1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: I'm with Lucas and this is Black Teed, Green Money. 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Jimmy Jackson is a community man that you're at LinkedIn 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: empowering thousands to amplify their authentic voices and strengthen their 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: personal brands. That's just in ninety five. She's also a 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: founder of the Blond Misfit Misfit creative media and actor 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: award winning journalists and content creator who's transformed her a 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: side hustle into a global powerhouse. I want to talk 8 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: about black content creators. You know, you see a lot 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: of black content creation and you are a black content creator, 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: but a lot of us are making a lot of 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: mistakes when we're trying to build a brand. What is 12 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: one of the things that you see, like, y'all should 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 1: stop doing that. We gotta stop doing this. 14 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: I love that question. I love that question a lot 15 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: because it's almost like when you're at the at the 16 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: family cookoud of the reviews and you're hanging out with 17 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 2: your cousins and them and they're like, how can I 18 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 2: step up better? And you like, stop doing this? Yeah, yeah, 19 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: and for all So for all of my cousins out 20 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: there listening, I would I would say, I see we 21 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: make the mistake of don't we don't brag enough, don't 22 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: we don't carry our receipts. I think receipts are so 23 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: important in today's job economy because, if you think about it, 24 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: a lot of people do what you do. Right, Let's 25 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 2: start there. I don't pull any punches when it comes 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: to this. A lot of people are good at what 27 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: they do. A lot of people have your job title, 28 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: they work at your company. They want to be where 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: you're at. But what sets you apart is your unique 30 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 2: story and the way in which you tell your story, 31 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: your narrative, and your ability to answer the question will 32 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: why me? I think society does a disservice because it's 33 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: taught us, as black creators that our blackness is not 34 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 2: a superpower, and it absolutely is. Being able to code switch, 35 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: being able to speak English and African American vernacular English right, 36 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: or ebonics or whatever you want to say, like being 37 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: able to straddle these worlds is a superpower that other 38 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 2: people don't have. And so when I tell people all 39 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 2: the time, like talk your talk, I'm saying it from 40 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 2: the sense of, like, don't be cocky, right, because we 41 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: all know that one person who talk a whole lot. 42 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: But they can't fight in the club. Will like they 43 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 2: can't fight, But I mean, like, bring your receipts, show 44 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 2: why you are a unique value add show how your 45 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: experience has positioned you or your experiences have shaped you. 46 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 2: You know a lot of black creatives. We know what 47 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: it's like to juggle multiple jobs. We know what it's 48 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 2: like to have a non linear career path. That is 49 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 2: your superpower. And so really, when I'm talking to a 50 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: lot of our creatives, when I'm talking particularly even on 51 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 2: like LinkedIn and how you position yourself, don't get so 52 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 2: caught up in figuring out how to brand yourself as professional. 53 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 2: Learn how to brand yourself in the sense of if 54 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: someone didn't have you on their team, what are they 55 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 2: missing out on? And that is where your story and 56 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: where that superpower lies. 57 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: How do I know if my LinkedIn profile is me 58 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: opportunities versus creating opportunities for me? 59 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: I love that question a lot, because we always need 60 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 2: to be asking ourselves if we're losing out on the 61 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 2: money or if we're attracting it. I would say a 62 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 2: couple of things that you should think about is if 63 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 2: your LinkedIn is accurately portraying the person you want to 64 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 2: be seen as in the rooms that you want to 65 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: be in. We have a really dope episode on Let's 66 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 2: Talk Offline around personal branding, and I say on that 67 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: episode that you are a brand, whether you want to 68 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 2: be or not, Like we all are a brand because 69 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: rooms that you're not in, somebody is saying something about you. 70 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: And even though you can't necessarily control where people talk 71 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 2: about you, you can't control what is said. And so 72 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: when you're looking at your LinkedIn profile, you need to 73 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 2: be asking yourself, Am I telling the proper story here? 74 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: Am I reflecting all of my experiences? Am I utilizing 75 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: my creativity? I'm always perplexed when I talk to creatives 76 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: and they're not being created. Like, see your LinkedIn profile 77 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: as an opportunity to be creative, And there's so many 78 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: ways you can do that. If you love to write, 79 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 2: You're about me section should be fire. I'm not talking 80 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: about that whole like it looks like you just spin 81 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: it out in AI and it just came out. Tell 82 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: a story. Who are you? Where did it start? Where 83 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: did your passions start? Where do you uniquely add yourself 84 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 2: to the conversation? If you like to write, you can 85 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 2: explore obviously your feed in posts, you can explore your newsletters. 