1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties weekly podcast featuring conversations with 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,239 Speaker 1: industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. I'm 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: Cynthia Littleton, co editor in chief of Variety Today. My 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: guest is Brent Montgomery, founder and CEO of Wheelhouse. Montgomery 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: left his job as head of I t V America 6 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: three years ago because he simply wanted to build a 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: better mouse trap. Wheelhouse is designed to be a content 8 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: production venture that also includes an investment arm and talent 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: management functions, with the goal of working with unscripted TV 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: personalities to build brands and careers, not just one or 11 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: two shows at a time. It's an ambitious venture that 12 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: Montgomery is self funding, in part from the more than 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: three hundred and fifty million dollar windfall that he received 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: over the past seven years after selling his left field 15 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: entertainment to a t V. In our conversation, Brent shares 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: his vision for how all the p his fit together 17 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: at Wheelhouse and why he's excited about working with a 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: range of talent from Hype House of TikTok Pame to 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: Jimmy Kimmel. Brent Montgomery, CEO and founder of Wheelhouse, Thank 20 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me, Cynthia. 21 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: It's good too. Uh, it's good to zome with somebody 22 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: actually like at this point. Yeah, that's that's definitely preferable 23 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: than the alternative about your just coming up on three 24 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: years since you left I TV Studios that you were 25 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: running the US division of ICE TV Studios. You left 26 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: that company to plant your flag with Wheelhouse as an 27 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: independent content producer. Tell me, I guess let's start. Let 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: me start by asking you, um, what was the spark? 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: What was the spark for you? Who had in the 30 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: past and created your own company, had been previously run 31 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: your own company. You sold that company to I t V. 32 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: You were at I t V for a few years. 33 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: What was it? What was the spark that made you think, 34 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: what I really want to do is launch a new 35 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: company from scratch. I'm always curious about what what What's 36 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: that spark that gets an entrepreneur going. I think it 37 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: may not be the most exciting answer, but I think 38 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: it was a series of sparks. And you know, I 39 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: started my career out as a journalist, and that meant 40 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: for me. I think was always having that curiosity and 41 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: and wanting to learn about different worlds, and unscripted television 42 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: was really incredible for that, right, Like, we we had 43 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: the opportunity to profile people who were really good at 44 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: a lot of really good things and really different things. 45 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: And and so, you know, I don't want to say 46 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: any way of shape or form, I was getting bored 47 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: with what I was doing because I was loving it. 48 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: But I also thought, wait a second, we're doing something 49 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: kind of cool. When I looked across our portfolio of 50 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: the companies that I was fortunate to manage, the companies 51 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: in the shows we had, you know, Fix Her Upper Kate, Boss, 52 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: Pond Stars, Dynasty, Um, and then we had just launched 53 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: Queer Eye with Scout Netflix, And you know, I really thought, Wow, 54 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: as a serial entrepreneur, is there not a chance to 55 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: go find the next round of shows like that, potentially 56 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: with the same type of talent and and and and 57 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: really do something that people haven't really done on at 58 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: least a rinse and repeat um manner of of investing 59 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: in both their businesses and the talent themselves and really 60 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: try to launch something that that it goes well beyond 61 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: just sort of the typical let's go make a TV show, 62 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: but but but also to be able to go to 63 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: a network you know, I need to use like a 64 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: Bethany Skinny Girl or Magnolia with fix Er Upper, or 65 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: or you know my personal experience with Golden Silver Pond 66 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: with Pond Stars, Like what happens if we go locked 67 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: and on with with the talent and their business to 68 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: the network and really figure out a way to where 69 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: everybody wins together. Um, a little bit like I think 70 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: venture investing, specifically in Silicon Valley has happened where you 71 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: get some like minded people and and you do stuff together. 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: So that was that was the impetus um and and 73 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: you know, I think fortunately we've followed through. We've had 74 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: some you know, early success there, but it's still early days. 75 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: Three three years felt um really the first two years 76 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: felt really quick, and then this year has felt like 77 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: a decade as you know, get the range of experience there. 