1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm Will Lucas and this is black Tech, Green Money. 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,800 Speaker 1: Randal Yarbro is a multidisciplinary designer with professional experience in 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: the fields of sporting equipment, apparel, and full weear. He 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: was seeing your footwear designer at Easy and It's not 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: leading his own label joy Shit, where he serves as 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: creative director. Knowing what he knows about reaching some of 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: the highest levels in creative direction, what would he say 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: is the most important non design related thing to know 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: about achieving success. 10 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: That's a great question. 11 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 3: I think one of the things that aren't design related 12 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 3: is kind of just being honest with yourself and with others. 13 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: That's probably the biggest thing that. 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 3: I can think of right at the top of my 15 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: head when it comes down to it, Like, you can 16 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 3: be a great designer, and you can do amazing things, 17 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 3: you make beautiful pictures, but at the end of the day, 18 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: being very honest and truthful about what you're doing makes 19 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 3: it much easier to do those things right, to portray 20 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,319 Speaker 3: what you're trying to portray or convey what you're trying 21 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 3: to convey that message or that design, because at the 22 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 3: end of the day, like you know, you can't fall 23 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 3: back on something that you make up. I think you 24 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 3: know what I mean. So, yeah, just being honest and 25 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 3: truthful about what you're doing at the end of the 26 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,559 Speaker 3: day will kind of get you and guide you into 27 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 3: the right place. 28 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: So I was having this conversation with another designer a 29 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: few episodes ago, and we were talking about, you know, 30 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: the need for the ability of storytelling and the need 31 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: for designers to be able to tell stories, because that 32 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: could potentially be just as important as having the asset. 33 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: Can you talk a little bit about that from your perspective. 34 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, just the storytelling part, like being able to have 35 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:46,839 Speaker 3: the ability to storytell. 36 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, communicating your idea, because it's one thing to have 37 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: a dope shoot, I imagine it's another thing to be 38 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: able to translate that dope shoot to make people other 39 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: people know that it's dope. 40 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, No, it's true. 41 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 3: I mean it's kind of like, uh, like stand up comedy. Right. 42 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 3: I'm not saying that trump make people left, but just 43 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 3: being able to kind of like transfer everything that you 44 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 3: just put into that work, whether it's a building, whether 45 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 3: it's a chair, whether it's a shoot, and kind of 46 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,239 Speaker 3: being able to share that journey. And that's also where 47 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 3: that truthfulness. That honestness comes back where you're like, I 48 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 3: worked so hard throughout the entire process. Once I get 49 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 3: to that point where I'm either in front of a 50 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 3: bunch of people, in front of the CEO, in front 51 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 3: of the team, sharing the journey or sharing what I 52 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 3: just created or put in front of them, you know, 53 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: I don't have to fall back on made up stories 54 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 3: or made up things like the entire journey, the entire process. 55 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 3: You know, I was honest, I was truthful, and then 56 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 3: that story is just so easy to tell. 57 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: It's like, you know, not everybody's able to talk about themselves. 58 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: But you know, once you do have that little rhythm, 59 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 3: that cadence, you're able to kind of just go back 60 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: and just grab a few things, and that storytelling becomes 61 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 3: extremely easy. It's not something that you have to like 62 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 3: you have to make it up, you know what I mean. 63 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 3: It makes it much easier at the end of the 64 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 3: day when it comes to storytelling it. 65 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 2: But it's definitely important though. 66 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 3: I think lucky thing for me is I study architecture 67 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 3: in undergrad and just being able to sit there in 68 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: front of like fit the other classmates in six six architects, 69 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 3: you know, training trained architects, practicing architects and your professor 70 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: and being able to take what you just did for 71 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 3: over the past you know, a month or so and 72 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 3: put it in you know, being very like vulnerable and 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 3: sharing that story and that journey with people in front 74 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 3: of you is a it is a hard thing to do, 75 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: but it makes everything that you did before it's super exciting. 76 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 3: It's like it's a feel good moment. 77 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've said a couple of things that picked my 78 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: interest there. And I'm from the middlest also from Toledo, 79 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: which is like, you know, half an hour forty five 80 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: minutes from where you're from Detroit, and I remember, I 81 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: remember growing up and designing clothes and you know, tearing 82 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: apart some genes I had with some corduroys that I 83 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: had also and putting them together and making something new 84 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: out of them. And then like the places that we 85 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: grew up, so you know, it's a lot like Detroit 86 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: and like that that isn't necessarily something that's you know, amplified, 87 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: Like there's not a lot of people trying to do 88 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: that type of work where we're from. And so I'm wondering, like, 89 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: what was the fuel in the tank? Or the encouragement 90 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: you had or the self determination you had to fight 91 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: for those ideas so that it was like me. I 92 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: stopped doing it after I was probably like twelve or 93 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: thirteen because I'm like, Okay, nobody around me does this, 94 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: Like this is not what we do right here, right, 95 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: So I wonder like, what was it about your coming 96 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: of age that helped you fight for that idea? 97 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm the number one thing. And I always said, 98 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 3: it's just like Gruffy Troit. I was there until I 99 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 3: was nine. But that entire time I learned so much 100 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 3: Like I've seen I saw. I saw a lot of stuff, 101 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 3: so you're just like, you know, you grow up faster there. 