86 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 2: But a really amazing format that we've seen continuously grow 87 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 2: at LinkedIn is short form video, right I'm talking like 88 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 2: your two minutes or less vertical videos. It doesn't have 89 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 2: to be fancy, it can be shot on the phone. 90 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: Those are so great because you can still provide professional insights, 91 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: which is where LinkedIn is unique to right like, but 92 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 2: your professional insights are still through the lens of how 93 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: you see the world, and so like, I always like 94 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,799 Speaker 2: to tell the story that, you know, I was dealing 95 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 2: with somebody in my life who I looked up one 96 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: day and I was like, bro, you're a hater. Like 97 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 2: you're an actual professional hater, Like you know, whenever something 98 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: good happens for me professionally, like you don't know how 99 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: to show up. And so I made a video about 100 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 2: that and I posted on LinkedIn. I'm sitting on the 101 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: bathroom floor, I'm doing my makeup, and I'm talking about 102 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 2: professional haters, and I'm sharing how you need those people 103 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: in your life. You need people who doubt you, you 104 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: need people who don't believe in you, because that builds 105 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: character and it makes you see who really has your 106 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 2: back and the good times and the bad. I looked 107 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 2: up and within twenty four hours I had gotten over 108 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 2: a million impressions. To date, that's one of my best 109 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: performing videos on LinkedIn with over three points some million 110 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: impressions and more. And that video alone showed me people 111 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: want real. People want real, people want authenticity. People can 112 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 2: smell fake a mile away, and that's on the platform too. 113 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: So I always say, find unique and creative ways to 114 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 2: tell your story. That's not gonna cost you a back, 115 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 2: it's going to actually attract Because the type of opportunities 116 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: that came after that were great. People then really wanted 117 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: to tap in more, particularly with the podcast, because they 118 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: were like, Oh, like this girl just gonna keep it real. 119 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: She's gonna be honest, she's silly. And so I would 120 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: definitely say like taking the time to look and say like, 121 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: if I were a recruiter or a hiring manager, if 122 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: I was an investor, if I was a sponsor, if 123 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 2: this is all I saw about this person and I 124 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: didn't do my due diligence to look them up on 125 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 2: any other platform, which most people don't, you got one 126 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 2: shot is this reflecting who they are? And I say 127 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: you got to You gotta know how to do that professionally, 128 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: but also in a way that is true to you. 129 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: Like I don't ever want anyone to see any of 130 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 2: my content and they don't see my personality, they don't 131 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 2: see what I uniquely bring because at the end of 132 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 2: the day, when I'm in that room, I'm gonna bring it, 133 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. And so I think like 134 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: that's where a lot of people make the mistake. They're 135 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 2: not exploring the creative ways in which they can tell 136 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 2: their story, and they're not seeing themselves as a brand. 137 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: The minute you start carrying yourself like a McDonald's or 138 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 2: a Coca Cola or a Chapotle or any of these 139 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: other household names, is the minute that you can just 140 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: control the narrative and you attract the opportunities that want 141 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: to tie to that narrative as well. 142 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I want you to go further on that, and 143 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask you this from a different perspective. Is 144 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: because you talked about leaning into who you are, leaning 145 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: into your creativity, leaning to your culture, leaning into your blackness, 146 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: how has black representation in media evolved to allow us 147 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: to be able to do that and then not be 148 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: off putting. 149 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I was privileged to go to an HBCU. 150 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 2: Shout out to Howard, shout out to all my Bison family. 151 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 2: It's all of no matter where you went, right, But 152 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: I always got to put a little extra on for 153 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 2: the Bison. I was very blessed that growing up, I 154 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: was taught a lot about my culture. Being from like 155 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 2: the Washington d C. Northern Virginia area, I was always 156 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 2: surrounded by that, whether it was in the church or 157 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: being an actor in community theater, or then going to 158 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 2: an HBCU and learning. And I think what I've seen 159 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 2: in media, particularly over the years, is like it's not 160 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: all just about telling a certain narrative or a story. 161 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 2: When we talk about us not being a monolithic people, 162 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 2: we're often talking about it from the lens of Okay, 163 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 2: we don't all come from a major city, or we 164 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: don't all come from a certain socioeconomic background. But very 165 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 2: few times are we actually saying when we say black 166 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: people are not monolithic, we're also talking about a diversity 167 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 2: of thought. We don't all think the same. And I 168 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: think nowadays in media, you can find a little bit 169 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: of everybody on social right, you can pop out your 170 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 2: phone and you go and see the celebrity gossip sites. 