78 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: Can you give me a good, for instance, in terms 79 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: of something that embodies your idea of not just hey, 80 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: let's let's put these elements together and do a show, 81 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: but investing in a company or or a talent. Can 82 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: you give me an example of something that embodies that. Yeah, 83 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: so you know, I saw firsthand the paunch Pap had 84 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: seventy five people a day coming in and then it 85 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: had five thousand people coming in a day. So we 86 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: really started to realize that you could you could do 87 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: a TV show, or you can just start to insert 88 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: whatever it might be into pop cultures. So think Aviation 89 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: gen with Ryan Reynolds and and you know what he 90 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: and his partner George Others were able to do quite recently. 91 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: So UM a good example for us, the one that 92 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: we've written our biggest investment check into is is a 93 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: business called Hydro, which is like a peloton for rowing, 94 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: and that falls under what's called Connected Fitness. Connected Fitness 95 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: UM has done quite well prior to COVID has has 96 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: done even better during COVID as people you know are 97 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: working out at home and buying these machines and and 98 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: for us, you know, it was the opportunity to to 99 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: really start to connect dots. We had UM partnership that 100 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: we're working on putting together with UM Kevin Hart and 101 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: Kevin is UM as ambitious as they come. And while 102 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: our partnership was on the media side, Kevin you know, 103 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: is a workout feen and and already rose as part 104 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: of his natural UM workout process. And you know rowing 105 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: specifically is known more in the Northeast. It's no more 106 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: in the UK, um, but it's starting to break through 107 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: with top trainers in Los Angeles. So you know, we've 108 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: we've been fortunate to help introduce them, uh to the 109 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 1: Howard Stern Show and just other things that we think 110 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: you can actually have a knock on effect. Um. You know, 111 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: we've sent a bunch of machines to the big name 112 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: talent and and it's just a way of getting awareness out. 113 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: And so while that well, we're not gonna build a 114 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: show around a rowing machine, um, we we could potentially 115 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: put that in different shows. You know, you could see 116 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: people in different shows using it, you know, independent of 117 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: us or because we helped put it there. So that 118 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: for us, you know, a chance to be early on 119 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 1: a company that you know could be the next wave 120 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: of Peloton is super excited when you started, given that 121 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,679 Speaker 1: you were, you know, working off of your bank account 122 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: when you started. Did you was there pressure to get 123 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: new coming in the door right away? Did you have 124 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: to get you know, get some things up and up 125 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: and running just to bring some just to bring get 126 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: some cash flow going. Yeah, you know, one of our 127 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: most successful stories today is our company Kemel Lot, which 128 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: of course is Jimmy's company and run by a long 129 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: time dear friend of ours name Scott Longer, also from 130 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: c A And and you know, Jimmy brought um Crank 131 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: anchors with Comedy Central and you know, a huge order 132 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: um that we were able to launch that business off of. 133 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: And and so that was you know, super helpful. And 134 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: then you know, we were able fortunately to get some 135 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: quick sales on them at our at our unscripted company 136 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: Spoke studios. But we we assumed it was going to 137 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: take a while to build out the business. Um, I 138 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: think we've been you know, right before COVID. I think 139 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: things were, um, we're singing along, and then along came COVID. 140 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: That that's gotta be heartbreaking for you know, because I 141 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: know that with the brand new company, you know, three 142 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: years is like you're just barely getting started. So how 143 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: much would you characterize kind of what what you had 144 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: to put on hold? What did you have to scrap 145 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: any plans entirely? Like how did you sort out through 146 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: all the unprecedented conditions that that visited were visited on 147 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: this industry in mid March, Yeah, now, on March nine, 148 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: we had sort of an emergency UM senior call. I 149 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: think it was a Saturday, UM, and we really talked 150 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: that this was gonna this was gonna be worse than 151 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: you know, people were giving it credit for. And what 152 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: do we want to do about it? UM, And we 153 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: all kind of you know, put our hands up and said, 154 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: you know, we want to we want to keep the team, 155 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: we want to uh, you know, double down, you know. 156 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: And that was really um what came out of that call. 157 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: And and and you know, one of the first things 158 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: we thought of were the youngest people on the Totem 159 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: pole and how this could become for them the most 160 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: incredible opportunity, you know. And I'm talking about like assistance 161 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 1: and coordinators, because they certainly weren't going to have the 162 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: same level of sort of busy work, at least we 163 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: didn't think they would. And and so we went to 164 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: that crew and said, this is your chance to become 165 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: a podcast producer, or this your chance to learn how 166 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: to edit, you know, or learn how to shoot a camera. 