed 1065 01:03:39,080 --> 01:03:42,840 Speaker 5: to the developer making twenty percent. So you start looking 1066 01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:45,640 Speaker 5: at that money and you're like, oh my god, this 1067 01:03:45,640 --> 01:03:47,880 Speaker 5: this you know, math would be better if I was 1068 01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:50,640 Speaker 5: on that side of the table. But don you know, 1069 01:03:50,680 --> 01:03:53,640 Speaker 5: I've been knowing for so long, back when I was 1070 01:03:53,680 --> 01:03:56,400 Speaker 5: in college, and so Don had said to me for 1071 01:03:56,480 --> 01:03:58,600 Speaker 5: many years, like, you know, I really want you to 1072 01:03:58,600 --> 01:04:03,240 Speaker 5: come in on the development side, and so Affirmation Tower 1073 01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:06,920 Speaker 5: is one of the projects where he said, this is 1074 01:04:06,960 --> 01:04:09,680 Speaker 5: a good opportunity for you to be a partner in 1075 01:04:09,680 --> 01:04:15,520 Speaker 5: the development. So I think it was CB It was 1076 01:04:15,600 --> 01:04:18,040 Speaker 5: cbr E caught me up. They said that they have 1077 01:04:18,120 --> 01:04:23,560 Speaker 5: this great project with psyche k at Javits, and we 1078 01:04:23,600 --> 01:04:26,840 Speaker 5: think Don Peeples would be the best developer for this 1079 01:04:27,000 --> 01:04:30,439 Speaker 5: project because we see a hotel there. Do you know him? 1080 01:04:31,040 --> 01:04:34,960 Speaker 5: I'm like, oh, yeah, you're kidding. I knew Don when 1081 01:04:35,000 --> 01:04:42,640 Speaker 5: he only owned his efficiency And so I called Don 1082 01:04:42,960 --> 01:04:46,160 Speaker 5: and Don was already looking at it. And so c 1083 01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:51,520 Speaker 5: b r E and Don got together because cbr E 1084 01:04:51,680 --> 01:04:56,440 Speaker 5: they do market analysis, which was very important as to 1085 01:04:56,480 --> 01:04:59,560 Speaker 5: what should be in the building, and so they became 1086 01:04:59,600 --> 01:05:03,240 Speaker 5: a part of our team. And then Craig became the 1087 01:05:03,280 --> 01:05:08,600 Speaker 5: part of our team. And so it's Don, Steve Whitcoff, 1088 01:05:09,560 --> 01:05:13,000 Speaker 5: who I don't know owns millions of square feet of 1089 01:05:13,040 --> 01:05:16,520 Speaker 5: real estate in New York, myself and Craig, so we're 1090 01:05:16,560 --> 01:05:21,920 Speaker 5: the owners. David adj is the architect. MCCUSI would be 1091 01:05:22,120 --> 01:05:27,960 Speaker 5: the contractor along with another company, Suffolk Construction, and then 1092 01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:33,960 Speaker 5: it's MWBE thirty five percent all the way down the line. 1093 01:05:35,240 --> 01:05:38,920 Speaker 5: It's a very exciting project. We just need to get 1094 01:05:38,960 --> 01:05:39,720 Speaker 5: it off the ground. 1095 01:05:40,080 --> 01:05:42,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it speaks to the power of working 1096 01:05:42,200 --> 01:05:45,760 Speaker 2: together whether I mean obviously have you worked together prior 1097 01:05:45,800 --> 01:05:46,120 Speaker 2: to that? 1098 01:05:47,040 --> 01:05:47,240 Speaker 1: Yeah? 1099 01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:54,800 Speaker 5: Yes, So downtown on Leonard Street, Don finished a residential 1100 01:05:54,840 --> 01:05:59,520 Speaker 5: building probably two years ago. We worked on that. That's 1101 01:05:59,520 --> 01:06:02,600 Speaker 5: probably the first building owned by a black person south 1102 01:06:02,640 --> 01:06:05,960 Speaker 5: of one hundred and twenty fifth Street. But there's not 1103 01:06:06,120 --> 01:06:09,000 Speaker 5: a skyscraper, and that's what we want to do. 1104 01:06:11,080 --> 01:06:13,160 Speaker 1: Okay, So all right, where does it stand right now? 1105 01:06:13,160 --> 01:06:16,480 Speaker 1: I know there's some challenges politically, So where is it? 1106 01:06:16,520 --> 01:06:17,320 Speaker 1: What's up? Yes? 1107 01:06:19,120 --> 01:06:25,680 Speaker 5: ESD ended the RFP process back in December of twenty 1108 01:06:25,760 --> 01:06:31,919 Speaker 5: twenty one, and so they said they wanted to have 1109 01:06:31,960 --> 01:06:36,400 Speaker 5: more affordable housing requirements with the RFP. So we are 1110 01:06:36,480 --> 01:06:41,400 Speaker 5: waiting for the RFP to resurface. Uh, so we can 1111 01:06:41,520 --> 01:06:47,320 Speaker 5: pursue it again. You know that that sits with ESD, 1112 01:06:47,800 --> 01:06:52,280 Speaker 5: the governor and her team to what yeah, as to 1113 01:06:52,320 --> 01:06:53,880 