E252: Kirk Franklin - hosts a new podcast, “Good Words with Kirk Franklin”; Sheila Eldridge - Founder of Café Mocha radio; Shelden Williams - Former NBA Player lottery pick; Marquis Lupton & William Way Jr.- Founders of the TCP TV Network on Roku channel - Money Making Conversations Master Class

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she
has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and
Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's given me
advice to many occasions. In occasion didn't notice I'm not broke.
You know. He'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry
decision makers. It's what he likes to do, it's what
he likes to share. Now it's time to hear from

(00:25):
my man, Rashan McDonald money Making Conversations. Here we come.
Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host, Rashaan McDonald.
It's time to stop reading other people's success stories and
really start writing your arm Now. You can be motivated
by their success because their stories can offer direction and
help you reach your goals. To your plan and remember
that and through your committed effort. My interviews that I

(00:46):
do on Money Making Conversations provide the consumer and business
owner access to celebrities that you might see on TV
or read about CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. My
next guest is an industry decision maker. He is a
select pretty. He is a CEO and he is an entrepreneur.
His name is Kurt Franklin. He's a six time Grammy
Award winning artist songwriter and his latest album is the

(01:10):
acclaimed Long Live Long Live Love, which is his thirteenth
studio album. He released a new single and video from
the album Strong God this past summer. He's gonna show
to discuss something I'm excited to talking about his new podcast,
Good Words with Kurt Franklin, almost like good News, a
new podcast series that work with people from every cross

(01:32):
section of life and who seek inspiration and empowerment. Blocked
this day in February ninth, That's the date everybody where.
He's in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment dropping Good Words
with Kurt Franklin on the podcast. Please work with the
money making conversation. He's my good friend. He's been in
my life man since ninety four. I'm from Houston, Texas.

(01:52):
He's up in that Dallas, Dallas area, Texas. Boy. Please
welcome Kurt Franklin. How dork, Kurt, How you're doing man? Well,
welcome to my new studio, Curry. I'm trying to do it, man,
I'm trying to step up. Man in my game. Man.
You know, man, you look good, brother, look good. You
got a little flex happened up in that love it,
Thank it. How you been doing? Man? You know we're

(02:12):
coming out of going into one. We're talking about new podcast.
But let's let's step back a little bit and talk
about because it sent me through a lot of changes,
tested my faith, tested my patience, sent me through some
emotional physical change that game weight, loss, weight, and anxiety.
It's about the COVID nineteen. My family and my wife.

(02:33):
She still won't go to in a restaurant, out in public.
She would take to go, but did she suspect of
it coming into the house. So how did it impact
your family and the people who follow you and seek
your guidance. Well, once again, man, so honored to see
you and so proud to see you continue to just
really make impact, especially in our community. Uh, to be

(02:54):
able to give information that that that a lot of
times were systemically hidden from us. It was part of
the plan for us to not always gather the information
or to be able to pass the information, and for
it to be transferable into the boardroom all the way
to the block. And I think that that's something that

(03:16):
is so needed, so I commention what you're doing. Yeah, man.
The pandemic, especially the fact that there was the word
I used contemporaneous, uh several several pandemics happening at one time,
from George Floyd to to to to to um too,

(03:37):
our mothers and fathers getting sick and dying of the disease,
to all the the the political uprising against it, and
so um, all of those things took a toll on
me in my family because I have a young black son,
and so uh continuing to see this uh, this this

(03:59):
uh hateful narrative that has been America's narrative for four
hundred years. It's something that can be very daunting, you know,
and and it can really be fatiguing. And so all
of these things that happened at one time in was
something that continued to pull me. I had to start
going back to the h therapy myself. You know, I'm

(04:21):
a black man that is very proud to uh acknowledge
and promote uh psychological therapy, uh psychiatry for especially black men.
But it was something that we held onto each other
as as a family, and it put me in a
position where my faith really had to be something that

(04:44):
was not just priests, was something that was lived in
real time. And so that was another chalice to really
test me, to see how much I believed and how
ruded I was, and what I was preaching and so
or seeing in the doing so is that I think
that the battles who are all intentional, and I think
that they were all um for our good and to
reset if we would allow it to do that with

(05:07):
the beauty of watching you um. You know, as a
popular word in twenty the word pivot. You know, if
you can't do it live, how you do it virtual?
And you know you put concerts together, you brought people
together united, you did the verses. I believe I did
all that play into you reaching your I consider you.
I'm part of your congregation. I'm part of the Kirk