102 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 3: But the entire time I was like, man, how do 103 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 3: I how I get my mom out of this? Like 104 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 3: you know, typically we think, you know, playing basketball, playing football, 105 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 3: you might do a support activity something to get that 106 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 3: money because it only makes sense, or you can go, 107 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 3: you know, a totally different route. But the entire time 108 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: I can think if I was like, I want to 109 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 3: build her a house. If I build our house, we 110 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 3: can get out of where we're at right now. So 111 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 3: in my head, that's that's what I had installed, like 112 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 3: building her house. I didn't know what it was or 113 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 3: how to do it exactly, but I knew I loved 114 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 3: the idea of it. You know, I love music, I 115 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 3: love the buildings that are around me. I love shoes 116 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 3: and all these things that that were Detroit. And then 117 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 3: when I finally went left Detroit and got to South Carolina, 118 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: that's when I I kind of learned about architecture and 119 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 3: I was like, Oh, that was my That's what I 120 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 3: want to do. 121 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: That's where I want to be. Become an architect. 122 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 3: And so that was kind of like the guideline of 123 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 3: seeing the things around me and then finally understanding what 124 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 3: that goal was or what I was looking to become 125 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 3: to then achieve the things that I saw or the 126 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 3: things that I was thinking about. So it started off 127 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 3: as a kid and just wanted to, you know, literally 128 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 3: just build my mama house. And then the love of 129 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 3: like music, architecture, footwear, sports somehow got me to that 130 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 3: point of like, oh, I want to do architecture. 131 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 132 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: So what's interesting to me is that you there's a 133 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: lot of us that grow up, you know, I want 134 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: to build my MoMA house or I want to buy, 135 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: you know, my grandma car I want to you know, 136 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: do I want to do something for somebody that I love? 137 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: And part of the disconnect we have, like even in tech, 138 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: it's like so many of us are consumers of the 139 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: applications and software that we use, and not enough of 140 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: us think about there's somebody on the other side of 141 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: building this thing, right, and so, because you're so passionate 142 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: about mentorship and teaching and you know, leading along the 143 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: next generation of black designers, what's important to you or 144 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: how is it important to you to tackling the idea 145 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: or the concept of representation and awareness to know that 146 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: there's us out here doing this work so that more 147 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: people do desire to be this. I mean I was 148 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: I was raised. I wanted Jordan's my whole life, you know, 149 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: but I never thought of I could be a Jordan designer, 150 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? 151 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no, I mean it's definitely true. 152 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 3: I guess like at a certain point I got I 153 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 3: got pretty lucky, and you know, just less because even 154 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 3: living in Detroit, there were CCS, you know, ten fifteen 155 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 3: minutes from my house, and you know at CCS that 156 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 3: they study you know, architecture design, footwear design, they industrial design, 157 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 3: they do everything there. But I was only fifteen minutes 158 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 3: a way and I knew I knew nothing about it. 159 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 3: You would think that I was across the country, but 160 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 3: I was just down the street. And so I didn't 161 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 3: have that you know, same as you like, I didn't 162 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 3: have that representation. I didn't have that understanding that I 163 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 3: could literally not walk down the street, but I could 164 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: go down the street and I could be at a 165 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 3: place where, you know, all those needs that I was 166 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: looking for could be like fulfilled. 167 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: It was. 168 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 3: It wasn't until my last year, my fourth year of 169 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 3: architecture school, and I entered into full like this T 170 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 3: shirt competition called Future Soul with Nike and Jordan Brand, 171 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 3: and I was just doing t shirts, just graphics, but 172 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 3: it was my first time doing graphics, and I was 173 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 3: like trialing it out. And that's where like I kind 174 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: of got that start in that representation. They flew us 175 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 3: out to Nike, so the contestants there was apparel and footwear. 176 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 3: They flew us out to Nike, got the tour the 177 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 3: campus and I got to meet a lot of black designers. 178 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: The main person Dwayne Doctor, Dwayne. 179 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 3: Edwards who now runs Lewis Pencil College. You know, he 180 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 3: was the reason why people of color were in that space. 181 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 2: At that time, just for the future soul. 182 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 3: And that's that representation and that like, that's that that 183 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 3: little drop that I needed at the time to. 184 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 2: Push me and continue like push me into the right direction. 185 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 3: Because with his guidance, you know, East got Jason Maiden, 186 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 3: like those those guys Wilson Smith, being able to finally 187 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 3: see that representation of black people not just in fullward design, 188 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 3: but just in in the corporate setting doing creative things 189 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 3: was it was just like it was eye opening, you know, architecture. 190 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 3: The entire time there was like maybe three or four 191 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 3: of us, uh that that were black, and then just 192 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 3: seeing that there were so many more in the professional space, 193 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 3: it was like, oh, well, now I got that drop 194 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 3: of guidance. And then their words and their you know, 195 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 3: their feedback was telling me, Hey, you get to this point, 196 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 3: you got to do same thing we did. You know, 197 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 3: we built this bridge, you got to continue to build it. 198 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 3: You got to continue to give rides, you got to 199 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 3: you know, you got to do these things to help 200 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 3: pull other people up, just like you know, Hope, we 201 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 3: were pulling you up. And that's where that that's the 202 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 3: representation came from and that's the reason why I try 203 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 3: to do it as much as possible when I can. 204 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. So I was talking with a friend of mine, 205 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: Darryl Brown, who you might know was me midlest Kids 206 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: and Darryl Brown Clothing company was at one point Kanye's 207 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: he was one of the stylists for Kanye. And we 208 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: were talking about his aesthetic and if you know Darryl 209 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 1: or even his line, it's very work where it's work 210 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: where effectively crossed the board because he used to work 211 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: on the train, you know, the railroad, and we're both 212 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: from Toledo, and we were talking about this is because 213 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: I'm interested in your design aesthetic and how much of 214 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: your upbringing in the Midwest and Detroit may speak to it. 215 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: Like some other designers might have something in their childhood 216 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: that speaks to how they design. So is there anything 217 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: about your upbringing in in the Midwest and Detroit that 218 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: speaks to what you put to pen and paper? 