167 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: And a lot of the mid level team started to 168 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: really work with those guys on those skill sets, and 169 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, I think that was kind of on the 170 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: on the on the sort of the fun side, on 171 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: the hard side was you know, really we just brought 172 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: in a couple you know, of our senior team who 173 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: had left big jobs and and bet on this, this 174 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: wheelhouse vision and mission. And here we are now we 175 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: can't be the same spot, you know, and so um, 176 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,959 Speaker 1: you know, I think we we suffered from the same 177 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: thing that all of our friends and um, you know, 178 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: competitors did, which was a full stop down of production, uh, 179 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: full stop down the sales you know, for a period 180 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: of time. And we we made the decision that these 181 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: COVID type programming you know, sort of cheap shows weren't 182 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: going to be where we were going to put our interest. 183 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: And so, you know, after kind of you know, really 184 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: getting um hit in the face a couple of times, 185 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: we said, look, let's make the most of this. And 186 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: and I do think that we'll look back at this 187 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: chapter and I think a lot of people would say 188 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: this and say, you know what this especially for a 189 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: young company. We we had a lot we didn't have 190 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: a lot of revenue, um, but we had we also 191 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: didn't have a lot of um uh institutional politics or 192 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: you know, regimented way of of running our business. We 193 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: had the opportunity to say, look, we've had twenty four 194 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: months of being having our doors open. What are we 195 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: gonna do now? What what worked, what didn't work? And 196 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,679 Speaker 1: we we started UM. You know, UM some of the 197 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: pieces of the business I think are the most exciting. 198 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 1: You know, a focus on digital that really we believe 199 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: will be UM one of the things that we hope 200 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: to do, you know, be a trailblazer, and that is 201 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: connecting these digitally native talent to long term programming. And 202 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: you know, we've been able to sell three series UM 203 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: to two streamers and a cable network with with digital 204 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: native talent who have never been on television and and UM, 205 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: you know hype House being the one that UM, you know, 206 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: we've we've talked about publicly and so for all remind me, 207 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: remind me what's the nature of that show? So hype House, 208 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: I guess to take a step back what I think 209 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: I've realized during COVID. You know, we've invested in a 210 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: company called pocket Watch that has UM kids like Ryan 211 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: who UM reviews toys. This little Ukrainian girl named um 212 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: Diana who had billions of views every month, billions, not 213 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: not like over there, like like every month. And if 214 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: you go down the if you go up the chain, 215 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: and you think, or at least if you go back 216 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: in time, you think about Kim Kardashian, And we were 217 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: all kind of amazed at how fast she built her brand, 218 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: and then we were even more amazed at how fast 219 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: Highlie built her brand. And then all here comes chart 220 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: and look at how fast she's built her name, and 221 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: and then I looked down even further to these five 222 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: and six year old who have billions of views. So 223 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 1: for us, it was this epiphany moment of if you 224 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: can find the right talent who will be open minded 225 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: to figuring out the right formats um and will and 226 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: find the right network partners who understand a group like 227 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: hype House brings viewers with it as a show. And 228 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: the Hype House was one of these first TikTok houses 229 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: and the one that kind of broke through first. And um, 230 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: a couple of young young guys managed the house and 231 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: they're just there. Um they're not taking a piece of 232 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 1: of the other people who bring in there, giving these 233 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: kids a platform to collaborate together, which kind of resonated 234 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: with us because that was much of what the DNA 235 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: of Wheelhouse was and so we we sat with this 236 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: crew of hype House kids a few weeks before the 237 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: pandemic and we're very fortunate to get them to kind 238 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: of pick us. And I think a lot of it 239 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 1: had to do with we. We looked at each of 240 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: these kids, not like you would have had UM, not 241 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: like you would have at the churchy shore um, even 242 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: though even some of these um sort of real world 243 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: type shows. We looked at each one from the very beginning, 244 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: is how do we create a three sixty business around 245 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: each one? Not that each one's gonna want to do 246 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: that with us, but for the ones who do us. 247 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: That became the most invigorated exciting part of COVID is 248 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: like we can work with talent who we don't have 249 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: to go to a streamer or a cable network to 250 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: say or nay. We can actually produce content with these 251 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: with these type of people and go directly to an 252 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: audience as well. So so that was, you know, sort 253 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: of exciting, But COVID overall, you know, I think it 254 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: shows how scrappy, you know, our industry is, and uh, 255 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: you know, certainly the unscripted part of of of the 256 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: industries is you know, we're always scrapped, very scrappy. Are 257 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: you in the new setup? You know that I always 258 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: from unscripted producers, is that it is. It's it's a 259 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: very hard market to work in right now, especially in 260 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: traditional linear TV because of the you know, there's so 261 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: many expectations. Everybody wants shows that look like a million 262 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: bucks but don't cost anything like that, and the big 263 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: you know, one of the fundamental challenges for producers, independent 264 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: producers such as yourself is the you know, the overwhelming 265 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: demand that the network that commissions a show is going 266 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: to own it outright. And you know, I don't have 267 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: to tell you what ownership means for a company. Are 268 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: you able in your setup? Are you able when if 269 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: you go to end h if you go to a 270 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: cable network or a streamer, are you able to have 271 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: a have a more equitable, a more you know, robust 272 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: conversation about what you can own or is it really 273 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: a negotiation about what is your upside? What's your percentage 274 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: upside on the project? Yeah? I think I think the 275 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: answer is I think the networks are more open now 276 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: than they have been historically to that conversation. And they're 277 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: also in our experience because we're bringing in a really 278 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: sophisticated marketing team, which we call Wheelhouse Labs. One good 279 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: example is we have a new History series with Tim 280 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: Allen call Assembly Required, and you know, we were not 281 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: getting there on the budget number. And it's not I mean, 282 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: you know, nobody loves the History Channel more than we do, 283 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: and and it was it was just the show they 284 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: wanted and that we wanted and Tim wanted was going 285 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: to be more expensive than the budget was gonna allow. 286 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: And so we got the chance to work with Peter 287 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: and David. Peter runs their ad sales department and and 288 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: really go to go to them. Uh, we're able to 289 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: go straight to brands and talk about some really creative 290 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: ways um to bridge the delta, bridge the gap in 291 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: in that budget. And I can't remember you know, a 292 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: producer like me a being given access to the head 293 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: of ad sales, be being able to then call brands, 294 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: you know, with with those guys, and we were able 295 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: to bridge that gap and and make them a better show. 296 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: So that's that's kind of on you know, how do 297 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: we fight the how do we fight the fight that 298 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: there's just simply not enough money for a lot of 299 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: these shows on the ownership piece I've seen, you know, 300 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: with a different UM with the Discovery Network, we were 301 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 1: able to go in and actually UM fund a portion, 302 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: a big portion of the show with a partner, and 303 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: then they were much more open to UM sharing in 304 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: the ownership UM because you know, I've always said, like 305 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: it should be like the film business. If we're willing 306 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: to take some of the risk, we should be you know, 307 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 1: they I would hope they would be open minded about 308 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: the reward. Scripted has been around for decades and it's 309 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: figured its way out, you know, UM, and there's so 310 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: much set you know what. You know, you can really 311 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: quickly figure out what a show is gonna UM cost, 312 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 1: and there's there's a friends that's in there to make 313 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: sure the overhead for those projects are covered. And unscripted, 314 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: it's been the wild West for the first two decades. 315 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 1: And it used to be at the beginning, the producer 316 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: UM would own the I P. There would be a 317 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: contingency fee, there would be an EP fee, there would 318 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: be a production fee, and and and those were all 319 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: ways to make sure that a company could run in 320 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: a profitable business and also build the infrastructure. So show 321 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: after show after show you can make those shows. It 322 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: is now on the unscripted side. UM got to the 323 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: point where there's no contingency fee, there's no EP fee, 324 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: there's no ownership split typically, and the production fee is 325 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: often being shared between multiple partners, and which is hard, 326 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: very hard on people. Which is hard, and that's maybe 327 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: hard to hear from a guy who you know, I 328 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: sold my business for a lot of money and we 329 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: were making a sizeable margin back in the day. But 330 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: that's just not where it is now, and it's not 331 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: sustainable where it is. So, you know, when you think 332 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: about the fact that we've got a ton