(05:28):
Franking congregation. And I say that because I'm not I'm
not a weekly church call. I might go to church,
you know, periodically, and I'm not saying I show up
on Eastern showing. I shot up on New Year's Christmas.
Sometimes I go with friends. But I am a believer
and I think I'm one of your followers because the
way you approach your teachings and that's how I think

(05:48):
we use that word. Teachings affect me positively, and your
music motivates me. Do you get it a lot from people? Second?
Say that question again, please that say did you get
that a lot from people? How you motivate them? Or
a non church goers like me, you know who believe?
And I say that's a negative thing to the church goers. No, no, no, no, no,

(06:10):
no no no no. Let me let me say that
I'm honored at whatever capacity to be able to do
life with people, to to be able to be part
of people's journey for God to uh to loan me
words of music or whatever that I can borrow from Him,
to just be a catalyst. Uh, That's something that I

(06:30):
take a great h level of humility and responsibility in um.
And it was never my intent to try to do
something that would be left of center. That was that
was That was never my attempt. I'm I'm just really
uh someone that is very sincere by my Christian faith
as well as also uh addressing all the areas of

(06:52):
revisionist history that has uh sometimes white washed the African
American UH sojourn through Christianity and what it was originally
and how Europe did not influence Africa, but Africa influence Europe.
And uh, this monotheistic approach to faith, you know, it's

(07:13):
really interesting. I got another show of working with business
manager Stephen E. Smith and you becoming. You'll be making
appearance up on one of our shows, I don't know
if you know about it, on that Stephen AG's World,
and I was excited that we were able to bring
your voice into the arena because, you know, because Steve
and I have sat down and said, you know, that's
a voice you never see in sports, like from the

(07:34):
perspective of who you are, and you're so unique in
how you approach a life, Kirk, and how you approach
the gospel that I feel comfortable bringing you in that
arena because the way you talk, you just talking like
a regular person. I don't know. And like I said,
when I'm talking to you, I'm talking like I'm talking
to a friend. I'm talking to a friend. That that
allows me to be Rushan McDonald that that I don't
feel that I I know I have flaws and you

(07:56):
know I know how you know, well, I think that
what what what what is interesting is that for for
there to be even a conversation of what I do
to be something that has some type of unique uh
sentiment to it is. I think it is very unfortunate

(08:17):
because I believe that it is the pursuit of every
person says that says that they subscribe to a faith,
especially a faith in Jesus Christ, which is about humility,
It is about vulnerability. When you look at the Bible,
and the Bible that is a chorus of misfits and
and and and fail and like failing individuals consistently, uh,

(08:43):
that were the backdrop of this beautiful uh story of
grace and mercy. So man, you know, I and I
think that it's very unfortunate that that that we're not
being engaged that much in people's lives where they see
a difference and not just wanted to, but in everyone
that opens to them after say that. And that's why
for me, I'm hoping that even with this podcast, it

(09:06):
is just another extension of how I can contry to
speak to an incredible man like you and and other
individuals in ways that are entertaining, engaging and inspiring. Absolutely
good words. What does that mean? Good words? But Kurt Franklin,
that's the podcast. What does that mean, there's just so
many bad ones that are There's just so many words

(09:27):
of negativity, there's so many words of division, there's so
many words that are lies, that are that that is
misinformation that people build their truth upon, and so now
truth becomes arbitrary, you know, and and and so uh.
Good words is something that I'm hoping people will tune

(09:48):
into to be able to get exactly that A a
word of information, a word of engagement, a word of
of of inspiration, so that they can be able to
be entertained. I think that that when you hear just
just the tapestry of artists and individuals that were interviewing,

(10:09):
it's going to be very unique to see their their
intersection of culture and faith and how we can help
other people even invented well, you know the beauty of
this conversation. That's Dad. Okay. You know I've seen you
so many levels of greatness, of greatness, you know, from
on the stage hosting TV show. You know, I love
seeing you host TV. You are you one of the

(10:30):
most phenomenal host And I tell you that all the time.
I love seeing your TV hosting. And and then you
got your own channel, you know, music channel, so why podcast,
Mr Franklin, You know you've got all these other ways
to communicate social media. You're a giant. Okay, music, you're giant,
got your own music channel. Why do we need a podcast?