219 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think so. 220 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 3: Again, going back to being a kid, just like that, architecture, music, 221 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 3: the design, like you think about so many different things 222 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 3: that that kind of pop out. Even right now I'm 223 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 3: wearing like Carhart my T shirt and. 224 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 2: Not even on purpose, it's just a it's a good feeling. 225 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 2: So yeah, I. 226 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 3: Would definitely say so at least from my my visual aesthetics, 227 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 3: you know. 228 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 2: But then when it comes to like from. 229 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 3: A design perspective, I would say, so it might not 230 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 3: always be in what I physically create, so you know, consciously, 231 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 3: it might be subconsciously, but even in the way that 232 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 3: I like appreciate certain how It's like if you if 233 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 3: you think about like the tall brick do places that 234 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 3: that we have in the Midwest. You know, the way 235 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 3: that we dress is a little bit different, the way 236 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 3: that we speak is different. So there's there's a lot 237 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 3: of different things that that pop up. And it might 238 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 3: not be as I'm not I might not be like 239 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 3: very cautious of like yeah. 240 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 2: Me doing it. It might just be like you know, 241 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 2: muscle memory not even noticing it. 242 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: H I was reading an interview where you talked about 243 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: before you got too Easy, and you said this in 244 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: the in the interview said when I went into the interview, 245 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: I was talking to them and I was like, Hey, 246 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: I'll do this technical designer role for now, but just 247 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: so you understand, after a year, I want to be 248 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: a footwear designer. I already had the tools and the knowledge. 249 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: So after a year being a technical designer, I was 250 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: a footwear designer that easy and so or Adidas maybe 251 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: even before ye say, I'm not sure which was it 252 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: Adidas or Easy. 253 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 2: Specifically it was easy in Adidas, so it was like 254 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: it was a Dida's easy, gotcha, gotcha? 255 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: And so I wonder what gave you the confidence to 256 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: speak up in that way, like so many of us 257 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 1: just want the opportunity to get into something that could 258 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: be special. But you were effectively putting it like yo, 259 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: I want, this is what I want, and that could 260 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: even put you at risk of not getting it, but 261 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: you were you had the confidence. And what I wonder 262 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: what gave you that? 263 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 2: Uh? 264 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 3: Man? 265 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 2: Just I just had to do it. 266 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 3: To be honest, I think it's just kind of my personality. 267 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:35,959 Speaker 2: It's like at the end of the day, like you 268 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 2: have nothing to lose. 269 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 3: Grandpa told me the same thing, like, you know, you 270 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:42,599 Speaker 3: asked for what you want, all they can say is no, 271 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: and it doesn't know it really hurts you, and I 272 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 3: you know, I didn't. I didn't see anything wrong with 273 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,599 Speaker 3: what I was saying. Also, I just came from Skills, 274 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 3: which was in Carlsbad, and I was a product designer there. 275 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: So for me, I was taking a step back. 276 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 3: I was about to be a senior designer doing sports 277 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,439 Speaker 3: performance training equipment and stuff like that, but it was 278 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 3: gonna be a step down. So I wanted them to 279 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 3: understand like where my goals were, so then I wouldn't 280 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 3: I couldn't like say that it was ever lost or 281 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 3: it wasn't heard. It was like you have to kind 282 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 3: of you have to speak up for yourself, represent yourself. 283 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 3: Otherwise you know, they'll just say, oh, well, you didn't 284 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 3: tell me. 285 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 2: That you wanted to do that. 286 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 3: I didn't know, and that's a great response for them to, 287 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 3: you know, kind of cover up your progress pretty much. 288 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 3: So it was pretty That was probably the reason why. 289 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 3: And then also you know, understanding that I was going 290 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 3: to be one of the only black people again in 291 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 3: the space, especially for easy. I did the same thing 292 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 3: at Skills, like for about two years I was the 293 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 3: only black person at Skills. So for me, I was like, 294 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 3: you know, I was gonna stick out anyway, so I 295 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 3: might as well, you know, make it understood and know, 296 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 3: you know. 297 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: Before I even started in the brand. 298 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, just so I'm clear when we talked about you know, 299 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: it was Adidas slash Yeasy. I'm curious on how that 300 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: relationship between Adidas and Easy was because I know, sometimes 301 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: it's okay Easy and the team can go do whatever 302 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: they want and they just showed they show up at 303 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: the end of the day and show Adidas what they did. 304 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: But is it more integrated that relationship between that Adidas 305 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: team and that Easy team. 306 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, especially footwear. Apparel was was separate at the beginning. 307 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 3: Apparel was like a part of Adidas as well Adidas Easy. 308 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 3: But for footwear it was pretty integrated. Like you know, 309 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 3: working with people like Steven Smith and and the team 310 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 3: over over at Easy, it was we were all one. 311 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 3: So it was a it was a group that we 312 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 3: were working together every single day. So yeah, it was 313 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 3: It wasn't like I was working in the Adida's office. I 314 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 3: was working in the in the Calabasas Easy office with 315 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 3: the team. 316 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 2: So actually it felt like I wasn't even Adidas. 317 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 3: I would go I would go to Portland to visit 318 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 3: the campus and stuff like that, and you felt like 319 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 3: you were still just Easy. You didn't really feel like 320 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 3: you were a Beata. So it was it was interesting. 321 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 3: Nobody made it that way. It was just kind of 322 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 3: how it was set. 323 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 2: Up, you know. 324 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: And so further on the question about your transitioning to 325 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: a role that I'll say this was beneath you in 326 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: in your career trajectory, How did it make sense for you? 327 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: What was the thesis, what was the thought process you 328 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: went through to say, you know what, taking this step 329 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: back in my career makes sense. 330 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean the biggest thing I wanted to get 331 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 2: in full wear. 332 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 3: My my friend Sarah, Sarah Sabino, she she was a 333 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 3: full wed designer on the team, and she called me 334 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 3: and she just said, hey, you still want to get 335 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 3: in full wear? 336 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 2: And I was. 337 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 3: I was four years into my time at Skills, and 338 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 3: I was just like it was like a decent trajectory. 