171 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: But you can also, you know, find a podcast like 172 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 2: yours are Mine, where we're talking about other topics. Like 173 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 2: I like to show people I'm from round a way, 174 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 2: as our uncle Denzel Washington says, but I'm also a 175 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 2: black girl in tech who can show you that you 176 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 2: don't have to become anybody else to win. You are enough. 177 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 2: And I think, like what I would like to continue 178 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: to see is more of our stories continue to take 179 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: over in media to show people, and especially this next generation, 180 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 2: you don't have to to do certain things in order 181 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 2: to get ahead, Like you get to define your destiny. 182 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 2: You get to define your story and who you are 183 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 2: is enough because let me tell you something, Well, when 184 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 2: I first started out as a journalist and then as 185 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 2: a blogger, and I was working in fashion and beauty, 186 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 2: I was trying to paint myself a very specific way 187 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 2: because that's all I saw. I saw all the other 188 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 2: black girls in fashion move in a certain type of 189 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 2: way or act in a certain type of way. Now 190 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 2: one of them things. I couldn't do all that because 191 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 2: I wasn't as skinny as them. Okay, your girl had 192 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 2: hips and I was like, I ain't gonna be able 193 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 2: to do the no sample size is of nothing, all right, 194 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 2: And so I was like, Okay, now I gotta find 195 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 2: my own style. I gotta find my own flavor. And 196 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: I remember just looking up one day and I was like, 197 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 2: this isn't me. Like a couple of my friends even 198 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 2: called that out there, like who you paint yourself to 199 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 2: be online is cool and all, but like that's not you. 200 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 2: And it really kind of put a battery pack in 201 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: me to say I am robbing myself and more importantly, 202 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 2: the people who are assigned to me by not being 203 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 2: true to who I am. And I just want more 204 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 2: people to see that. I want people to hear it. 205 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: I want it to get deep down in their spirit. 206 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 2: Who you are is enough, and that authenticity is what 207 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 2: is going to differentiate you from anybody else, any name 208 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: of any day of any day of the week. I 209 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 2: don't have to be nobody else. Everybody else is taken. 210 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 2: As they like to say, Jamay is not. And I'm 211 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 2: gonna tap into Jamay because when jama is Jamay, can't 212 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 2: nobody else do Jamay, you know. And so I think, 213 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: like for for media, I just we're continuing to see 214 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 2: more of our stories take place. And you know, when 215 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 2: this opportunity came about for let's talk offline, I'm not 216 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: gonna lie. I was just like, y'all want me, like 217 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, like like me, like I 218 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 2: don't know about that, you know, because I've also been 219 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: very open and honest about the idea or interpretation of 220 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 2: what black professionalism looks like. And I was like, Okay, cool, 221 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 2: I'll do this, but under the understanding I'm not sugarcoating things. 222 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: I'ma be honest. I'm gonna be real. And in a 223 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 2: lot of our episodes, I talk with my co host 224 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: Gianna and I tell her, like, your experience is yours 225 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 2: because you're not black, you know what, And you know 226 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: you might shake up the table a little bit, but 227 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: it needs to get shook, like it needs to get 228 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 2: shook because we're doing too much of this. Let's be sweet, 229 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 2: let's be kind, like no, let's call it for what 230 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 2: it is, because at the end of the day, I 231 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 2: want the next generation of young Black professionals, young Black creatives, 232 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: young black entrepreneurs, change makers, thought leaders to say, Okay, 233 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 2: I know what's ahead of me, but I also know 234 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 2: that like me being true to me is enough and 235 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 2: I can open those doors. 236 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to talk about, you know, personal branding 237 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn, because I think there's some value you can 238 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: help a lot of us with in regards to this 239 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 1: is you know, so there was some boards I used 240 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: to sit on and I remember going to those boards, 241 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: and those meetings would typically be at like the end 242 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: of the day, and everybody would come to the board 243 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: being with suits on and etc. And I'm like, after 244 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 1: a while, after going home to change clothes and put 245 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 1: on a suit, because I don't wear a suit to 246 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: work every day. I work for myself, and this is 247 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: what I look like going to work. I'm right, I'm 248 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,719 Speaker 1: not going home to put on a suit anymore. Though 249 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: I'm adding values to this board. So I'm going, how 250 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: I not going to be appropriate, but I'm not going 251 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: home to put a suit on. And so my question 252 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: is this, It's so often we have this view specifically 253 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn, Like when you said, you know you sitting 254 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: on your bathroom floor talking about professional haters, I'm like 255 