(10:52):
It's just another extension of communication. It is just continuing
the conversation wherever people are that that were of their ears,
there should there should be the story of the good news.
That the good news should be whatever people are, and
so we don't wait for people to come to us
to get this good news. We are ambassadors, we are
we are soldiers. We we are extensions of of His grace,

(11:18):
his love and with good words. I wanted to be
a place where you can see that you're not alone.
I do think that there is this dichotomy of what
it looks like to be a real person and try
to hold onto real faith that they don't always seem
to be synonymous in people's journey. And I hope that
this podcast will allow you to get interviews from other

(11:41):
people that that that live with that tension, that try
to maneuver through what what my faith and my humanity
should be and who should take the lead, and what
happens when it doesn't happen and and and how I'm
gonna do it through that in my career and being
able to manage success, to manage my own fears, my
own anxiety. So I believe the good words will be

(12:03):
a a I pray a very special uh place for
people to come on that platform. It's just the interesting
thing about Kurt frank I know one side of Kurt.
I know it backwards and forward. Now there's what type
of food this Kurt Franklin like the are you a
barbecue man? Or you are pizza man, a hamburger man?
Or you just shan I like to stay in shape.

(12:26):
What are your key do? What are what are you? Brother?
What are you? Is? I eat really clean, try to
eat really clear. Christ no Krispykree, No Krispy Kreme. I
haven't at Krispy Kreme and a few years. But but
but but but now as I do have cheat days,
I do have cheap days, and in my cheat days,

(12:47):
I do go ham right. But but I think the
problem that we can all attest to that week. We can,
we can, we can we can all be uh witnesses hallelujah.
About is that this pandemic, bro, this pandemic has messed
up everybody's food playing, and because man, you know you're
trying to eat right. But you know, earlier on in

(13:08):
that pandemic when everything was shut down, it's like, but
what am I eating good for? I ain't gonna be
from no camera, and so you just ate the whole
grocery stuff and now, okay, that's that. That's there. Now,
how about music other than gospel music? What R and
B music are rap music? Do you listen to Kirk

(13:29):
Franklin Old school or new school? I listened to everything.
I am a student of the craft. I listened to
everything from Jasmine Sullivan's new album to UH. I listened
to whatever Drake drops. I listened to whatever uh, Fred

(13:50):
Hammond's drops. I listened to whatever Yo Yo my drops.
I listened to whatever Adele drops. I listened to uh
anything that's gonna be either old Miles or Snarky Puppy.
You know, I'm I'm just a fandom. He's here, you know,
he's the funny point by my get my Car. Here's

(14:12):
my first three songs. Okay, because you know I'm old school, Kurt.
You know the melodies from Heaven. I gotta I gotta,
you know, I gotta have that that that if I
get my car by five o'clock in the morning coming
to my office, so that gets me on fire. Okay,
Then I go to rock Star by the Baby. That's
that's my whole genre, you know, my and so and so.
Then I then I go to Kim you know, uh

(14:33):
and so so and then I that slowed down a
little bit more with Anthony Hamilton's that's my first fourth
songs in my podcast and my excuse me in my
in my player on my truck. When I want to
start rolling, what would be your first four songs, Kurt
not putting yours? My first fourth song, first fourth song
mineus melodies from Heaven the Baby with rock Star. Then

(14:55):
I slide into Kim like Sharlene from Anthony hamilton first
four songs. Is I can't say that I am that
that consistent, uh in in that process. You know. It's
some mornings I'll listen to, you know, a a teaching
podcast the first thing in the morning, you know, is

(15:16):
I may listen to some old school you know, Walter Hawkins,
uh you know, uh Undercrackcher, or is I may listen
to something to give me lit my way to the gym.
You know what I'm saying. It could be a Drake record,
It could be a a you know EVERYBN Rock Kim record.
It could be you know, you know jay Z record.

(15:37):
There you go, you know. So so you know, it's
is that I have a I have a big appetite
for music, and and one doesn't win over the other. Well,
you know, when when we look at good Word for
Kurt Franklin and then the press really came out, they
mentioned your interviewer for Real, you know, just to give
a sense of the type of talent or celebrity level

(15:58):
that will be part of the shows is important to
for individuals like for Real to not only discuss their faith,
but also tell the side of the story that's not
entertainment driven or selling albums or movies or things like that.
Why isn't that important? Well, I think that's even more
important now because there were we are at this crossroads

(16:20):
that in in American culture, American society, and even in
our belief systems, that that that that these that during
this pandemic is going to change the trajectory of how
people process what is real and what matters. And a
lot of times the people that have impacted culture more

(16:40):
than others, may be the greater microphone of how to
be able to navigate through those things as well as
being able to give another side so that we can
be able to start we can be able to start
fixing a lot of the holes that have been in
what people consider organized religion, that we can pull on
some of the barriers, so that we can be able

(17:02):
to even uh uh, even trying to articulate more misinformation
that has been passed down generationally to people of color,
and and to be able to also unpack the weaponization
of Christianity, to be able to uh to understand that
Western Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ are not