339 00:16:54,680 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 3: I had products out and I had patents already already out, 340 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 3: and on paper it looked like a step back, but 341 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 3: in reality it was like, I want to get into 342 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 3: full wear, so I'll take this, this chance and this 343 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 3: opportunity to also kind of come in as like a 344 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 3: childlike mindset where I can just learn and learn without 345 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 3: trying to sit there and be like, oh, already you know, 346 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 3: you know, big up my chest and be like already 347 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 3: know what I'm doing, Like I'm good. 348 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 2: I was about to be a senior blah blah blah. 349 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 2: I didn't have to do that. 350 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 3: I could just come in there and be very open 351 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 3: to accepting knowledge and understanding without kind of having the 352 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 3: fault of being like thrown in as a fullward designer 353 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 3: and then someone telling me like, hey, this guy's not 354 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 3: working out. So it was it was kind of a blessing. 355 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 3: Even on paper that it might look step backwards, it 356 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 3: felt like a major like hop leap forward for. 357 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: The people who don't myself included, understand the whole difference 358 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: between you know, a technical designer versus a junior designer 359 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: versus as a design director or a senior director senior designer. 360 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,919 Speaker 1: Can you explain the differences between those particular roles in 361 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: a in the house. 362 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, it all depends on the profession and the product 363 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 3: that's being made. But typically, like you can see it, 364 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 3: you know, very similar technical designer. Like you know, you 365 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 3: come in there, you're kind of doing blueprints and working 366 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 3: on certain certain things. And when I say blueprints is 367 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 3: just you know, kind of doing like the very technical 368 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 3: drawings to then get it communicated with the factory in 369 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 3: China or with the team in general. So whether that's 370 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 3: a tooling or an upper shell tech pattern, you're kind 371 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 3: of doing that baseline. So you're doing a little bit 372 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 3: less of designing conceptual you know, conceptualizing, and you're taking 373 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 3: receiving those concepts and trying to make them, you know, 374 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 3: turn them into reality. When it comes to the junior designer, 375 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 3: you're you know, you can kind of be doing both. 376 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 3: You can be doing the technical work and you can 377 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 3: also be doing a little you know, concepting. They might 378 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 3: have you on laces, they might be outshold design. Just's 379 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 3: a few different things like that. And then when you 380 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 3: jump up to like a forward designer, then you take 381 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 3: on more projects and you should be walking in from 382 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 3: the content phase, so like the sketch phase all the 383 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 3: way through production. 384 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 2: So they bounced around a little bit. Yeah, oh yeah. 385 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: And so when you think about there's so many easy 386 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: issues particularly that have pushed the boundary of what we 387 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: think about. When you're thinking about boots or sneakers, they 388 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: don't look like any other sneakers in the market, or 389 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: they didn't before everybody else started to copy the style, 390 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 1: I should say. When you think about that, and you 391 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 1: also think about driving market demand, how do you balance 392 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,879 Speaker 1: creating something that doesn't look like anything else and think about, Okay, 393 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: this thing has to sell also to be successful. 394 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 3: Yes, that's a super importan and that's a super important 395 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 3: part of the whole journey. And you know, honestly, yeay 396 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 3: is the reason why he's pushed so hard. So you know, 397 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 3: him being able to take that and then turn it 398 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 3: into a marketable product. You know, product is a little 399 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 3: bit different than you know, you putting it behind someone else. 400 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 3: And we can kind of see that when it comes 401 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 3: to you know, other people that are part of like 402 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 3: Adidas or other like you know, celebrities, how different their 403 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 3: life trajectory were was. You know, ya could put on 404 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 3: a sock or you could put on a shoe with 405 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 3: a bunch of layers and people would be like, oh, 406 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 3: that's that's quality versus you know someone else who might 407 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 3: not actually have that that reach and that convincing like manner. 408 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 2: So it was a little bit easier on our behalf. 409 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 3: But when it came to like pushing the boundaries of design, 410 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 3: it was very like holistic between himself and the design team, 411 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 3: like him really being specific of what he wants in 412 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 3: very detailed and then us making sure that we could 413 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 3: like be very like intricate in how we created and 414 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 3: made something to the liking of what he was looking for. 415 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: I want you to speak a little bit more on 416 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: that because I've heard stories about like, you know, he 417 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: actually does draw also, and he actually, you know, had 418 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: comes to the office with concepts. And I'm sure you've 419 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: worked with people who just say I want this thing, 420 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: go design it also and then't have a concept. So 421 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: talk to me about the different relationship and different working 422 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: types there is when you have somebody who actually has 423 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: some skill and they come to the office with jawings 424 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: versus just being given a task. 425 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, at the end of the day, like a lot 426 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 3: of people do just take what's given to them when 427 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 3: it comes from a design perspective, or they might be 428 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 3: a little bit nicer, you know. I've heard stories about 429 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,199 Speaker 3: Pharrell where he's a little bit you know, as we 430 00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,959 Speaker 3: can all see that he has like a very like 431 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 3: caring soul. 432 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 2: So when it comes to sharing you know, footwear. 