of people 333 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: that are required to make these shows who can't live 334 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: withinside the budget because it's not a film that you know, 335 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: you do a film in the closed down, you go 336 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 1: to another one. These are ongoing costs for people who 337 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,719 Speaker 1: are paramount to making these shows. I remember sitting at 338 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: IT TV and having thirty people in the meeting and 339 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: realizing looking around in the room, not one of them 340 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: was on the budget of any of our shows, and 341 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: yet they were all valuable to making the shows into 342 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: making in our case shows a year. So I think, 343 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: I think, you know, it's it's definitely. Where as producers, 344 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: we understand the hardships. You know, certainly of the cable 345 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: broadcasters now um and and and and certainly the streamers. 346 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: You know, if they're not having they're the same issues 347 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: right now, they'll they'll you know, as their business grows 348 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: and pressure you know comes on the streamers. You know, 349 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: these all become realities that we have to be clever. 350 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: And so for me it was like, all right, am 351 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: I gonna sit here and really negotiate, debate every network 352 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,959 Speaker 1: over every penny every time? Or are we gonna go 353 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: out and you know, um build something uh that's different 354 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,399 Speaker 1: than the rest. And you know, if if the show 355 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: doesn't make money for us, but we were able to 356 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: invest in the core business, then that then that's a 357 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: pretty good outcome for us. What do you, um, do 358 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: you give advice to? You know, people come to you 359 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: producers that may have a small company that they're just 360 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: you know that is just starting to grow. Do you 361 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: have advice for people in terms of how to navigate 362 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: from a business perspective, how to be your how to 363 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: advocate for yourself in those in those conversations. I know 364 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: it must be tough if you don't have if you're 365 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: not bringing a lot to the table. You know, sometimes 366 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: those guys get a lot more love from the networks 367 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: because they see these people as you know, human beings. 368 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: They see that they're doing four jobs, they see that 369 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: they're young, and you know, um, and often the best 370 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: shows come from you know, young hustlers like that. Um. 371 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: The advice I would give now would be opposite of 372 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: when I started, Like, my whole goal was to retain 373 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: the best people, and that meant putting people on salary 374 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: and and you know, to my point earlier, that creates 375 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: an overhead cost that in lean times becomes problematic and 376 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: COVID times becomes you know, almost a death knel. So 377 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: I think my advice to those folks is, you know, 378 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: stay lean for as long as you can, but then 379 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: you know, make sure that you're adding you know, the 380 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: best people. I think of the single best thing I 381 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: can invite, the single best advice I can offer people is, 382 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: you know, when you're running a creative shingle is invest 383 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: in people you know. And and what that what that 384 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,920 Speaker 1: means is you know, um, it could be that one 385 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: person you know, if you've been the development exact and 386 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 1: the creative exact who's going to come in and take 387 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 1: one of those two hats from you first. And by 388 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: the way, they can only be creative and and and 389 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: and run a great shop if they have an operational 390 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: person that's really helping there too. So, you know, I 391 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: just got off the phone call with with somebody I 392 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: was talking to about running a bunch of shows for 393 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: us potentially, and and just talked about the fact that 394 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: you know, you I value every piece of the production 395 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: UM process and pie the same whether you're a finance person, 396 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: operations person, development person, because if you don't, you know, 397 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 1: if you're not organized, then it's gonna affect your ability 398 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: to be creative, whether that's in the field or in 399 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: post production. So that's a long waited answer to say. 400 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: You know, I think my advice to people now would 401 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: be just pulled on and do do it with as 402 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: you know typ of crew as you can for as 403 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: long as you can, and then make when you do 404 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 1: make those first big bets, UM, make sure it's people 405 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: that you know you want to be in a fox 406 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: shool with. For as long as there's been conventional wisdom 407 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: about the streaming business, which is maybe I don't know 408 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: twenty five minutes or so, but there had been you know, 409 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: it's we started to see a conventional wisdom that that 410 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,400 Speaker 1: first there was we were never going to see any 411 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: unscripted on streaming. Matt wasn't their business. And then a 412 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 1: few shows really started to make an impact, and then 413 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: then it became well, there's a certain type of show 414 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 1: that works on streaming. Do