(17:23):
s aynonymous necessarily and so uh and and and then
also how people maneuver through their temptations of successful Gussie,
there's trauma already being an African American, but there's an
extra layer of trauma when you become successful. Success brings
its own level of trauma. When you say a recognization

(17:43):
of Christianity, what exactly you referencing in that? And not
trying to be negative, I'm just just trying to get
a clear definition of what you mean say that. Oh yeah, well, well,
well when you look at um, when you look at
the colonizes, everything was was was from the from the
bibliocentric lens of misinformation and revisionist history, where where where

(18:09):
it was weaponized to uh keep people marginalized, to keep
people oppressed, to uh to even create a misogynistic tone
to women's roles, even in Christianity. And so when you
weaponize something, it uh you become a very authoritarian in
your approach to what God is, because God will be

(18:32):
whatever it's beneficial to the one that holds the weapon
or or or the tool that could be used for
good or bad. It's almost like fire. Fire is good
for cooking, it's good for being able to keep people
warm and comfortable, but out of control, they can burn
down the city. And so that's what Christianity throughout history,
from from the Crusades onto the trans Atlantis slave trade,

(18:55):
there were times where where you had you even had
a chaplains on the slave ship, right, absolutely white chaplains
on on the slave ship. So so so that does
not mean that there's something uh intuitively wrong with with
the message of Jesus. Christ has been something uh intrinsically

(19:20):
wrong with a lot of those that have been the
microphones to be able to proclaim that faith. You know,
when I when I when I talk about faith. The
fifth song that I have all that I listened to
h we lost him in a friend of our your mine? Uh,
something about the name Jesus. And you know, Um, and

(19:42):
I remember when I interviewed, I think the second time
he was on my show. I didn't realize you wrote
that song. He said, yeah, I wrote that, and and
that that. You know, whenever I would that that song
is so important to me, whenever you know somebody's down, kirt,
I sent it to him. Somebody has a depth in
the family, I sent it to him. They don't know

(20:03):
how to find direction in their life. I sent it
to him. Um. Give us the thought process in writing
a song like that and did get it produced and
having an amazing artist like him, you know, And it's been,
it's been. It's been remade by a couple of young ladies.
And I've heard that version. I like their version too.
It was fantastic. And so talk about that process behind

(20:25):
that song. Well, you know, it's not much of a
a headline story. Uh, the the the inception of that song.
It was just a song that dropped in my head
that I that I thought would be a nice moment

(20:46):
and reached out to Ranch allen Um and men of
Standard because I wanted to take the old school and
new School to proad together. And it was just so
It's a song God gave me and and the genius
of Rant Salin watching him come into the studio and
to be so so much of a surgeon, like he's

(21:07):
a surgeon behind them like and and and to be
able to see him be uh so fluid in his
gift was a beautiful thing to the whole. And so
it was a moment that I'll never forget. And it
was and it was, it was. It was a song
that would have never known at the time that would

(21:27):
have impacted people and touch people the way it did,
would have never would have never seen that coming. Well,
you know, I saw the story that Rants came into
my life of BT celebration of Gods because you know
Steve Harvan that was there every year with you guys,
and it was all he performed on stage with you,
And that was the first time I heard it. Is
it's something magical because we hear music a lot, but

(21:48):
when you hear a song from the very first word,
and it stage with you, and it builds with you,
and it takes you through these emotional up and downs.
And at the end of that song, when I heard
it live in Los Angeles doing that taping, I was
in tears. And it wasn't a negative tearing. It was
a positivity of of of an awakening inside yourself. Because

(22:12):
I'll just change some Kurt. When I talk to you, man,
it's always you know, you're such a gifted young man.
And I say young because I'm older than you, and
and I say that because sometimes you're so humble that
the impact you make on people of all ages needs
to be under some ways glorified because you change people.
You change the way I get up, You change with
my family impacts my wife, she goes to church. I

(22:35):
don't you know my daughter gonna go to church and so.
But that doesn't mean I I failed to believe in
God lesser. But I know that the story I'm trying
to get you allowed me to tell it my way.
And that's what you're doing with uh. I believe when
you're dropping this podcast good Words with Kurt Franklin, you're
it's just another expression of communication like You're saying, reaching

(22:56):
people and telling them your story and then sharing another
story is kind of like what I'm doing with money
making conversations. I'm allowing them talk a story, but in
this lane. And that's really important, isn't it, Kurt exactly?
And thank you again. And I'm just extremely appreciative to
be able to be part of just a a fragment