433 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 3: And designs with him, it can be much different than 434 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 3: when it comes to the a where he's like, you know, 435 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 3: you come in and you show him something and he's 436 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 3: liking it, but he has a specific eye what he wants, 437 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 3: so he might take it and sharp, be it updated, 438 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 3: or you know. I think his mind works a lot 439 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 3: different than a lot of people's, where he has like 440 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 3: this rolodex of designs and footwear and names in his 441 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 3: head and he can like kind of call out to 442 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 3: a specific shoe or a specific area of with shoe 443 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 3: and just be like, hey, can we go get this 444 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 3: and then translate it into like how we would actually 445 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 3: put it through our lens. So it is much different 446 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 3: working with you know, certain people like you might best 447 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 3: why athlete. You might take the shoe and hand it 448 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 3: directly to him, like I did that at Skills where 449 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 3: we worked on a product and you know, it's it's 450 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 3: less you know, apparel footwear focused. It was more like, 451 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 3: you know, something that they were using to make themselves 452 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 3: play better, whether it's football or basketball, and so a 453 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 3: lot of times they didn't have the the burbage to 454 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 3: be like giving great detailed feedback. They might be like, yeah, 455 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 3: that's cool and that's it, where they might just accept 456 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 3: the product as this and have no feedback. But I 457 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 3: think with Yay, it's more so the sense where he's 458 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 3: very just very detailed, very like that detail orient mindset 459 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 3: that he has is super specific and it really does 460 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 3: push the groundary. 461 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 2: So you can like put. 462 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 3: Up one hundred different designs and only two might be 463 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 3: the one that we go forward with, and you know, 464 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 3: concept out, prototype out, sample out, and it's just. 465 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 2: A different way of working. 466 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 3: And that that goes through all across his products, whether 467 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 3: it's footwear, apparel, architecture, you. 468 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 2: Know, you name it. 469 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: So talk to me, so I want to understand differences 470 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: in these working relationships. I was interviewing Jeff Staple for 471 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: this podcast also, and he was talking about at his 472 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: level or his the way his business is designed. There's 473 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of designers there, obviously, but there's designs that 474 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: he had nothing to do with one and some he's 475 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: and some he said he probably wouldn't have even put up. 476 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 1: He like he wouldn't even wear that, but he understands 477 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: where he's at, like this is what you know, I 478 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: guess the market is the many I'm I'm I'm pair 479 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: of phasing that part, But talk to me about like 480 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: the different ways these fashion houses work and these labels 481 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,280 Speaker 1: works where you can have somebody like a Jeff Staple 482 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 1: who's got you know, these things out in the marketplace 483 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: that he has ain't nothing to do with and be 484 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,120 Speaker 1: you know, probably wouldn't wear it himself because it doesn't 485 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: sound like easy. Would ever work that way? 486 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's tough. Like outside of work with 487 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 3: I think the only thing that that I could think 488 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 3: of that would be similar to it just goes back 489 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 3: to you know, I guess what Jeff said, where you 490 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 3: have this idea of what you want and then if 491 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 3: he goes into you know, Adidas or Nike whatever, and 492 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 3: he's putting up his idea of what he's looking for, 493 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 3: just meet ten filters. You know, that means ten designers 494 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 3: creating something for him and depending on you know, the brand, 495 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,959 Speaker 3: the business unit, they might the marketing people might see 496 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 3: a direction for the design. The way we worked was 497 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 3: a little bit different because typically the marketing people they 498 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 3: give you like a brief, like here's the direction of 499 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 3: what we want. 500 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 2: For us. 501 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,360 Speaker 3: It was different, like he would give us the brief, 502 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 3: not not a paper, but just like a brief like, hey, 503 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 3: I want to waterproof food. That could you know that 504 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,439 Speaker 3: could help me fly. So you started figuring out, like, 505 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 3: this is the idea of what he wants. Now let's 506 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 3: put it through the filter of how are many designers 507 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 3: we have, and then, you know, make sure we have 508 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 3: an outcome of what he's looking for. I guess for 509 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 3: Jeff's you know, the way that Jeff was putting it, 510 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 3: it is a little bit different. It's just a different filter, right, 511 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 3: Like that's the that's the biggest difference when it comes 512 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 3: to Easy versus any other business unit or brand. You 513 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 3: just have a different filter or different people that are 514 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 3: creating the filter and then out putting the products. 515 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: I want to talk about Joys Shed a little bit first. 516 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: If you can introduce us to what you're working on 517 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 1: with Joys, I'm gonna give it to you to just 518 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: introduce it first. Then I have some questions. 519 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, So joycech had started off with me just wanting 520 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 3: to have something of my own. I think it's important, 521 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 3: Like we spend so much time giving our life, designed 522 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 3: mind and our creations to a brand and you know, 523 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 3: to different people, and we have nothing to like have 524 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 3: for ourselves, right, we have nothing that we built ourselves 525 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 3: and can say that it's like one hundred percent ours. 526 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 3: So you know, I was thinking, like what could I 527 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 3: create that would be you know, ultimately myself, what would 528 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 3: be me? And so I thought it was like basketball shorts. 529 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 3: I love basketball. I play it as much as possible. 530 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 3: I played growing up as a kid, and you know, 531 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 3: growing up, I would just buy if I have money, 532 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 3: I would just buy every single short. I go go 533 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 3: in Ebany and get the authentic or the replicas of 534 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 3: u NC or Detroit Pistons, whatever whatever I could find, 535 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 3: just something to be you know, tangible and just see it. 536 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 2: And I probably, I mean, I'm not gonna lie. 537 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 3: I probably have like a or I've had over like 538 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 3: two hundred pairs of different basketball shorts, different brands, and 539 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 3: so I was like, what can I do that's gonna 540 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 3: be real to myself? And that's where it came with 541 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 3: just the idea of having basketball shorts. The naming was 542 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 3: super hard, right because you know, I was born in 543 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 3: Detroit and left there when I was nine, got to 544 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 3: South Carolina. You know, it was there for nine years, 545 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 3: you know, until I grab your high school eighteen and 546 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,400 Speaker 3: you know, going from Detroit to South Carolina, everybody'd be like, yo, 547 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 3: where are you from? 548 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 2: And I'd be like, oh, Detroit. 