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: a lot like many people will be afraid to put 256 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: that video on LinkedIn, and I'm like, Instagram's a place 257 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: for that TikTok's place for that whatever wherever, it's a 258 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: place for that, but on LinkedIn, like, oh, that's that's 259 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: some guts right there. And so I want you to 260 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: talk about the misconceptions people have about personal branding on LinkedIn, 261 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: because in my view, it was a lot like I'm 262 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: going to be who I am in this professional space 263 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: because I know I'm adding value. So I'm okay coming 264 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: with you know what I got on and not going 265 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: home to put a suit on, which is what I 266 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,719 Speaker 1: felt like so long on LinkedIn. I gotta be this 267 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: on LinkedIn. I can be this over here on that 268 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: other app, but over here, I gotta be this. 269 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think what you felt going into those meetings 270 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 2: and saying like, no, I'm a stand tento's down on 271 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 2: who I am is exactly the same thing you should 272 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 2: have when you come to LinkedIn. Now, don't get it twisted. 273 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 2: I was sweating bullets before I posted that video because 274 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: now I'm thinking to myself, my manager is connecting me 275 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: on LinkedIn, like my coworkers connected, like they gonna think 276 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 2: I'm talking about them, like and you know, at the 277 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 2: end of the day, you know, a hit dog will 278 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: holler whoever is for it's gonna pick right. But but 279 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 2: I think I had to ask myself, is the reward 280 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 2: worth the risk? Is the reward of who this piece 281 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: of content can bless or inform or help? Is that 282 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 2: worth the time imporary risk of feeling uncomfortable that I 283 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 2: put it out there, or that nobody is gonna vibe 284 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 2: with it. That's kind of the job of being a creator. 285 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: You listen to what you know you need to put 286 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 2: out there, and you put it out there with the 287 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 2: hope that it touches people. But whether it touches one 288 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: or it touches millions, you've done your job. What I 289 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 2: would say, though, is that if you ever are feeling 290 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 2: like nervous about that, like do with self check in. 291 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 2: Are you nervous because it's new and it's foreign. Are 292 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: you nervous because you think somebody is gonna judge you? 293 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 2: Or are you nervous because really, if you sit with it, 294 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 2: you're like, this is not an appropriate topic for me 295 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 2: to talk about. And I didn't have that last one. 296 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: I knew that this was just uncomfortable because I had 297 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 2: never seen anyone talk about that particular topic on LinkedIn before. Now, 298 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 2: the thing is LinkedIn is still a place. Yeah, you 299 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 2: go and you find jobs, right, But like, it's so 300 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 2: much more than that. And this is where going back 301 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 2: to one of your questions before about where we're making 302 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 2: a mistake. We are still approaching this platform as a 303 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 2: job search platform. Our counterparts are not doing that. Our 304 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: counterparts are showing up on this platform every day, building community, 305 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 2: networking with people, sending people happy birthday in mails, right, 306 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 2: like posting the video being okay with looking cringey, or 307 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 2: like weird at first, as you learn how to hold 308 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 2: the phone or how you learn how to you know, 309 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 2: put b roll. People are becoming comfortable with failing in 310 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 2: front of people, and it's actually building the community that 311 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 2: is then going to give them the economic opportunity that 312 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 2: they need later on. And so what I would say 313 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 2: is still see this platform as a place where, yes, 314 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 2: you show up a certain way, right, Like I wouldn't 315 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 2: cut up on LinkedIn away, You're gonna see me cut 316 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 2: up on Instagram stories, right, Like brunch is not necessary 317 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 2: for this platform. But I have learned a lot of 318 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 2: the topics that we're thinking about. If it applies to work, 319 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 2: it can belong on LinkedIn. You just have to ask yourself, 320 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: how do we analyze this? And this is actually something 321 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,479 Speaker 2: that you know as we were really thinking about our episodes, 322 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: you know, because for like, for instance, like let's talk offline, 323 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 2: we're talking to gen Z and early career professionals. But 324 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: there's two things here. One, no matter where you are 325 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: in your career, everybody can learn something about navigating a 326 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 2: toxic manager, right or building workplace friendships, or finding a 327 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 2: mentor or asking for that first promotion. Everybody can learn 328 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 2: from those things. But you also are trying to figure out, Okay, 329 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 2: how do I do this in a way that doesn't 330 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 2: just feel like it's just scattered. It's so speaking to 331 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 2: like one individual person. That's where your LinkedIn profile comes in, 332 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 2: and that's where like you get to build this unique 333 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 2: audience of people who may follow you on other platforms too, right, 334 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 2: Like I've had some people who I've bought in from 335 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 2: my LinkedIn persona and then they come to my other 336 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 2: platforms and the like, you're the same person, it's the 337 