(23:17):
of the journey that people's UH lives continue to take
them on and that the music has allowed them to
be able to see a greater God in the midst
of some of the deepest and darkest days that they
may go through. And and even with the podcast, it
is there needs to be so many different conversations that

(23:38):
can happen at the same time that that every platform
does not give you the freedom to have that conversation
where there may be more intellectual conversations that can happen
through the podcast, that may be a lot more foolishness
that I can have fun with and enjoy dinner podcasts,
and so uh, it just gives you a liberty that
you don't have on stage. It gives you liberty then

(24:02):
you don't have in a recording studio. You are being
able to now engage a different side of a person's
life that they did not really see their faith that
because you know some people's faith a lot of times
it's still lack a spare time. It's something that they
pull they something they pull out when they need it,

(24:23):
and it's not the fabric of their daily existence. So
they get frustrated when they see it not work and
something like well where is God? God don't work? I
don't see And it's like, well, it's very difficult to
be able to tap into what God is and what
he will do if it's only a non one one

(24:44):
situation that He continues to be postured in when it
comes to your life. And so hopefully does even good
words will that you hear from other people that you
don't see in church all the time, you don't see
in church platforms give you a lens of where they are,
the good, the bad, the ugly in their life and
where God has stood in Wow, so we last year

(25:06):
because of the pandemic, you couldn't do your all door festival.
How this year? I know there's Texas that's where you're
based with the festival. How is it looking at something
you produce that you book it is all out of
your production company, which I love to talk about. We
talked about that last time. Becoming a true entrepreneur. Uh,
controlling your destiny? How does it look for oh man?

(25:30):
You know we we we will see where God leaves.
I'm I have learned in my time on this earth,
you know, while I'm visiting, is that you can make
the plans, but God at times last, you know, And
so you have to make sure that you are surrendering

(25:51):
your dreams and making sure that each Because here's the
thing that I really believe about my faith. And again,
I'm not on your sure to try to proselytized. I'm
here because I am a product of grace, of God's
grace and mercy. That's the only reason why I get
to be part of great platforms like this. You know
it because I'm cute. Even though I am cute, That

(26:12):
is not what God what that That that that that
we have to understand man, that what we believe should
be transferable, That it shouldn't be something that just stays
with us and dies with us. That it should be
something that can be part of the fragment of people's

(26:33):
daily existence. And we haven't done that well. As as
people of faith, We've only made Sunday Morning in a
Sunday suit the epitome of what believing is. And so
I'm hoping that with everything that I'm able to do
whatever God calls me for this year is that I
want to make sure that my dreams and our distractions,

(26:55):
and so that the only way to know how to
do that is to take my dreams and filter them
through my faith. We know the interesting you. I'm gonna
make a little shift here. Melanie Holt was on my
show recently and uh, she hosts a show called Behind
every Man and you on the show and it was
and you know, I get I get access to everything now,
you know, I'm moving up in the food chain, not Kurt,

(27:16):
you know the later early for everybody. Everything. Now you're
on there with your your beautiful wife. Just like I
mentioned my wife and how important she is to me,
how I was important to do a show like that
because Behind every Man tells us her story and the
impact that she has on your life and you have
on your life and the faith as well. I wasn't
important to do that show with your wife. Well, it

(27:38):
was just important for me for people to get a
chance like I'm always looking for moments to showcase and
celebrate this incredible woman who has always lifted me up
and everybody, uh not at all times got a chance
to see Tanny, and I want to be able to
celebrate her when when there's a platform that comes my way.
Is because I want people to understan Dan that I

(28:01):
am what I am because of her. It is God
using her as the conduit that that that that all
his blessings slow. Because if I was a single man,
I probably would not be the most integral or the
most responsible because I would probably still be doing with
single man at times do and so a lot of

(28:23):
times when you live that life, you are blocking the
conversation and the covering that God wants to give us,
because He's not going to give you the keys to
something that you're going to drive into a wall. Wow.
Good works for the good Words with pot with Kurt Franklin.
That's right just on podcast platforms including the Apple, Spotify,

(28:45):
and Stitcher. Uh, Kurt, thank you for coming on the
show man. You know, I always appreciate you man taking
the time to talk to Rashon McDonald man, because uh,
I know you're busy, man. I'm just trying to just
trying to thank you, thank you, but you more on that, man.
You inspire me and that and that's why whatever you
come on this, I gotta remind you. Man. You know,

(29:06):
I know, I know people look at me as being
very successful, but behind that success and like I said,
in some situation there is a good woman, but they're
also good friends and uh and your friend and I
know that uh your music. May you may not be
talking to me as an individual, but brother, you've saved
me a many a day. Man. You've saved me when