549 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 3: So every single time for about you know, five years, 550 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 3: somewhere actually where I'm from, and I would say Detroit 551 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 3: because I've only been in South Carolina for you know, 552 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 3: short of my time. 553 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 2: But then when I. 554 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 3: Went to college, that's where I started seeing people. I 555 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 3: started getting confused myself. Where am I from? Oh I Detroit, 556 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 3: but I just came from South Carolina. 557 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 2: I don't know what to really tell you. 558 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 3: So anytime I would say that, you know, the South 559 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 3: Carolina people be like, yoh, ain't gonna leave us out. 560 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 2: So I had to try to find a way to 561 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 2: put the two together. 562 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 3: And what I did was I wanted to just represent 563 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 3: both at the same time. And so I grew up 564 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 3: on Joy Jeord Road in Mansfield, west side of Detroit, 565 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 3: and when I got to South Carolina, our first house 566 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 3: was on Holly Shit Road. 567 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 2: So I was like, how do I how do I 568 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 2: make this right? So I took. 569 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 3: Joy Joy Road to Holly Shd to the first part 570 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 3: of that joy Shed put them. 571 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 2: Together and it just sounded right. 572 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 3: It clicked for a little bit and I was like, Okay, 573 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 3: I can make this work. And that's how it was born. 574 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,479 Speaker 3: Just from just from the idea, at least the naming 575 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 3: part of it. It's like, where's my d NA? You know, 576 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 3: where the two places that influenced me the most? And 577 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 3: how can I represent that through a product or you know, 578 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 3: through a look? And yeah, that's that's where it all 579 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 3: came from. 580 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: How do you go about repping where you're from in 581 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: a way that can translate successfully to people who have 582 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: no affinity towards you know, joy Road and how shed like, 583 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,959 Speaker 1: how do you how do you do that? What does 584 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: it matter that they know what it means? 585 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 2: I think? 586 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 3: What what what has worked or what I feel that 587 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 3: work is people being again being honest and truthful, truthful 588 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 3: with themselves and then that hopefully you know, comes across 589 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 3: the right way to the other people. Right, so if 590 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 3: you can like show your your honest self and be 591 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 3: truthful to yourself, like you know, the people who Detroy, 592 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 3: the people from Almo, South Carolina, you know obviously right 593 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 3: off rip, they'll love it just because of the naming, 594 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 3: just because. 595 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 2: Of like, you know, who I am. 596 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 3: But when it comes to other people, that's when the 597 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 3: design pustion comes in. I think people will love the 598 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 3: honest truth about you know, why you create the brand 599 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 3: and what you're trying to do with it, and then 600 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 3: also the products will then speak for yourself, so you know, 601 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 3: that's why it took so long to get to. 602 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:45,600 Speaker 2: Where it's at right now. 603 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 3: And and as simple and simplistic and clean as it looks. Again, 604 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 3: I think that's where that detroited I've comes from that 605 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 3: that very simplistic look and not being like too loud, 606 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 3: but also being very you know, very like you're you 607 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 3: know yourself that Midwest like you're not We're not very 608 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 3: I don't feel that we're very loud, but we do 609 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 3: like we do know ourselves, and you kind of like, uh, 610 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 3: there's like a preparation of respect in the way you 611 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 3: carry yourself as well. So that's kind of how I 612 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 3: see the brand. 613 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 1: You're very passionate as we discussed about mentoring the next 614 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: generation of black designers. What piques your interest in who? 615 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: In selecting who you're going to work with? I mean, 616 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: I can imagine you get a lot of emails, a 617 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: lot of d ms or you know whatever is people 618 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: reach out. You know, I want to be I would 619 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: work for free, I would do whatever just to be around. Like, 620 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: how do you what gets you excited about somebody. 621 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 3: I think the consistency right a lot of people, and 622 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 3: you're right, like definitely get. 623 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 2: A lot of d ms or a lot of emails 624 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 2: and I try. 625 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 3: I try my best to respond to them all, and 626 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 3: it's not easy, Like and I'm not I'm not even 627 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 3: I don't think I'm a. 628 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 2: Big time at all. I'm just like a small whatever person. 629 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 2: I'm just chilling. 630 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 3: And it's tough still, so I can't imagine being you know, 631 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 3: even more you know, face forward to the public. But 632 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 3: I think the biggest thing is someone being very consistent. 633 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,959 Speaker 3: And one thing I've learned from having mentors myself is 634 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 3: once I do get that person having a conversation, whether 635 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 3: it's the first or second, once that person shows that 636 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 3: they can kind of like be very like strategic and 637 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 3: very on top of the things that I do share 638 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 3: with them, that really helps. Like with one of my mentors, 639 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 3: Jason Maiden, like anytime that we have a conversation and 640 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 3: anytime that he shares his knowledge with me and then 641 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 3: almost gives me like a task, even if he doesn't 642 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 3: say as a task, I take it as a task, right, 643 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 3: just from playing sports. I try my best to make 644 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 3: sure that I come back to them with results, just 645 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 3: so I can say, like, hey, I didn't take what 646 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,720 Speaker 3: you just said and the time you gave me for granted, 647 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 3: I made sure that I like went through, I built 648 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 3: what you said and I brought it back to you 649 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 3: so I can show it to you. So that consistency 650 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 3: and that person being under understanding of like the timing 651 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 3: and the knowledge share and then appreciating it and then 652 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 3: you know, finding a way to either share it back 653 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,719 Speaker 3: with me or you know, give it to the next person. 654 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 3: That's what really really shows me that that person cares, 655 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 3: and it's you know, it feels good once you see 656 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 3: them doing that too. So it's the best part about it. 657 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: When I think about the industries that are being democratized 658 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: in so many ways. If I want to drive for 659 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: a living, I don't have to go work for a 660 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: limo company or a bus company. I can legit, just 661 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: jump on uper and do it myself. I want to 662 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: be a musician, I don't have to get on death 663 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: Row or deaf Jam or whatever you know, or good music. 