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: same thing, will as like who you are around your 338 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: your parents might be different than who you are around 339 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 2: your grandparents, different from the church folk, different around you boys, 340 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 2: Like everybody gets a piece of you. But it's not 341 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 2: that you're not being true and authentic. You just know 342 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 2: how to move into each individual room. So you got 343 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: to ask yourself and think of that the same way 344 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 2: for your LinkedIn profile. But I would definitely say we 345 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 2: are underestimating our ability to know how to tell our 346 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 2: story and to still attract the people that we need 347 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 2: to attract. Get that fear out of it, post it, 348 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 2: take a walk, go get some coffee, Go do whatever 349 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 2: you got to do, get on the game, rite whatever 350 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 2: you gotta do, and you'll start to see a little 351 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,200 Speaker 2: bit by a little bit. Showing up authentically each day 352 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 2: builds that audience and that community people who come to 353 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 2: respect you for just being real. 354 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: So social media has social med platforms, I should say, 355 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: have increasingly become like portfolios, you know, for creators. So 356 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: how should creators think about their body of work? 357 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 2: Look, I always say receipts. Receipts are currency, you know 358 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 2: what I mean? You know, going back to this idea 359 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: of like why you If I'm a recruiter, I want 360 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: to see, like what have you done and what do 361 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 2: you have to offer that somebody else may not? And 362 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 2: sometimes those are the smallest deciding factors between you and 363 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 2: another candidate, whether you're looking for a job or you're 364 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 2: looking for whatever else. I've posted everything from short form 365 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,439 Speaker 2: video clips. I obviously post the clips of the podcast 366 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 2: right because think about it, there's always gonna be someone 367 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 2: who that's the first time that they've ever discovered it, 368 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 2: and I love that idea. There's some I don't remember 369 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 2: who I was talking to the other day. I was 370 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 2: talking to somebody and they were like, you know this creator, 371 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 2: and they showed this creator to me on the phone 372 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 2: on their phone. The creator has millions, like tens of 373 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 2: millions of us will if that person had been walking 374 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 2: down the streets from New York, I would have never known. 375 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 2: I'm been like, I've never seen this person a day 376 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: in my life. And it was such a wonderful reminder 377 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 2: to me that we think everybody has already seen everything. No, 378 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 2: you gotta keep putting your stuff out there, and you 379 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 2: got to be very bullish about being your own marketing professional, 380 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 2: like you got to get this stuff out there. So 381 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 2: everything from internships that you've had to essays to campaigns 382 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 2: or events. If you have a podcast, are you posting 383 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 2: your clips online? That's creating a funnel for people to 384 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 2: go watch the longer version, if you have it with 385 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,719 Speaker 2: video or if it's just audio, are you constantly driving 386 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 2: back people to where they can find more of you? 387 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,439 Speaker 2: I think that like, if you really sit down and 388 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 2: you think about all of the dope projects or the 389 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 2: things that you've touched, nothing is ever lost, right, And 390 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 2: this also comes down to transferable skills. Now, I'll tell 391 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 2: you something as someone who is also an actor, one 392 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 2: of the things I've had to learn is that how 393 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,919 Speaker 2: the industry was years ago is not what it is today. 394 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 2: Years ago, you did the traditional I'm going to out 395 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 2: keep auditioning, hopefully I get booked, I get enough projects, 396 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: I get an agent, and then the agent takes over. Nowadays, 397 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 2: there's so much more people than the work. So going 398 00:19:57,640 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 2: back to this idea of how you're going to stand out, 399 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 2: this is why you have actors nowadays, who are scriptwriters, 400 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 2: who are directors, who are teaching all these other things. 401 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 2: Because you can't be a one trick pony anymore. And 402 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 2: so this is not just in the entertainment space. This 403 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 2: is for everybody. So if you're not getting the opportunities, 404 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 2: create the opportunities yourself, all right, You don't need all 405 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 2: this fancy equipment to start recording video. You don't even 406 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 2: need all this fancy equipment necessarily to start a podcast. 407 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 2: Start create the minimal viable product, create a proof of concept, 408 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 2: and show people here's what I can do with this. 409 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 2: Because if I could do this with this, imagine what 410 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 2: I can do with a lot more. And I think 411 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 2: this is where the portfolio comes in. If you can 412 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 2: show people you already are that person, right Like I 413 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 2: always like to tell people, I was always that girl. 414 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 2: I just got a little bit more money, but I 415 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: was always that girl. But I proved myself to be 416 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: that girl when I was, you know, at a lower 417 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 2: place in my life, so that it only was natural 418 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 2: that as more opportunities came, I could continue to elevate. 