you feel like those boundaries 415 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: are are kind of going away now? Given that you're 416 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: seeing everything from dating shows to you like, workplace competition 417 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: shows pop up on Netflix and Amazon is you know, 418 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: pursuing some of some bigger swings and it's like, you know, 419 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: e commerce meats reality. Do you feel like the streaming 420 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: arena is a pretty wide open place for you to 421 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: pitch ideas? Yeah, I certainly do now. Um. I think 422 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 1: in the beginning, I think we were all kind of um, 423 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: you know, holding our breath because there had not been 424 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 1: an unscripted show that kind of broke through, you know, 425 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 1: and and I you know, I'm I'm proud to have 426 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: been a small part of the first one that I 427 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 1: think really broke through on Netflix, which was Queer Eye, 428 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: and you know what what that you know, as we 429 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: were fortunate enough to work with Scout who had done 430 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: the first of course, the first one um with Bravo. 431 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: We you know, we really talked about what will this 432 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: cast look like and how can it be current? You know, 433 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: because and I think I think it was Scout or 434 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 1: one of the casts had look the first time was 435 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: about breaking the door down, but that was that was 436 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago. Now we're in the party. So what 437 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: are we doing now that we're in the party and 438 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 1: we really you know, our our casting team who worked 439 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: for me for forever, I just thought did the most 440 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: bang up job finding you know, the new Fab five 441 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: and you know, so to me, once they started to 442 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: see the casting for those characters and some of the 443 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: Kim test um, I just felt, I felt like we 444 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: were gonna make a great show. Um. And I think 445 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,679 Speaker 1: Netflix was an incredible partner and helping push us to 446 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 1: make a great show. Um. And And so that certainly 447 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: was was an eye opening moment that Okay, something that's 448 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,360 Speaker 1: non scripted can work. And before that, though, we had 449 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: seen documentaries start to work, and so then gave us, 450 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: I think, some hope. But there was certainly a moment 451 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: where we didn't know if unscripted was gonna work on streaming. 452 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: Even though we thought it would, there was no proof 453 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: and concept and you know, which made us. I think 454 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,639 Speaker 1: a lot of us think is, you know, it's the 455 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 1: last twenty years of fad, right. But I think now 456 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: we know that people want to watch real people more 457 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: than in many cases, more than anything, right, And that's 458 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: what TikTok and and other platforms are are teaching us 459 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: right now. Um. I think it's hysterical now because last 460 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: night I went to watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix, 461 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 1: which was both amazing and scary as hell. Um, and 462 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: I came across, you know, the trending I would like 463 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: to see what's trending, and um, we just had a 464 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: you know, alan this show alone that I was so 465 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,679 Speaker 1: proud of that uh, you know, hadn't necessarily reached a 466 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: younger audience. Has been making a bunch of noise during COVID, 467 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 1: maybe because it's I don't know, it's our imitating life 468 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: or um. But then this, this this tiny show called 469 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: Tiny House Nation from f y I that we did 470 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: you know several years ago, is now trending on Netflix 471 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 1: like it's kind of fun. I think. So My my 472 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: feeling now is great content. It belongs on, whether it's 473 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: Disney plus Netflix, Amazon, um and and the audience will 474 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: tell all of this which stuff you know they want 475 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 1: to step more off? Yeah. Um, let me ask you 476 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: now a flip of that question. If if you could 477 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: take any cable network, so set aside the costs that 478 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: it would take, but if you could have any if 479 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: you could have one cable network out there, traditional cable 480 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: network that you could put under the wheelhouse banner, which 481 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: one would you choose? Well? My first end state is Bravo, 482 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,959 Speaker 1: so I can just put all of the Housewives like 483 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: in some epic w w E SmackDown battle. But um, 484 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,640 Speaker 1: then I would have burned through I don't know, eight 485 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,679 Speaker 1: successful franchises. So I know I have to say the 486 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: History Channel, um, just because I've had so many shows 487 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: there and they've been incredible partners, and I want to 488 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,719 Speaker 1: look to to replace anybody. I would just look to 489 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: have sort of like there's an investment committee. I would 490 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: want like equal green light capability because I've got a 491 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 1: few other shows there. I think that might work too. 492 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: But now that's that that's the channel. You know. I 493 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,360 Speaker 1: tend to like to watch um, you know, when I'm 494 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: watching TV as well, m hmmm, UM, tell me of 495 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,199 Speaker 1: all the things in your background, all of all of 496 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: the things that you did at left Field or even 497 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: earlier in your career, or your experience at I TV. 498 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: What what do you think really helped prepare you for 499 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,640 Speaker 1: the challenges and the task of launching this company with 500 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: its multi pronged ambition and running it. What what prepared 501 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: you for the job of being the CEO of this startup? 