664 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: I can put out my music by myself. From a 665 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 1: fashion perspective, where's the opportunity for designers to find success 666 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: without you know, getting hired by a house. 667 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:13,879 Speaker 3: You know, honestly, a lot of people have been doing 668 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 3: amazing jobs on Instagram and social media, which is it's 669 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,280 Speaker 3: a lot different, right, Like they've been able to people 670 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 3: have been able to have their almost resume from creating 671 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 3: things online. 672 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 2: Now that doesn't. 673 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:32,240 Speaker 3: Always turn into a product or it turns into the opportunities, 674 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 3: but I have seen it work for a lot of 675 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 3: people where you know, some you might see somebody on 676 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:38,439 Speaker 3: Instagram and be like, hey, like let's go get them 677 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 3: and have a conversation. See what else they can do. 678 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 3: Then see you know how they work and how their mind. 679 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 3: You know how their mind works. So I don't think 680 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,360 Speaker 3: that they know anyone needs to jump, you know to 681 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,359 Speaker 3: a Nike or an Adidas. I think it's a great 682 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 3: opportunity for people that want to do that, but you know, 683 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 3: nowadays we haven't and I don't want to see easier route, 684 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 3: but you know, multiple routes. It's not just like you know, 685 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 3: Nike or Adidas or a rebod. You don't have to 686 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 3: go down those paths. There's other ways around it, like 687 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:14,320 Speaker 3: you know, creating your own brand not. You know, it's tough, 688 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 3: it's tough, but it's an opportunity that you kind of 689 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 3: create for yourself and then once you get to that point, 690 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 3: people hopefully will see it. Uh. And then also what's 691 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,960 Speaker 3: amazing now is people are able to do like three 692 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 3: D printing. You know, I would speak to AI, but 693 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 3: I'd rather jump to the three three D printing because 694 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 3: we've seen it become you know, something major like Zellerfeld, 695 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 3: you know, creating three D and giving designers the opportunity. 696 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,800 Speaker 2: To put their brand or you know, put their. 697 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 3: Ideas out there into a physical form, because it's not 698 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 3: always easy to create a product or. 699 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:55,760 Speaker 2: Even especially not a shoot. 700 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:59,840 Speaker 3: A shoe takes mold costs, it takes upper costs, you know, 701 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 3: and doing three D printing it also costs, but the 702 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 3: upfront it's not as much as like creating you know, 703 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 3: a person's own shoes. 704 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 2: So again, I think you're right. You don't have to 705 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,360 Speaker 2: go through like a house or through a brand. 706 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 3: You can always find other ways, and I think those 707 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 3: ways are definitely being opened up, like three D printing, 708 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 3: even you know AI conceptualizing and sharing it on Instagram 709 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 3: or TikTok. There's just so many new ways of finding 710 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 3: finding your voice and kind of being able to share 711 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 3: with other people. 712 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: Two more things I wanted to get to before I 713 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 1: let you go. One. I just thought this was super interesting. 714 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: I was thinking about this that hip hop has had 715 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 1: an undeniable impact on fashion. I think we would all 716 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: agree with that. And now you have afrobeats, which is, 717 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: you know, top of the charts, you know, a lot 718 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: of music. I was reading this tweet by a little 719 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 1: duval the other day. You talk about you don't have 720 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: the afrobeats take over because you know, you go to 721 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 1: the club now all they playing is afrobeats, And I 722 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: wonder what you think that impact may have on fashion. 723 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 2: Just just afrobeats in general, the. 724 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 1: Culture of African the African culture number one, but afrobeats 725 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 1: more specifically. 726 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean again, we've had we've had an impact 727 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 3: on America, on the world, ourselves, just being black people 728 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 3: in general. Like you know, they put us on marketing campaigns. 729 00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 3: You know, they don't We're not always behind the scenes 730 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,959 Speaker 3: creating the product or creating. 731 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 2: The guidelines of the marketing plan, et cetera. 732 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 3: But you know, we are the reason why you know, 733 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 3: fashion apparel. But where all these things are in the 734 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 3: space that it's in today, now add on afrobeats or 735 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 3: you know, the kind of Africa it's just gonna make 736 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:51,840 Speaker 3: the takeover is gonna be very interesting just because you 737 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 3: know a lot of us, even you know, being African black, 738 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 3: you know, black Americans, we have the ability to sit 739 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 3: you know, see our history here not always right. We 740 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 3: don't see it in our books, we don't always get 741 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 3: to see it in our on TV unless it's in 742 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 3: a negative light. But to be able to kind of 743 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:16,879 Speaker 3: have that connection back to Africa and just being able 744 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 3: to open up the doors, it's. 745 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 2: Going to be very exciting. 746 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:24,879 Speaker 3: And I and I don't and I think that it's 747 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 3: going to be a lot different than people might think. 748 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 3: Whether it's like us going being able to go back 749 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 3: to Africa and have an experience in that experience really 750 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 3: challenging what we do and how we see things today 751 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 3: and also how people see Africa. You know, the way 752 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 3: that it's displayed in America isn't you know, it isn't 753 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:48,439 Speaker 3: always in the best light. But you know, they can't 754 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 3: put us, they can't hold us in the dark anymore 755 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,359 Speaker 3: when it comes to you know, how we travel there, 756 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 3: how we communicate with our with our own people. 757 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 2: Uh, there. 758 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 3: So I think that it's going to make a big difference, 759 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 3: and just in apparel, like not just in a bit 760 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,040 Speaker 3: like a visual sense, Like visually we'll be able to 761 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 3: see it in the way that people wear their clothing 762 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 3: or their garments, the footwear that might come from it. 763 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 3: But also I think mentally that's where the big change 764 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 3: will be, not just for you know, Black. 765 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 2: Americans, but for America, Europe, et cetera. 766 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 3: Like how influential Africa is not just in fashion but 767 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 3: in everything else that you know, resources, real resources, not 768 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:33,600 Speaker 3: like paper that has. 769 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 2: Been turned into currency. 770 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 3: So I know that was long winded, but just my 771 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 3: mind started racing when she said that. 772 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 2: I didn't know how to answer that question. 