419 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 2: You got to see the same way for yourself, in 420 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 2: the same way for your portfolio, and particularly for LinkedIn. 421 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 2: What I like about LinkedIn, and it's not because I 422 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 2: work here, It's because I've just genuinely seen it, is 423 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 2: that you can marry so many of your communities here. 424 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 2: If you like video, there's a place for that. If 425 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 2: you like audio, there's a place for that. If you 426 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 2: like to write, there's a place for that. Like, I 427 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 2: have so many different communities in my LinkedIn portfolio quote 428 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 2: unquote that I really like, and I just think that, like, 429 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 2: we got to just keep tapping into that. But at 430 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 2: the end of the day, show goes, receipts, show the receipts. 431 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:33,160 Speaker 1: Like that. What advice do you give to content creators 432 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: who want to advocate for themselves? They want to put 433 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: themselves in the position to have deals, brand deals get 434 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: picked by you know, these brands who want to engage 435 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: but they're growing, but don't know how to pitch themselves. 436 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: How do you do that? 437 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 2: Man looks as an entrepreneur myself, I can tell you 438 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 2: I've pitched myself both good and very bad. Okay, I'm 439 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 2: very very thankful that I made a lot of mistakes privately, 440 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 2: because now when you get a little bit more public, 441 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 2: you kind of get a little bit more leery of 442 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 2: making mistakes. But I'm very thankful for that time too, 443 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 2: because I do think we all need a training ground 444 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 2: and stuff. I always tell people like, are you perfecting 445 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 2: yourself in the private? Because once she's public? What's the showtime? 446 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 2: Is showtime? You know what I mean? Everybody wants something, 447 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 2: Everybody wants this idea of what they think success to be. 448 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 2: But I always ask myself, are you preparing yourself for that? 449 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 2: Because you can get it? But then what happens? Right, 450 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 2: It's like the same thing as people want the million 451 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 2: dollar brand deal, but baby, if you can't even juggle 452 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 2: the five hundred dollar brand deal, your deliverables are late, 453 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 2: the product is trash. You have poor communication skills. How 454 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 2: are you preparing yourself for that bigger blessing down the road? 455 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? And so when it comes 456 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:55,120 Speaker 2: to pitching, it comes down to again the proof of concept, 457 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 2: and it shows in this idea of showing your receipts. 458 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 2: It's also about being bold. And you know, as I've 459 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: gotten older, I've come to realize, like you just got 460 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 2: to take the risk. You got to take the risk, 461 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 2: but calculated risks, right, Like I'm very calculative in the 462 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 2: sense that like, I'm not just going to go into 463 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 2: anybody's in anybody's room and ask for something. I'm gonna 464 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 2: come knowing that I have something to bring and here's 465 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 2: where the value is. I would definitely say like being 466 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 2: someone who is confident in what you have to offer, 467 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 2: but also being okay with being rejected is good too. 468 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 2: Not all money is good money, and I know people 469 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 2: don't want to believe that, and I know it's particularly 470 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 2: when you're trying to pay them bills. You really don't 471 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: want to believe that. But sometimes saying no to things 472 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 2: is actually a setup for a bigger yes later down 473 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 2: the road. And so I always say, when you think 474 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 2: of that pitch, ask yourself, like, what are the biggest 475 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 2: things that this person needs to know about me? How 476 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,119 Speaker 2: can I show how I have already done this? Right? Like, 477 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 2: how have I already operated in the space in some way? 478 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 2: And this is where transferable skills comes in, Like what 479 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,679 Speaker 2: have you done that's similar to this that you can 480 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 2: speak to? And then lastly, how do I position myself 481 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 2: in a way where like I'm showing you I am 482 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 2: the person for the job? Right? We actually we actually 483 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 2: talk about this in an episode too, where we're like, someone, 484 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 2: you know, how do you when you when you first 485 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 2: come out of college? And everybody is like, how do 486 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 2: I get the job? And then we're all like, do 487 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 2: I put the job that I had at Starbucks? Do 488 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 2: I put that down on the resume or not? And 489 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 2: some people might be like nah, don't put that down. 490 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: But like the pushback is, but if there were transferable 491 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 2: skills of you working, you know, I've had a lot 492 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 2: of jobs in retail, a lot of jobs in hospitality, 493 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 2: and let me tell you something that built me for 494 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 2: good customer service. That now as a community manager here, 495 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 2: I got to know how to talk to people because 496 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 2: sometimes people be trying you and you can't just say 497 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 2: whatever you want to say, you know what I mean, 498 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 2: So I just say, like, use every opportunity and experience 499 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 2: have had and craft the narrative as to how that 500 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 2: built you, but also how you added to it. Numbers 501 