Speaker 5: what they want to do. 1114 01:06:54,040 --> 01:06:55,880 Speaker 2: So that that's how the plan works. They say that 1115 01:06:55,920 --> 01:06:57,720 Speaker 2: they want more focal housing, you go back to the 1116 01:06:57,800 --> 01:06:59,720 Speaker 2: drum board with the team and say how do we 1117 01:07:00,080 --> 01:07:01,880 Speaker 2: meant more infordable housing into it? And then we. 1118 01:07:01,800 --> 01:07:05,640 Speaker 5: Resubmit depending on what they have in the RFP. Yeah, 1119 01:07:06,000 --> 01:07:10,240 Speaker 5: well you know, yes, I mean you know it might 1120 01:07:10,280 --> 01:07:14,040 Speaker 5: be that they affordable housing's go somewhere else. I don't 1121 01:07:14,120 --> 01:07:22,720 Speaker 5: understand housing on you know, eleventh Avenue by Javits. It's 1122 01:07:22,760 --> 01:07:24,400 Speaker 5: not a lot of amenities over there. 1123 01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:26,400 Speaker 1: It's like the wasteland. 1124 01:07:27,200 --> 01:07:31,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, but there's pressure. We need eight hundred thousand new 1125 01:07:31,600 --> 01:07:34,840 Speaker 5: units of housing in New York over the next ten years. 1126 01:07:34,960 --> 01:07:37,160 Speaker 1: Put it in where they can get it. How important 1127 01:07:37,200 --> 01:07:41,440 Speaker 1: is to be politically connected in dealing with you know, politics, 1128 01:07:41,480 --> 01:07:44,960 Speaker 1: like you actually actively? Do you stay neutral? Or do 1129 01:07:45,040 --> 01:07:48,760 Speaker 1: you back politicians? Do you support campaigns? Do you go 1130 01:07:48,840 --> 01:07:51,640 Speaker 1: to you know, the brunch and pay ten thousand dollars 1131 01:07:51,720 --> 01:07:56,840 Speaker 1: to eat? Yes? Yes, yes, yes to everything. 1132 01:07:57,720 --> 01:08:01,880 Speaker 5: I would say for every project that I have pursued 1133 01:08:02,400 --> 01:08:06,440 Speaker 5: for my entire professional career as a technical buyer and 1134 01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:11,240 Speaker 5: a political buyer. And if we can satisfy the technical 1135 01:08:11,280 --> 01:08:14,760 Speaker 5: buyer and the politics is going our way, then we 1136 01:08:14,800 --> 01:08:19,160 Speaker 5: have a better chance of succeeding. So that's everything we do. 1137 01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:21,840 Speaker 1: The technical what's a technical buyer? 1138 01:08:22,479 --> 01:08:28,840 Speaker 5: They are the bureaucrats or they're the procurement team that 1139 01:08:29,040 --> 01:08:32,559 Speaker 5: looks at the proposal and says, okay, check you have 1140 01:08:32,640 --> 01:08:37,960 Speaker 5: all the relevant experience, you have the great resumes, they're 1141 01:08:37,960 --> 01:08:40,840 Speaker 5: the ones that do that. The proposals, you know, well 1142 01:08:40,880 --> 01:08:44,880 Speaker 5: thought out and written, and they tend to make a 1143 01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:53,519 Speaker 5: recommendation to some higher up, and that higher up it's 1144 01:08:53,640 --> 01:08:57,559 Speaker 5: a lot of instances could be a political arm. 1145 01:08:58,080 --> 01:09:01,240 Speaker 1: So it's important to have good relationship with the politicians. 1146 01:09:01,479 --> 01:09:06,960 Speaker 5: Yes, yes, yes, Celar, city council mayors, all that, all 1147 01:09:07,000 --> 01:09:11,240 Speaker 5: of that, congressman, presidents. 1148 01:09:12,880 --> 01:09:14,839 Speaker 1: So across all parties. 1149 01:09:15,560 --> 01:09:22,120 Speaker 5: Yeah, because also they're advocating for MWBE. You know, they 1150 01:09:22,640 --> 01:09:26,000 Speaker 5: may not say I want Machisic to have this project, 1151 01:09:26,000 --> 01:09:28,880 Speaker 5: but they certainly can say I want a firm of 1152 01:09:28,960 --> 01:09:30,240 Speaker 5: color to get this project. 1153 01:09:30,360 --> 01:09:32,439 Speaker 1: So how do you how right? So this is interesting 1154 01:09:32,479 --> 01:09:39,680 Speaker 1: because is a deadline between is a deadline between like 1155 01:09:40,040 --> 01:09:46,080 Speaker 1: paying somebody for favoritism and supporting somebody's political campaign. Like 1156 01:09:46,080 --> 01:09:48,519 Speaker 1: I remember when Hillary Clinton was running for president, and 1157 01:09:48,560 --> 01:09:50,960 Speaker 1: I think it was Golden Sets, one of these investment 1158 01:09:51,000 --> 01:09:54,320 Speaker 1: firms they had donated like and I'm not one hundred 1159 01:09:54,320 --> 01:09:57,559 Speaker 1: percent showing a number, but it's around there eighteen million 1160 01:09:57,600 --> 01:10:01,760 Speaker 1: to her campaign. But