(29:26):
I'm on the road and I didn't know where to go.
You've saved me when I've been down and thought I
was the only person in this world. You've saved me.
When I've been successful. You've saved me. And a lot
of people say successful, how could you save you? Because
sometimes you need direction when you're successful, because you don't
have nowhere to turn. And so that's the layers of
life that you've given me. Since you've been into my life,
been in my life and I've been there. We've done

(29:47):
TV shows together, we've done concerts together, we've done radio
shows together. So I know the relationship we have is
beyond just music and thank you again for company on
money Making Conversation Man and again her Franklin. All major
podcast platforms include an, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Love
You Bro, Love you Too, Kane. If you talk soon Man,

(30:09):
Steven Smith Man, Steven A's World, I See you, Love you.
We will be right back with more money making conversations
with your host Rashaan McDonald. It's finally here, the season
of celebration, and no matter how you celebrate with family
and friends, whether you're preparing for rays magos or Karamu

(30:30):
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(32:17):
dot Ai. Hi. I'm Sean McDonald, the host of Money
Making Conversations. The Cafe Maka Swag Awards the celebration of
Black men who are making a difference in our community
by empowering others to reach their goals, from civic leaders, businessmen, activists,
celebrities and everyday dads. The Cafe Moca Swag Award winner
this week is Nick Cannon, cited by People Magazine as

(32:40):
one of the top ten most successful people in Hollywood
and featured on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine Party
Under forty. The Nick Cannon Foundation changes lives one incredible
child at the time. It's all about the community. For me,
it's about giving other people opportunities. Uh, it's about opening
doors and sharing their knowledge, wealth and wisdom that I've
obtained with everyone else. I mean, you know, obviously I'm

(33:01):
still in school. I want to go all the way.
I'm getting my masters, want to go to my doctorate
and eventually be a professor and teach the things that
I've picked up along the way. But it's all about
the community. Whether it's teaching, whether it's entertaining, whether it's
investing into us. That's what it's really about. The Cafe
Moca Swag Award represents men that have strength. Their vision

(33:22):
is assert and they are genuine and their spirit. Welcome
back to money making conversations with your host, Rashwan McDonald.
One of my next kist is one of my favorite,
Sheila Eldridge. She's to see your Miles Ahead Entertainment and
Broadcasting and founder of the Mocha podcast network. She has
an HBCU graduate of Howard University, something I never knew
about it, from prestigious school of communications. Her Miles Ahead

(33:44):
Entertainment and Broadcasting is a certified multicultural marketing and public
relations firm that revised the school and lifestyle marketing, event management,
sponsor engagement, as well as integrated broadcast media campaigns for
clients like Ford, Boost Mobile, Toyota America, a RP, and
Sens Communications, just to name a few. She senticates the
highly successful Cafe Mocha radio show, the Cafe Moka to

(34:08):
Go Digital show and Streaming Salute the Streaming Salute Them
Awards series. I called her the Queen of syndication and busy.
Please work with the money making conversations. Sheila Alter, it
was that enough. How are you? How are you? How's
everything going? Everything's going well? Just busy, you know, but

(34:31):
it looks in this day and time, it's a blessing
to be busy. Well, you know, I never knew you
were a graduate of Howard University School of Communications, and
then HPCU suddenly became a hot topic for corporate donations. Uh.
Why do you think that happened in like that? I

(34:51):
think it's always been that way. It's just that it
became more known that they were more alumni that were
heiling from, more popular alumni that we're helding from HBCUs.
But I've always believed that part of your life's experience
as an African American is to attend an HBCU. The
best years of my life were at Howard University, and

(35:14):
I was in the School of Communications kind of the
first couple of years of the School of Communications. So UM,
and the relationships that I built and that you build
at an HBCUIT ABC you just last a lifetime. My
first client was as a result of my roommate at
Howard University. Uh, so you know, the relationships, uh, and

(35:37):
the experience just really kind of craft. I think who
you are, uh, you know, as an African American in America. Well,
you know, I'm a big fan of hbc U s
and I see you know you've been a voice of
an hbc is powerful and uh of course you know
one of your alumni is going to be the next
Vice President of the United States. How do you feel

(35:58):
about that? She's a female too? And she's a female.
It is a coming um evolution. UM. It's such a
great feeling to know that we number one have an
African American female that will be a vice president. But
the fact that she came from an HBCU. I think
it's going to be great for universities across all the HBCUs,

(36:23):
not just h U and Howard, but all of the
universities because it puts a spotlight on the education um
that is comparable with your Ivy League schools. UM. And
what we have from hbc US is that endeering kind
of long relationships of the sororities and the fraternities and

(36:44):
just I mean, I think it's a real powerful moment
for anyone that attended an HBCU, and specifically you know
for women. You know, so wow, well, you know we
always talk about yours, your life. Let's go back to
the roots of our relationship. You know. Cafe Moke Radio.
You know it's in noble forty markets. Uh you know
so Sears xm Uh. We're just the future of that show.