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 2: are always going to win. So quantifying your successes, quantifying 502 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 2: anything you can helps tell a brand a story. But 503 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 2: then also being a good person also goes so far. 504 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 2: People like to work with good people, people like to 505 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 2: work with kind people. So if you can present yourself 506 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 2: to be someone who is collaborative and fun and engaging, 507 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 2: who comes with creative ideas, but then also you have 508 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 2: those receipts to back it up, I think you're good. 509 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: You know, you manage a community of more than seventeen 510 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: thousand on LinkedIn, You run your own side business also 511 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: more than ninety thousand people you serve there, How are 512 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: you how are you distributing your content making sure that 513 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: you're serving these folks? Well? Are you cross pollinating your content? 514 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: Is the same content across places? 515 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 2: Like? 516 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: How are you doing that in two different directions? 517 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 2: Yeah? I always say, like, we all only have a 518 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,680 Speaker 2: certain amount of hours in the day. So if if 519 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 2: I create a piece of content, everybody about to get 520 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 2: this content. Everybody's about to see this, and we gonna 521 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 2: see it a couple of times. I definitely believe in 522 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 2: boundary setting, particularly when it comes to work. So for me, 523 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 2: like even though my you know, teammates and the company 524 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 2: and everybody knows like the things that I work on 525 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 2: on the side, like, I do believe it is very 526 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 2: important for me to distinguish the jama Jackson brand from 527 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 2: the Jamaic Community Manager brand. And a lot of people 528 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 2: sometimes be like, no, merge, merge, merge, But I'm like, 529 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 2: that's where I think we have to also say, like 530 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 2: I have to have some type of ownership on something 531 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 2: too right, And so for me, I think, like creating content, 532 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 2: I'm always looking for what is the thorough line between 533 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 2: my audiences, my audiences for the JAMAI Jackson Brand are 534 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 2: a lot more black and brown creatives. It's people who 535 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 2: have watched me grow up through the ranks, people who 536 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 2: saw me move from DC to New York, people who 537 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 2: saw me try to go from fashion and beauty to 538 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 2: then journalism to now acting and then also working in tech, 539 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 2: and my LinkedIn audience is a lot more expanded, right, 540 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 2: But particularly it's like, okay, but you also have to 541 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,360 Speaker 2: figure out, well, what is the thorough line here? Everybody 542 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 2: is always trying to figure out how can I be better? 543 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 2: Everybody is always trying to figure out what are the 544 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 2: new trends we're seeing, what are the new things we're 545 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 2: seeing in the job market? How do I stand out? 546 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 2: It's a tough job market, you know what I mean, 547 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 2: And so I always like to speak to what the 548 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 2: commonality the differences are, Okay, right, Like if you want 549 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 2: to see me do like the super blackly black combos, 550 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 2: because that is what I'm going to do. There's a 551 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 2: platform and a space for that. But when I also 552 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 2: think about how can I service my audience, I'm also 553 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 2: thinking like where can I get the most bang for 554 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 2: my buck? And for me, I find like the commonalities 555 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 2: of helping people show up authentically figuring out how do 556 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 2: you build your personal brand, how do you build your 557 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 2: own personal mission statement? How do you build the confidence 558 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 2: to take up space that allows me to cast everybody? 559 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 2: And sometimes that's what you me. You need people, You 560 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 2: need the messaging that is going to touch more people, 561 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 2: because then that draws back people are like, Okay, cool, 562 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 2: I like it. Let me check out what other content 563 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 2: she creates, So let me see what other things that 564 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 2: she does. So yeah, I think boundary setting is so 565 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 2: important a particularly as a creative ownership is important. But 566 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: I also think that when you just show up and 567 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 2: you share the content that you know is going to 568 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 2: really matter to people, then that kind of you make 569 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 2: the cell there right. This is why I also taught 570 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 2: because I work with a lot of sales and marketing 571 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 2: professionals and I'm always like, stop telling people you got 572 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 2: the best product on the market. You know what I mean? 573 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 2: Stop stop because that doesn't do anything for me. If 574 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 2: you tell me you know, I have the best coffee 575 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 2: in all of New York. That's different than you telling me, like, 576 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 2: half a cup of my coffee will keep you up 577 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 2: to finish that job proposal you've been working on for 578 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 2: three weeks or something like that. Right, your show don't 579 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 2: tell And I think as creatives we have to show 580 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 2: show your impact. You don't tell us your impactful. Anybody 581 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 2: can say that, but I show me like. 582 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: That like that, I cannot get out of here without 583 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: asking you about AI. You knew it was coming and 584 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: is here, so I think about you know, well, actually 585 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: I'm just asked what kind of tools are you using 586 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: to help streamline your workflow? Like are you using AI? 587 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 1: What kind of aire you using? 