they donated seventeen million of Donald 1161 01:10:01,760 --> 01:10:05,040 Speaker 1: Trump's campaign. So they had you to bet either way 1162 01:10:05,120 --> 01:10:10,360 Speaker 1: they won, which is smart. But then how do you 1163 01:10:10,560 --> 01:10:13,559 Speaker 1: then it's like sometimes like the mayor in Chicago that 1164 01:10:13,800 --> 01:10:16,639 Speaker 1: went to jail because I think it might have been construction, 1165 01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:19,960 Speaker 1: Like people were actually paying him money and he was 1166 01:10:20,000 --> 01:10:23,760 Speaker 1: giving jobs to the people that were paying him. So 1167 01:10:24,960 --> 01:10:27,240 Speaker 1: where's the balance in that. Well? 1168 01:10:27,320 --> 01:10:30,800 Speaker 5: Number one is you don't pay the play, right, you 1169 01:10:30,840 --> 01:10:34,240 Speaker 5: don't pay a politician for a job. 1170 01:10:34,479 --> 01:10:36,760 Speaker 1: Well, you kind of are, so it kind of is 1171 01:10:36,840 --> 01:10:38,960 Speaker 1: being kind of you kind of are paying play. Like 1172 01:10:39,000 --> 01:10:41,880 Speaker 1: if you're supporting somebody's campaign a million dollars, it's kind 1173 01:10:41,920 --> 01:10:42,599 Speaker 1: of paying the play. 1174 01:10:43,080 --> 01:10:46,920 Speaker 5: But you're also supporting their agenda, okay, and you know 1175 01:10:47,040 --> 01:10:50,240 Speaker 5: their agenda. If their agenda isn't about MWBE, they don't 1176 01:10:50,240 --> 01:10:53,839 Speaker 5: get any money from me. So you're supporting an agenda, 1177 01:10:53,960 --> 01:10:57,280 Speaker 5: and you're relying on that politician to say, when it 1178 01:10:57,280 --> 01:11:01,040 Speaker 5: comes time to make selections, I need I need the 1179 01:11:01,120 --> 01:11:06,000 Speaker 5: team that has the most MWBE participation on it, or 1180 01:11:06,160 --> 01:11:12,600 Speaker 5: I need the prime to be an MWBE as opposed 1181 01:11:12,680 --> 01:11:16,600 Speaker 5: to a politician who says they don't care about it 1182 01:11:16,640 --> 01:11:21,880 Speaker 5: at all. They'll accept a team that has no MWBE. 1183 01:11:22,400 --> 01:11:24,440 Speaker 5: So you're really supporting an agenda. 1184 01:11:25,760 --> 01:11:29,519 Speaker 2: So on the MWB front, when you look at the 1185 01:11:29,560 --> 01:11:32,200 Speaker 2: landscape and you sometimes you've been in against other firms. 1186 01:11:32,240 --> 01:11:36,759 Speaker 2: How many firms do you see in the landscape when 1187 01:11:36,800 --> 01:11:39,240 Speaker 2: you're going to try to get a project? Are you 1188 01:11:39,240 --> 01:11:41,240 Speaker 2: seeing a lot more? How does that look? 1189 01:11:42,560 --> 01:11:46,439 Speaker 5: It's still not a lot that you know, play in 1190 01:11:46,479 --> 01:11:51,200 Speaker 5: our space or compete in our space. It could definitely 1191 01:11:51,920 --> 01:11:57,960 Speaker 5: definitely be better, you know, I don't know how many, 1192 01:11:58,439 --> 01:12:02,800 Speaker 5: but we definitely need more or but it's growing. I mean, 1193 01:12:04,040 --> 01:12:07,200 Speaker 5: less than two percent of all contracts for the City 1194 01:12:07,200 --> 01:12:12,680 Speaker 5: of New York go to black women. I mean that's 1195 01:12:13,160 --> 01:12:14,000 Speaker 5: a low number. 1196 01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:18,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, but how many people are actually forging that? Because 1197 01:12:18,560 --> 01:12:20,719 Speaker 1: I've heard stories in beforewhard they have like a black 1198 01:12:20,720 --> 01:12:23,280 Speaker 1: person at the front face of it. It's really a 1199 01:12:23,280 --> 01:12:26,679 Speaker 1: white company or somebody's wife that happens. 1200 01:12:28,160 --> 01:12:30,519 Speaker 5: That happens, you know, Kathy holk or I think just 1201 01:12:30,560 --> 01:12:36,840 Speaker 5: passed the law to kind of root that out. Like 1202 01:12:36,920 --> 01:12:40,800 Speaker 5: there's an ig that you can call independently if you 1203 01:12:40,840 --> 01:12:44,320 Speaker 5: see it, but people don't do it. 1204 01:12:44,760 --> 01:12:46,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I feel like there's two sides of that, right, 1205 01:12:46,439 --> 01:12:49,559 Speaker 2: Like if there's less competition from a business standpoint, that 1206 01:12:49,640 --> 01:12:52,599 Speaker 2: means there's going to be more opportunities for your company. Sure, 1207 01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:54,840 Speaker 2: But on the other end. At some point there needs 1208 01:12:54,840 --> 01:12:57,960 Speaker 2: to be more to have more representations. So, like, do 1209 