(37:08):
I know. London Love is the is the cornerstone of
Yo Yo and a Julie tell us about everybody about
the Cafe Moke Radio platform for women of color only. Yes, yes,
Well when we started and thanks to you, one of
the first big TV shows that we did and big
events that we did was the Hoodie Awards and we

(37:29):
were so excited because we felt like that was in
our second year. We just celebrated ten years by the way, um,
and you gave us that opportunity to kind of put
us on in the spotlight. Um. You know, when I
came up with the concept or Cafe Mocha, I did
not want it to be named after any one woman.
It was about women coming together to empower one another.

(37:53):
And it really became as a result of watching a
lot of what we were seeing on TV at the time,
with some of the well of the shows that I
just felt did not really depict who the full scope
of who we are African American women. UM, so I decided,
let's put together a show that represents us, that we
can all work together to inspire one another, and the

(38:15):
stories of the women on the show, and that the
women that we honor along the way in these ten
years will hopefully inspire other women. And that's really how
the show came about. Um, and we just celebrated ten years.
We've got Lonnie Love who you know it's on the
rideo uh. And Lonnie is unique in that she's such
a well with comedian, so she could go from having

(38:37):
topical conversations to giving you that aha moment uh and
and and making you feel good. Um. And then we
have Yo Yo who's out around the Way girl, who
represents all the sisters that I have been there and
are going through it and have made it through. Um.
And she represents the West Coast of course. And then
we have Angelique Parent who is an amazing do ser

(39:00):
and voice over character artist. UM. That is she just
brings the show to live alive. I mean, I'm blessed
in that to have a concept and then be able
to bond with three women that really bring that concept
to live, you know, it's that's not easy, and so
I feel very blessed you know, have that and for

(39:21):
us to have been together for ten you know, for
ten years. So, um, where are we going from here? Well,
quite honestly, we'd like to take the concept to television
or streaming, So that's kind of where we had it. Uh, yes,
So that's where we're looking to navigate, and especially now
given the streaming platform has come so full circle. Um,

(39:45):
you know with the pandemic. Um, that's really kind of
where we're headed. And you know, we feel like with
the local podcast network and then our syndication, we can
offer a full range for um, you know, for our
listeners and for our advertisers. Yeah, before we get to
the podcast network, I want to talk about the Sleut
Awards because you and I were talking last year about

(40:07):
producing some of these lives because before the pandemic hit,
and then also we kept pushing days and pushing days,
we realized the pandemic is not going anywhere and the
ability to do live events are gonna go away, and
so now you have to Sleuth awards their virtual I'm
assuming that you have three of them coming up, correct, Yes, Yeah,
the Saluna what they are virtual Salute Her Awards as

(40:28):
where we are the women because the Cafe Mocha is
called radio from a woman's perspective, So we want to
put the spotlight on women from celebrities to uh, women
who don't know all working in service to support the community. UM.
So that's the Salute Her Awards and that's coming up.

(40:49):
The next one is for Women's History mom UM in March.
March the first in March sixteen, and then in June
we're going to go back to Salute them and we're
gonna celebrate Black music and so we will do Salute Them. UM.
One of the things that came about, and this is
thanks to someone that we know, Rashan McDonald, UM, is

(41:12):
that we needed to do more to honor the full
spectrum of our community and we didn't want to alienate men.
And so as a result, we decided that if we
did salute them, then we are honoring women, men and
organizations that all have a common goal of serving the community. UM.

(41:34):
And so the Salute Them Awards will be a jew
and then we're going back in September where we're doing
in conjunction with a Congressional Black concuss and that will
be the Salute Her Award. So we kind of go
back and forth, but the common denominator is that we
are saluting and paying tribute to people organizations that are
making a difference in our culture and in our community.