588 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 2: Like? 589 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: What do you suggest, based on the kind of content 590 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: you deliver, people should be using to get you know, 591 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: to make more impact and do it efficiently. 592 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean it's really cool because I'm seeing like 593 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 2: so much excitement for AI, especially around like gen Z 594 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 2: and millennials, you know, who are really thinking that AI 595 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 2: is going to help them progress in their careers. And 596 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 2: I believe it. You know, I had the honor and 597 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 2: privilege of attending Afrotech for the second or third time 598 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago, and AI and Innovation with 599 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 2: something we talked about a lot. And it's interesting because 600 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 2: I think that as much as we're talking about it, 601 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 2: so many people are still being left behind because they're scared. 602 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 2: I think we should embrace it, and I think that 603 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 2: we should explore how can we start leveraging things like 604 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 2: AI skills and AI learning. I mean, one of the 605 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 2: things I always tell people is, first of all, LinkedIn 606 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 2: has LinkedIn learning courses right what you can sign up 607 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 2: for and you can actually learn a lot about AI. 608 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 2: You can at least start to learn the immediate jargon 609 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 2: right of things that like you might not know or 610 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 2: like you might have questions about, to just at least 611 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 2: familiarize yourself with it. For me personally, I like to 612 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 2: use AI for a lot of things, and so like, 613 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 2: for instance, like when I'm mapping out my week, I 614 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 2: will use like a claud or a chat GPT to 615 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 2: say like, Okay, here are my biggest priorities of the week. 616 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 2: Help me prioritize based on X, Y and Z variable 617 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 2: yeah yah yeah yeah. As a writer or as a creator, 618 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 2: sometimes I'll even think of like, okay, here's the topic 619 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 2: that I want to touch on, and here are some 620 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 2: key talking points, like help me at least create an outline. 621 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 2: Now Here's where I think people make the mistake. Will 622 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 2: people are using this AI and then they just spit 623 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 2: it out and then they just and you can tell 624 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 2: I'm like, now you have never been able to formulate 625 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 2: a sentence of Daniel life now all of a sudden, 626 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 2: right right exactly. So I definitely say like the AI 627 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 2: as a partner, don't see it as as something that, 628 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 2: like you know, is going to take away from your creativity. 629 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 2: It can enhance your creativity if used properly. And I'm 630 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 2: just kind of continuing. I'm just I think that this 631 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 2: is just a skill that we're going to continue to see. 632 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 2: The great thing about AI, I think is that it 633 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 2: doesn't just touch the tech market, right, which I think 634 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 2: is a lot of people's mistake they think AI is 635 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: only touching tech. If you can start to familiar familiarize 636 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 2: yourself with AI large language models, what these what machine learning, 637 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 2: what all of these terms mean, and how you can 638 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 2: get a piece of it, you won't be behind the 639 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 2: wave when we see because we've already seen the first 640 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 2: wave of AI happen. But I think we haven't even 641 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 2: seen yet all of the possibilities of what's going to 642 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 2: happen over the next few years. This is where we 643 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 2: start to build when we talk about building that generational wealth, 644 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 2: when we talk about getting into these roles that are 645 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 2: going to set us up when we talk about how 646 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 2: we can be the pushers of culture, because we already 647 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 2: are as black people, we already push the culture, we 648 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 2: create the culture, but then we allow the culture to 649 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 2: then dictate what we do. No, if you know how 650 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 2: to move and if you know how to put yourself 651 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 2: in the rooms, you can dictate the culture, and you 652 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 2: can dictate the culture because at the end of the day, 653 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 2: it's not just about what you can do for you. 654 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 2: At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, 655 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 2: how can I use these gifts, talents and skills to 656 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 2: further my community and further other people who may not 657 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 2: have access to the things that I have access to. 658 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: Black Tech Green Money is a production to Blavity Afro 659 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: Tech on the Black Effect podcast network in night Hire 660 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: Media and it's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, 661 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: with the additional production support by Kate McDonald, Sayah and 662 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 1: Jaden McGee. Special thank you to Michael Davis and Love Beach. 663 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: Learn more about My Guess. Other TECHILFF is an Innovatives 664 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: afro tech dot com video version. This episode will drop 665 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: to Black Tech Green money on YouTube, so tap in. 666 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: Enjoy your black tech, green money, Share us with somebody, 667 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: Go get your money. Peace and love,