01:12:58,000 --> 01:13:01,160 Speaker 2: you feel a responsibility? I mean you're ready trailblazing and 1210 01:13:01,240 --> 01:13:04,240 Speaker 2: obviously speaking on platforms like this and others helps people 1211 01:13:04,400 --> 01:13:08,160 Speaker 2: become more aware and helps to aspire to become what 1212 01:13:08,280 --> 01:13:10,920 Speaker 2: you've become in a space. But it's like a double edge, right, 1213 01:13:11,000 --> 01:13:13,559 Speaker 2: So how do you how do you battle that? It is? 1214 01:13:13,600 --> 01:13:18,320 Speaker 5: And it isn't you know? I always bring other mwbs 1215 01:13:18,800 --> 01:13:22,200 Speaker 5: on my projects. Matter of fact, for the school, I 1216 01:13:22,200 --> 01:13:28,559 Speaker 5: mean for New York City Economic Development Corporation, we have 1217 01:13:28,640 --> 01:13:35,120 Speaker 5: the highest MWBE numbers on our projects, and so we train, 1218 01:13:36,160 --> 01:13:42,120 Speaker 5: we promote, we build capacity. And I know it sounds 1219 01:13:42,160 --> 01:13:45,040 Speaker 5: like a double edged sword. The thing is, it's just 1220 01:13:45,280 --> 01:13:48,280 Speaker 5: there's just so much work. It's enough for everybody to eat. 1221 01:13:49,680 --> 01:13:52,240 Speaker 5: And I feel that way. I just need everyone to 1222 01:13:52,360 --> 01:14:00,679 Speaker 5: be professional and provide the same level of services, cause 1223 01:14:00,680 --> 01:14:04,720 Speaker 5: we get we get the broad brush. Uh you know 1224 01:14:04,760 --> 01:14:07,280 Speaker 5: when someone one does something wrong that we you know, 1225 01:14:08,080 --> 01:14:08,679 Speaker 5: all of us. 1226 01:14:10,160 --> 01:14:14,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like Kanye, It's like Kanye. 1227 01:14:14,240 --> 01:14:15,599 Speaker 5: Yeah, No, it's true. 1228 01:14:15,760 --> 01:14:18,640 Speaker 1: They try to every single person for one person. 1229 01:14:18,640 --> 01:14:20,360 Speaker 5: Exactly does exactly. 1230 01:14:20,400 --> 01:14:22,400 Speaker 1: They do that all the time. But nobody else is 1231 01:14:22,400 --> 01:14:25,599 Speaker 1: held to that same standard. No, it's like Sam Bankman free, 1232 01:14:25,600 --> 01:14:28,000 Speaker 1: like he didn't destroy it for every single like he 1233 01:14:28,160 --> 01:14:31,360 Speaker 1: took down twenty billion dollars in a day. I know, 1234 01:14:31,800 --> 01:14:33,639 Speaker 1: nobody nobody's painting a brush for. 1235 01:14:33,640 --> 01:14:35,200 Speaker 2: Every got shut down Gemini. 1236 01:14:35,600 --> 01:14:38,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's just like you know, it doesn't work right. 1237 01:14:38,600 --> 01:14:41,800 Speaker 5: I mean, I saw we crashed. He walked away with 1238 01:14:41,840 --> 01:14:46,920 Speaker 5: one hundred million after you know, losing all those people's money, 1239 01:14:47,120 --> 01:14:48,160 Speaker 5: and then three week. 1240 01:14:48,080 --> 01:14:48,519 Speaker 4: Press to it. 1241 01:14:49,680 --> 01:14:53,240 Speaker 5: You know, Hudson Yards got six billion dollars of tax 1242 01:14:53,280 --> 01:14:58,040 Speaker 5: payers money and we can't get psych k at Javit 1243 01:14:58,040 --> 01:15:02,479 Speaker 5: Center and we're not asking for these subs these Yeah. 1244 01:15:02,520 --> 01:15:05,640 Speaker 1: Well, for last question for me, how is the economic 1245 01:15:05,720 --> 01:15:12,480 Speaker 1: times affecting construction interest rates, specifically inflation. We're in a recession, 1246 01:15:12,520 --> 01:15:15,120 Speaker 1: even though they haven't officially announced it yet. How has 1247 01:15:15,200 --> 01:15:16,880 Speaker 1: that affected your business? 1248 01:15:18,160 --> 01:15:21,080 Speaker 5: I think it's going to affect it on the private 1249 01:15:21,120 --> 01:15:25,640 Speaker 5: sector side. You know, interest rates still may go up 1250 01:15:26,400 --> 01:15:32,120 Speaker 5: another point. And so what I've heard from my other 1251 01:15:33,160 --> 01:15:36,120 Speaker 5: colleagues in the business that a lot of the private 1252 01:15:36,160 --> 01:15:39,680 Speaker 5: developers are saying, Okay, we're we're going to hold on 1253 01:15:39,720 --> 01:15:42,920 Speaker 5: our new developments. We're going to slide everything out for 1254 01:15:43,000 --> 01:15:47,599 Speaker 5: a year. So that's detrimental to them because they probably 1255 01:15:47,640 --> 01:15:51,600 Speaker 5: have staff that they're ready to put on a new project, 1256 01:15:52,080 --> 01:15:55,679 Speaker 5: and now they that staff has nowhere to go for 1257 01:15:55,840 --> 01:15:59,639 Speaker 5: a year. The other thing is the supply chain issues 1258 01:15:59,680 --> 01:16:04,479 Speaker 5: were happen, you know, the electrical gear. I mean, we're 1259 01:16:04,520 --> 01:16:08,320 Speaker 5: starting a new project for JP Morgan Chase in Wilmington 1260 01:16:09,120 --> 01:16:16,960 Speaker 5: and to get our generators is eighty months. Eighty months, 1261 01:16:19,560 --> 01:16:22,080 Speaker 5: and so what does that do? That delays the job? 1262 01:16:22,200 --> 01:16:26,560 Speaker 5: That costs more money. I mean, so it's it's a problem. 