502 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: You know said when when I when I, when you 503 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: sell a company, you really start to you start to 504 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: see what people really think of you, good or bad. Um. 505 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: I remember getting calls from a network exact said, oh man, 506 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: I'm on the wrong side of the business, and I 507 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: I love this exact but I know this exact is 508 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: on the exact right side of the business. I you know, 509 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: my my entrepreneurial story um uh started you know, thirty 510 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: eight thirty nine years ago. Uh. And it was funny 511 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: I kind of thought of it as you know, I 512 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: built a baseball card business. I was selling. I would 513 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: buy stuff at Sam's and resell it from wholesale to retail. 514 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: Um I had we really are a serial entrepreneur from 515 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: the days you were a preteen. But but there was 516 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: a moment during COVID that it all kind of came 517 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: back to me that I couldn't, I couldn't, shouldn't take 518 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: as much credit for for it as I like to um. 519 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: And I was walking, you know, as I'm sure you 520 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: and like we've all taken more walks in our last 521 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: seven months than our entire lives. And I'll do it 522 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:47,719 Speaker 1: with my dog, a neighbor or somebody that doesn't even 523 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: know I'm walking behind them. But I was walking by 524 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,719 Speaker 1: a woman who I have known a bit for a while. 525 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: She's divorced, and I saw her mowing her own lawn 526 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: and you know, um, and this woman she works full time, 527 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: she's got, you know, multiple kids, and I and I 528 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: just thought, man, that's what parents do, That's what moms do. 529 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: And when I when I came home, and it never 530 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: hit me that the sort of moment for me was 531 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: in third grade. I came home and my father handed me, 532 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: uh a push lawnmower. And probably most of the people listening, 533 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: which is probably not that many, and they're all listening 534 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: to you and not me, but they want to know 535 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: a push lawnmower has no engine, right, so it's just 536 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: got the engine. Yeah, you're and and so I've never 537 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: worked so hard in my life. And afterwards, I'm like, 538 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 1: I never want to do this again. My dad says, well, 539 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,239 Speaker 1: you only have, you know, nine more years until you're 540 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: out of high school. And so that gave me a 541 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: little bit of a work ethic, and ultimately I decided 542 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: it was more fun to be paid to mow the 543 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: lawn and that started my lawnmowing business, which led to 544 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: a couple of the others. So, um, I my point is, 545 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: you know, there's that ten thousand hours I worked for 546 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: my twenties. I worked full time as a freelancer and 547 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: on side jobs shooting butt mitzvah's and weddings and um, 548 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: you know other things that I had no idea what 549 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: I was shooting. Um and and and and so my 550 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: twenties were awful. Uh. And then my thirties, I finally, 551 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,720 Speaker 1: you know, when we sold upon Stars, Um, things started 552 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: to kind of go in a better direction. But I 553 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 1: would say, that's kind of like all the brick lane 554 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: that you know, Um, you know, I don't really talk 555 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: about that much. But but then I think it was 556 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: always hiring people who are smarter than me. Um and 557 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: and in different aspects of what we're trying to do. 558 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: And so these team of experts, team of rivals, and 559 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: and and and and when we do make big decisions, 560 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: I always try to bring the team together and get 561 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: buy in from everybody, you know, because you know, not 562 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: to go back to the rowing thing, but you know, 563 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: if we're all rowing in the same direction in normal life, 564 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: it makes all the difference in COVID life, it's the 565 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: only way to do it. So that's that, I think 566 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: a long winded answer, no, thank you, it's you know, 567 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 1: this whole business would not revolve without people such as yourself. 568 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: Let's say I can do this, whether it's a film, 569 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: a company, a building. I so appreciate you taking the 570 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: time to kind of talk us through, talk us through 571 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: your thought process and your building process. And you know, 572 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: certainly best of luck to you with all the various ventures. 573 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: Will keep will keep an eye on everything going on 574 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: at Wheelhouse, and just really appreciate you taking the time 575 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 1: to talk us through it all. Thanks for listening. Be 576 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: sure to leave us a review at Apple Podcasts. We 577 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 1: love to hear from listeners, and be sure to tune 578 00:31:48,320 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: in next week for another episode of Strictly Business eight