773 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 1: It was good, though, it was really good. Lastly, I 774 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 1: was listening to a previous interview. Were you talking about, 775 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: you know, not effectively creating in a vacuum, And you 776 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,920 Speaker 1: talked about you know, design inspiration and where you find 777 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 1: inspiration and you said the best place to find it 778 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: from your perspective was in nature and like literally go 779 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:09,240 Speaker 1: outside and be inspired by what you see, the trees, 780 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: the air, the whatever. And I was I immediately thought 781 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: about Michael Jordan because I grew up as a big, 782 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,840 Speaker 1: humongous Michael Jordan fan. I remember almost every sneaker in 783 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: his line was designed after some sort of vehicle like Corvette. 784 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: And I want you to talk about two things in closing, 785 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: and what elements in the shapes of your work. If 786 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,879 Speaker 1: you look at your resume, what elements in nature do 787 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:41,719 Speaker 1: you most frequently find inspiration from? Because if I think 788 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: about it easy, I'm thinking it probably like leaves probably 789 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: if I'm thinking about nature. So I'm gonna let you 790 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: answer that, and then I want I also want you 791 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 1: to talk about the idea or concept of both problems 792 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,800 Speaker 1: being all around you therefore opportunities being all around you. 793 00:40:59,760 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. 794 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, so when it comes to the inspiration 795 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 3: that that I take and try to like implement in my. 796 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 2: Design process or just in design general. 797 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,000 Speaker 3: Uh, you know, I think that the closest thing to 798 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:19,840 Speaker 3: us as humans are you know, other animals, right, So 799 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 3: just being able to see like how they live their 800 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 3: lives and how they work. Now, I'm not saying I'm 801 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 3: going out and like messing around with rattlesnakes or anything 802 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,240 Speaker 3: like that, but you know, even watching it on TV 803 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 3: is very interesting just seeing how you know, a panther 804 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 3: might run, you know, same thing, like you know, how 805 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 3: a tinker us like a black cat to to represent 806 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:45,680 Speaker 3: and create some footwear for for my just seeing how 807 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 3: you know, they live their lives and how fascinating they 808 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:53,759 Speaker 3: move compared to the human body. But how also you know, 809 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 3: these animals are also more connected to the ground. They're 810 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,799 Speaker 3: more connected to the earth versus versus how we are 811 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 3: where we have now removed ourselves from the areas a 812 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 3: lot more so that you know, just in the design 813 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 3: phase in general, it's trying to look at like how, 814 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 3: you know, how do we use bironmenticry? You know, typically 815 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 3: environmentry can be you know, almost anything that has to 816 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 3: do with nature. But how can we focus on like 817 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,640 Speaker 3: animals and seeing how they live their lives and almost 818 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 3: either whether it's stripped back or in addition to create 819 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 3: things for ourselves appareil foot where you know, prosthetics. You know, 820 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:36,040 Speaker 3: there's a lot of things like that that come off 821 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:39,040 Speaker 3: of looking and creating off animals. And I think that's 822 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 3: that's probably where I gather most of my my information. 823 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 3: But I definitely you know, in nature in general, but 824 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,440 Speaker 3: when it comes to animals that keep it on the 825 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 3: TV as much as possible. And and then for the 826 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 3: second question, Uh, can you repeat that? 827 00:42:56,239 --> 00:43:00,040 Speaker 1: Yes, the second part was in the idea of the 828 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:03,520 Speaker 1: both problems are all around you and therefore the solution, 829 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 1: the opportunity is all around you, and just if you 830 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,319 Speaker 1: open your eyes you can see opportunities all around you. 831 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:11,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, So for the second question, just like the 832 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 3: problems and opportunities, I think that's how a. 833 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 2: Lot of you know, design is created. That's you know, 834 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:19,000 Speaker 2: you might think. 835 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 3: That way, but a lot of times it's you know, 836 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:26,359 Speaker 3: sometimes it's not. But for me personally, it's like having 837 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:29,360 Speaker 3: an equation, right, and it goes back to the idea 838 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:36,359 Speaker 3: of process and progress through that process. So just understanding 839 00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:41,239 Speaker 3: and seeing like there are opportunities everywhere, how do you 840 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 3: really take that internally and then filter through your own 841 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 3: lens because a lot of people are I wouldn't call 842 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:55,440 Speaker 3: it like an opportunist, but instead of really finding a problem, 843 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 3: more people just kind of like that what they're creating 844 00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:01,880 Speaker 3: is not solution based. You know, they didn't they're not 845 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:06,840 Speaker 3: solving a problem. They're just creating extra two what's already 846 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 3: out in the world. And I can even say that 847 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 3: about you know, there's a lot of things out there 848 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 3: that I like that. 849 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 2: But again, I think when. 850 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 3: It comes back to what I said before, that honesty portion, 851 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:24,280 Speaker 3: even if you're not necessarily solving a problem, you're creating 852 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:27,799 Speaker 3: this idea of like, hey, there is a market for 853 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,880 Speaker 3: what I'm creating. There are people that I'm looking for 854 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 3: this specific thing, and it might not be a specific problem, 855 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 3: but you might just be saying like, Okay, here's a 856 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:40,040 Speaker 3: group of people here, these are the things that I 857 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:42,920 Speaker 3: want to represent. How do I be honest with myself 858 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,799 Speaker 3: and then tell a true story? So then that that 859 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 3: opportunity then gains you know, real life customers or consumers, 860 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 3: but then also people that feel a part of something 861 00:44:58,239 --> 00:45:02,080 Speaker 3: that wasn't there before. So you know, not to be 862 00:45:02,239 --> 00:45:04,760 Speaker 3: like opportunists, but you're trying to create like a safe 863 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 3: space for other people. You're trying to create a product 864 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,800 Speaker 3: that represents a certain group of people that might feel 865 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:14,360 Speaker 3: not represented, if that makes sense. 866 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:38,640 Speaker 1: Black Tech Green Money is a production of Blavity Afro 867 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:41,720 Speaker 1: Tech on the Black Effect podcast network and iHeart Media. 868 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,320 Speaker 1: It's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, with 869 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:48,320 Speaker 1: the additional production support by Sarah Ergan and Rose McLucas. 870 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: Special thank you to Michael Davis, Vanessa Serrano, and Mayamoju. 871 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: Learn more about my guests and other tech thisss and 872 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: innovators at afrotech dot com. Enjoy your black tech, green money. 873 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:04,919 Speaker 1: Share this to somebody, Go get your money. He's some love. 874 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:11,360 Speaker 2: M