1263 01:16:26,720 --> 01:16:27,479 Speaker 5: It's a problem. 1264 01:16:28,600 --> 01:16:31,280 Speaker 1: And what about what about the inflation? Because where the 1265 01:16:31,320 --> 01:16:34,000 Speaker 1: materials are coming from China? 1266 01:16:34,479 --> 01:16:37,360 Speaker 5: No, our material is coming from everywhere, all over the world, 1267 01:16:37,439 --> 01:16:37,880 Speaker 5: all over. 1268 01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:41,439 Speaker 1: So how that inflation is you're paying You're paying a 1269 01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:45,240 Speaker 1: higher price now, so that means that the job is 1270 01:16:45,280 --> 01:16:46,519 Speaker 1: going to cost more money to get done. 1271 01:16:46,760 --> 01:16:49,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, correct, We passed it right on to our clients. 1272 01:16:50,800 --> 01:16:53,599 Speaker 5: The other issue is insurance. You know, New York has 1273 01:16:53,640 --> 01:16:57,000 Speaker 5: the highest insurance when it comes to construction, I mean 1274 01:16:57,400 --> 01:17:01,920 Speaker 5: exponentially higher than any other date because of the scaffolding 1275 01:17:02,000 --> 01:17:05,439 Speaker 5: law that we have, and now they're looking to impose 1276 01:17:05,520 --> 01:17:11,720 Speaker 5: even stricter laws with respect to the scaffolding law, which 1277 01:17:11,760 --> 01:17:16,080 Speaker 5: would increase our insurances even more, and so that cost 1278 01:17:16,160 --> 01:17:20,120 Speaker 5: gets bared by our clients. I mean, we have to 1279 01:17:20,160 --> 01:17:22,639 Speaker 5: deal with it the first year, but the second year, 1280 01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:25,280 Speaker 5: you know, all those costs are in our numbers now 1281 01:17:25,680 --> 01:17:28,800 Speaker 5: and they go straight to our clients and so construction, 1282 01:17:29,640 --> 01:17:35,320 Speaker 5: you know, becomes unbearable. So we're lobbying trying to make 1283 01:17:35,360 --> 01:17:37,639 Speaker 5: sure we can keep our insurance numbers. Now. 1284 01:17:38,439 --> 01:17:41,040 Speaker 2: So you said inflation and supply chain, but we didn't 1285 01:17:41,040 --> 01:17:45,040 Speaker 2: even say anything the pandemic. Yeah, the effects that that's had, right, 1286 01:17:45,040 --> 01:17:47,720 Speaker 2: because you couldn't even have workers on site, and so 1287 01:17:48,000 --> 01:17:52,479 Speaker 2: I'm imagining there's a backdlay of what you were doing 1288 01:17:52,520 --> 01:17:54,960 Speaker 2: on projects. How do you catch up or how to 1289 01:17:55,040 --> 01:17:55,840 Speaker 2: even manage that. 1290 01:17:56,600 --> 01:18:01,879 Speaker 5: Well, fortunately, most of our projects were deemed necessary. Okay, 1291 01:18:02,200 --> 01:18:06,200 Speaker 5: so maybe we had a couple of projects in Philadelphia 1292 01:18:06,240 --> 01:18:08,759 Speaker 5: and a couple of projects in New York where people 1293 01:18:09,000 --> 01:18:12,800 Speaker 5: couldn't go back to the site for six months, but 1294 01:18:12,920 --> 01:18:15,360 Speaker 5: most of our projects we were back to work in 1295 01:18:15,439 --> 01:18:19,880 Speaker 5: about a month to two months, which is fortunate. And 1296 01:18:19,920 --> 01:18:24,080 Speaker 5: then we did apply for the PPP loan, and you know, 1297 01:18:24,120 --> 01:18:26,520 Speaker 5: we were able to get that something from the government 1298 01:18:26,560 --> 01:18:30,200 Speaker 5: for the first time it's supposed to pay taxes. 1299 01:18:33,040 --> 01:18:37,559 Speaker 1: So how technology? How have you embraced technology? So that's 1300 01:18:37,680 --> 01:18:39,559 Speaker 1: changed in the last thirty years from when you first 1301 01:18:39,560 --> 01:18:40,200 Speaker 1: started to now. 1302 01:18:41,080 --> 01:18:44,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, and our industry is notorious bad when it comes 1303 01:18:45,160 --> 01:18:50,160 Speaker 5: to technology, and everything we do is a big data 1304 01:18:50,200 --> 01:18:54,280 Speaker 5: problem if you think about it, and so I think 1305 01:18:54,400 --> 01:18:57,000 Speaker 5: the technology is catching up. The problem is it's just 1306 01:18:57,080 --> 01:19:01,560 Speaker 5: so many different platforms. I wish it was just one platforms. 1307 01:19:02,520 --> 01:19:07,160 Speaker 5: You know that that does the schedule, another one that 1308 01:19:07,280 --> 01:19:10,520 Speaker 5: does the accounting, you know, another one does the inspection, 1309 01:19:10,720 --> 01:19:13,800 Speaker 5: I mean the pre qualification. I wish it was just 1310 01:19:13,920 --> 01:19:18,320 Speaker 5: one platform where it all came together. There are a 1311 01:19:18,360 --> 01:19:23,480 Speaker 5: couple of contractors out there who are developing proprietory software 1312 01:19:23,640 --> 01:19:27,639 Speaker 5: to do just that. It's a little big for us 1313 01:19:27,640 --> 01:19:32,680 Speaker 5: to do, but hopefully they will create something where we 1314 01:19:32,760 --> 01:19:36,639 Speaker 5: have just one platform. But if there's anything out there new, 1315 01:19:36,680 --> 01:19:37,320 Speaker 5: we'll try it. 1316 01:19:40,439 --> 01:19:42,320 Speaker 2: I'm thinking one day there's going to be somebody who's 1317 01:19:42,360 --> 01:19:45,000 Speaker 2: going to have to steal. Somebody's gonna have the machinery, 1318 01:19:45,120 --> 01:19:47,960 Speaker 2: you'll have the construction. It will be one universe. It'll 1319 01:19:48,000 --> 01:19:51,519 Speaker 2: be a clean cut. We have to we have self 1320 01:19:51,560 --> 01:19:55,080 Speaker 2: reliance systems for us to just develop whatever we want. 1321 01:19:55,520 --> 01:19:58,479 Speaker 5: M Yeah, I feel it coming. It's coming. 1322 01:19:58,960 --> 01:20:02,120 Speaker 1: It's coming coming in the label for too with yeah, 1323 01:20:02,280 --> 01:20:06,760 Speaker 1: artificial intelligence and robots. What's your thoughts on that. I 1324 01:20:06,760 --> 01:20:09,599 Speaker 1: think that that's maybe not right now, but in the 1325 01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:13,160 Speaker 1: next twenty thirty years, a lot of these construction jobs, 1326 01:20:14,680 --> 01:20:18,880 Speaker 1: the workforce is going to be cut dramatically because of 1327 01:20:19,000 --> 01:20:22,360 Speaker 1: machines and artificial intelligence and robots. 1328 01:20:22,640 --> 01:20:26,639 Speaker 5: Uh, we'll see. I you know, I think if any 1329 01:20:27,000 --> 01:20:29,960 Speaker 5: impact that there's gonna be that could have that drastic 1330 01:20:30,000 --> 01:20:33,360 Speaker 5: of a change like diminishing the number of workers would 1331 01:20:33,400 --> 01:20:37,840 Speaker 5: probably be modular. You know, engineer type stuff that's done 1332 01:20:39,240 --> 01:20:43,000 Speaker 5: in a controlled warehouse that can you know, be shipped 1333 01:20:43,000 --> 01:20:48,200 Speaker 5: to a site and stacked. That I see happening faster, 1334 01:20:48,360 --> 01:20:51,120 Speaker 5: and that it'll be a while where it happens in 1335 01:20:51,160 --> 01:20:55,320 Speaker 5: New York because everything is a specialty here. Everything is 1336 01:20:55,680 --> 01:20:59,880 Speaker 5: the first time you've ever done it. You can't you 1337 01:21:00,120 --> 01:21:05,280 Speaker 5: can't get any redundancies to really stack it. 1338 01:21:06,720 --> 01:21:09,240 Speaker 2: By the regulation you had. Yeah, you got the domestic 1339 01:21:09,280 --> 01:21:14,200 Speaker 2: obviously projects anything from an international standpoint that interests you US. 1340 01:21:14,520 --> 01:21:16,000 Speaker 2: You see on the pipeline down the. 1341 01:21:16,040 --> 01:21:21,960 Speaker 5: Road, Well, let's see, I chased the saudiast a few 1342 01:21:22,040 --> 01:21:27,240 Speaker 5: years ago. Uh, they were building about ten soccer stadiums 1343 01:21:27,320 --> 01:21:31,280 Speaker 5: and a friend of mine said, listen, Cheryl just wants 1344 01:21:31,320 --> 01:21:33,360 Speaker 5: you to meet me in London. I can't tell you 1345 01:21:33,360 --> 01:21:36,240 Speaker 5: who you're meeting, but just trust me. And so I'm 1346 01:21:36,280 --> 01:21:39,120 Speaker 5: like okay, and so you know it's I got to 1347 01:21:39,160 --> 01:21:42,120 Speaker 5: be there in twenty four hours at such and such 1348 01:21:42,120 --> 01:21:47,280 Speaker 5: a time. So I do it. And before I walk 1349 01:21:47,360 --> 01:21:50,840 Speaker 5: into the room, the guy, my friend, he tells me, 1350 01:21:50,840 --> 01:21:55,960 Speaker 5: he said, you bring me Osama. Ben Latton's brother saw 1351 01:21:56,160 --> 01:22:00,960 Speaker 5: Ben Lawton. So Ben Lawton is the largest contractor in 1352 01:22:01,080 --> 01:22:04,280 Speaker 5: Saudi Arabia, and I mean to the tune of like 1353 01:22:04,280 --> 01:22:09,320 Speaker 5: one hundred billion a year. They were the Kings builder 1354 01:22:09,960 --> 01:22:14,120 Speaker 5: and so you know, they did everything there, and so 1355 01:22:14,240 --> 01:22:17,400 Speaker 5: they were looking to see how they could integrate with 1356 01:22:17,479 --> 01:22:23,120 Speaker 5: American companies to build these stadiums. And you know, my 1357 01:22:23,160 --> 01:22:29,000 Speaker 5: first concern is I'm a woman, like you know, some 1358 01:22:29,160 --> 01:22:32,280 Speaker 5: days you couldn't even touch Sad if he had on 1359 01:22:32,520 --> 01:22:35,599 Speaker 5: you know, his I don't know what you call it, 1360 01:22:35,680 --> 01:22:40,880 Speaker 5: the garb, yeah, whatever that means. He was a shape 1361 01:22:40,920 --> 01:22:43,559 Speaker 5: that day and a woman couldn't touch him. But if 1362 01:22:43,560 --> 01:22:45,679 Speaker 5: he had on American clothes, you could shake his hand. 1363 01:22:46,479 --> 01:22:50,360 Speaker 5: So I never I couldn't understand, you know, all of 1364 01:22:50,400 --> 01:22:53,200 Speaker 5: their regulations, but it was it looked like a really 1365 01:22:53,240 --> 01:22:56,920 Speaker 5: good opportunity. You know, they were paying our flights and 1366 01:22:56,960 --> 01:23:02,000 Speaker 5: everything to come over to talk to them. But then 1367 01:23:02,439 --> 01:23:08,160 Speaker 5: the king died and then the oil prices dropped, and 1368 01:23:08,240 --> 01:23:11,519 Speaker 5: so they were losing money every day. Not that they 1369 01:23:11,600 --> 01:23:13,439 Speaker 5: didn't have a lot to lose. I mean they it 1370 01:23:13,560 --> 01:23:14,400 Speaker 5: didn't matter. 1371 01:23:14,240 --> 01:23:16,400 Speaker 1: To them, but just got a little tighter. 1372 01:23:17,439 --> 01:23:20,360 Speaker 5: Yes, And then I don't know if you remember the 1373 01:23:20,479 --> 01:23:23,800 Speaker 5: struggle with m B S and. 1374 01:23:23,760 --> 01:23:27,560 Speaker 1: We had a whole conversation about this, okay abuda the 1375 01:23:27,640 --> 01:23:32,760 Speaker 1: journalists they got, yes, well you did when we had 1376 01:23:32,800 --> 01:23:33,280 Speaker 1: that conversation. 1377 01:23:33,360 --> 01:23:37,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was me, you and Cheese No on the 1378 01:23:37,320 --> 01:23:40,160 Speaker 2: roof and I would dubai and I wasn't diffidend. No, 1379 01:23:40,479 --> 01:23:44,640 Speaker 2: I wasn't dividend. We had the conversation about that conversation. Yes, 1380 01:23:47,040 --> 01:23:48,599 Speaker 2: came camera. 1381 01:23:48,920 --> 01:23:51,240 Speaker 5: Well there's in the change they you know, they didn't 1382 01:23:51,240 --> 01:23:54,360 Speaker 5: know if they wanted to build the stadiums anymore. Doctor Zair, 1383 01:23:54,560 --> 01:23:57,880 Speaker 5: who was my connect, died in a plane crash with 1384 01:23:58,000 --> 01:24:02,679 Speaker 5: Sad's mother flying into London, and so it just all 1385 01:24:02,960 --> 01:24:06,519 Speaker 5: kind of fell apart. But you know what I realized 1386 01:24:06,560 --> 01:24:09,120 Speaker 5: in that is, you know, I probably wouldn't do that again. 1387 01:24:10,320 --> 01:24:12,799 Speaker 5: And I wouldn't do it again because I didn't have protection, 1388 01:24:13,520 --> 01:24:17,519 Speaker 5: you know. You know, it's a different culture. You can't 1389 01:24:17,600 --> 01:24:20,479 Speaker 5: open a business over there unless the Saudi Arabian is 1390 01:24:20,600 --> 01:24:26,080 Speaker 5: your partner. It's just too many unknowns and too many risks. 1391 01:24:27,720 --> 01:24:30,599 Speaker 5: And I'm not sure that I would do that again. 1392 01:24:30,680 --> 01:24:34,040 Speaker 5: And then I know companies who did who didn't get paid, 1393 01:24:35,760 --> 01:24:38,280 Speaker 5: and again I just come back to New York. I'm home. 1394 01:24:42,560 --> 01:24:46,040 Speaker 5: It's so much business. I'm telling you, there are clients 1395 01:24:46,080 --> 01:24:50,960 Speaker 5: that I can still tap into that I haven't. It's enough. 1396 01:24:51,640 --> 01:24:52,200 Speaker 5: It's enough. 1397 01:24:52,840 --> 01:24:55,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, make it anywhere. 1398 01:24:55,080 --> 01:24:58,080 Speaker 5: Every right, everywhere, everywhere. 1399 01:24:58,800 --> 01:25:02,320 Speaker 1: You have it. Lady and gentlemen, thank you for joining us. 1400 01:25:02,720 --> 01:25:03,400 Speaker 5: This is fun. 1401 01:25:03,600 --> 01:25:08,519 Speaker 1: We appreciate. Yes, anything where you would like, like, any 1402 01:25:08,600 --> 01:25:10,840 Speaker 1: last words, any any thing you'd like to tell the 1403 01:25:10,880 --> 01:25:12,120 Speaker 1: audience at. 1404 01:25:12,000 --> 01:25:19,120 Speaker 5: All Black entrepreneurship, that's my passion. You asked me about 1405 01:25:19,120 --> 01:25:24,920 Speaker 5: helping helping MWBE firms. Recently, we started Legacy Engineering. That 1406 01:25:25,040 --> 01:25:28,040 Speaker 5: was in nineteen ninety one with a good friend of mine. 1407 01:25:28,520 --> 01:25:32,160 Speaker 5: It's a mechanical electrical plumbing and fire protection design company 1408 01:25:33,760 --> 01:25:37,439 Speaker 5: black on me and my friend John Rice, and we 1409 01:25:37,479 --> 01:25:41,280 Speaker 5: started it with the whole purpose of creating entrepreneurship for 1410 01:25:41,360 --> 01:25:46,519 Speaker 5: black engineers. So we are scaling this company right now, 1411 01:25:47,439 --> 01:25:51,840 Speaker 5: and we're bringing in engineers of color to eventually take 1412 01:25:51,880 --> 01:25:56,600 Speaker 5: over this company from us. And to me, that's like 1413 01:25:57,320 --> 01:25:59,840 Speaker 5: the best, and I am so excited about this one. 1414 01:26:01,240 --> 01:26:05,240 Speaker 5: This is a real giveback and so we're excited about that. 1415 01:26:05,320 --> 01:26:10,160 Speaker 5: And we've been extremely successful because there aren't any black 1416 01:26:10,200 --> 01:26:14,600 Speaker 5: owned mechanical, electrical, plumbing, engineering firms in New York And 1417 01:26:14,720 --> 01:26:17,920 Speaker 5: just think about all that work out there and all 1418 01:26:17,960 --> 01:26:21,040 Speaker 5: the requirements out there, and then people like the goodwill 1419 01:26:22,040 --> 01:26:26,080 Speaker 5: that this company represents. So that's all I would talk about. 1420 01:26:26,120 --> 01:26:28,200 Speaker 5: I encourage everyone to be an entrepreneur. 1421 01:26:29,800 --> 01:26:32,760 Speaker 1: You have it, ladies and gentlemen, We appreciate you. Yes. 1422 01:26:33,080 --> 01:26:34,760 Speaker 1: Well the classic episode. 1423 01:26:34,439 --> 01:26:38,000 Speaker 2: Trailblazer for real, Yes, yes, and probably one of the 1424 01:26:38,000 --> 01:26:39,120 Speaker 2: best dress I guess we've had. 1425 01:26:39,600 --> 01:26:46,000 Speaker 1: Oh just that, I'd say that, thank you, Thank you. 1426 01:26:47,240 --> 01:26:50,240 Speaker 2: Shot everybody own pitteon dot com. Shout to everybody at 1427 01:26:50,320 --> 01:26:53,280 Speaker 2: e y L University powered by Recession Proof, the biggest 1428 01:26:53,400 --> 01:26:55,800 Speaker 2: just got bigger. Shout out to all of y'all that 1429 01:26:55,840 --> 01:26:58,839 Speaker 2: are part of that community. I mean it's an incredible 1430 01:26:58,840 --> 01:27:01,400 Speaker 2: place to be shot. Shout there, vice supporting merger. Shout 1431 01:27:01,400 --> 01:27:05,040 Speaker 2: to the MERG team. Bam uh my boy Sminny love 1432 01:27:05,160 --> 01:27:07,720 Speaker 2: is love Ya keeps a poying Yeah. 1433 01:27:07,840 --> 01:27:09,360 Speaker 1: Thank you guys, rock once to see you next week. 1434 01:27:09,840 --> 01:27:11,120 Speaker 1: Peace boos. 1435 01:27:13,760 --> 01:27:18,559 Speaker 6: My graduates from my school being force back drop bag 1436 01:27:18,720 --> 01:27:21,920 Speaker 6: drop Mike Drot backdrop. 1437 01:27:32,439 --> 01:27:36,120 Speaker 3: An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child 1438 01:27:36,120 --> 01:27:39,920 Speaker 3: in Massachusetts. An MS thirteen gang member from Al Salvador 1439 01:27:40,160 --> 01:27:44,320 Speaker 3: accused of murdering a Texas man of Venezuelan charged with 1440 01:27:44,360 --> 01:27:48,280 Speaker 3: filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just 1441 01:27:48,360 --> 01:27:52,080 Speaker 3: some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President 1442 01:27:52,160 --> 01:27:55,759 Speaker 3: Donald J. Trump's leadership. I'm Christy nom the United States 1443 01:27:55,760 --> 01:28:00,559 Speaker 3: Secretary of Homeland Security. Under President Trump, attempted legal border 1444 01:28:00,600 --> 01:28:04,160 Speaker 3: crossings are at the lowest levels ever recorded, and over 1445 01:28:04,200 --> 01:28:07,439 Speaker 3: one hundred thousand illegal aliens have been arrested. If you 1446 01:28:07,479 --> 01:28:11,360 Speaker 3: are here illegally, your next you will be fine nearly 1447 01:28:11,439 --> 01:28:15,439 Speaker 3: one thousand dollars a day. Imprisoned and deported, you will 1448 01:28:15,479 --> 01:28:19,120 Speaker 3: never return. But if you register using our CBP home, 1449 01:28:19,160 --> 01:28:22,559 Speaker 3: app and leave now. You could be allowed to return legally. 1450 01:28:22,920 --> 01:28:27,639 Speaker 3: Do what's right. Leave now. Under President Trump America's laws, 1451 01:28:27,840 --> 01:28:30,280 Speaker 3: border and families will be protected. 1452 01:28:30,360 --> 01:28:32,519 Speaker 4: Sponsored by the United States Department of Homeland Security,