(41:56):
I know you are a lot of marketing and event
production for the Essence platform, in particular Essence Music Festival,
Essence Festival Apologize last year was canceled, actually was pushed
a little bit, and then they realized that because of
the pandemic, is we should aboid it all together. Any
word yet has been announced that's gonna come back in

(42:16):
New Orleans in the summertime, or doing the fourth of
July weekend, or that's still on hold. That's still on hold.
I think a lot is going to be determined based
on the first quarter you wanted this year, um, and
how New Orleans and how Louisiana develops. Um. But right
now I would venture to say it will probably be

(42:37):
virtual again, but um it growing to half people, that's
a lot. And then and then on that multi day
event on fourth it was like a write of passage
A lot of times. I know, you go down there, girl,
you've been the Essence, Come on down let's go with
two black experience and a lot of people don't know

(42:58):
it had a diverse draws. Well, it wasn't always on
African Americans that attended the Essence Festival. It was really
diverse in a lot of ways. Let's talk about the
whole virtual versus live event experience, because that's a different sale,
that's a different approach. You can't count people. And actually,
in some way, when you go virtual, it becomes an
international event because it's not really tied to that particular

(43:20):
market or that particular city that you're doing the event,
and just wear talking about people who listening to the show.
This is money making conversation. What are some of the
hoops you had to jump or something that changed you
had to do your platform to encourage advertisers to experience
the virtual platform versus traditional live event platforms. I have
to tell you that I am really um surprised and

(43:45):
happy that corporations have started to pivot you know with
the production um because we do events and I was
really concerned and some of our sponsors you know, had
a concern about going virtual, but they see the value
now of reaching like far more people. UM, your social media,

(44:09):
your digital all your promotions. UM. For them, it's it's
broadening their brand, and it's it's even better than the
actual events, the actual in person events. Because you know,
my plan is to go back to in person events
in two if that we can do that, but my
sponsors like the virtual experience and are saying maybe you

(44:33):
should stay in this space and really grow this space.
And so that's what we're looking to do. We might
you know, we will probably go back and do some
in person events. But I have to tell you that
this virtual space is very intriguing because ultimately, like I said,
my goal is to go to television or to go
to more you know, some of the streaming services um.

(44:54):
And this has kind of escalated that process into moving
in that area. UM. So you gotta have a great
production team and learning production very fast um and and
and a good editor um and you know in concepts
and great writers. But you know that. I mean you
were doing when you were ahead of the game on
all of this. So um but we're all catching up.

(45:17):
But yes, I like this virtual space. While I love
it because like I said, uh, you know, if you
do it been in Atlanta in the venue, if it's
a thousand people or two thousand people that tend to
do it. That's all who saw That's all who saw it.
Where now when you go virtual, I my whole thing
because I was doing it with the neighborhood. I was
streaming live and do the live event. So I was saying,

(45:39):
do both, because you don't want to lose their international growth.
It's it's it's fun to see the people in Australia
or Spain, or South Africa or Degreement watching your brand
grow and it has a it has a big plus there.
So I would say keep both, keep growing your brand
because you are an international brand and you've only been

(45:59):
a fit about being bigger. Well, I'm surprised at the
people that are, you know, responding to us from other countries,
you know, especially in Africa, which is very interesting, you know.
And Ireland loves you too, by the way, just let
you know that. Let's talk about my favorite. I've been
waiting to talk about this because I want to talk
about each one of these shows. I hope you know

(46:21):
them all, because I want to talk about every last
one your podcast, your podcast, because there has so many
names on here and people that I know. But let's talk.
Let's start with this one. They really caught my eye.
The Funcky the Two. The two Funny Mom was hosted
by a sheriff, Shephard and Kent Win, the two of
my favorite people I know. They were doing it on
the Tom join the show before he ended his syndication,

(46:43):
so he just snapped him up. Yes, Well, they had started,
you know, doing the podcast, and they really needed well, first,
what I found is that most people that have podcasts
having figured out how to monetize at number one and
number two, how to really you know, put it into

(47:03):
a business and really develop it. Um. And so for
Sherry and for Kim, who were you know, very busy
with their other careers, and everything that we did was
help them kind of put a structure to it and
it has done extremely well. UM. And that's just an
extension of you know, they say, well, you know, black
women can't always work together, can't have too many women,

(47:25):
you know, But I don't subscribe to that because all
the women that I've worked with and worked with, UM,
we just make it work. You know, we kind of
fit in with what we have to do to make
it work. And um. And so they wanted to join
the podcast network is one of the lead podcasters. And
it's been great. I mean, it's it's you know, it's
been a great experience. We started out, we've already got

(47:47):
sponsors on board and you know, and they're excited and everything.
So yes, those ladies and it's a funny podcast, but
it's it's life. It's about you know. The podcast network
is really a lifestyle network for women and the color
um so and they bring that to you know, giving
their children in their careers and everything. Yeah. Yeah, both
of my single moms. That's so that's that we know,

(48:10):
the population of single moms keep seems, unfortunately, seems to
be growing every year. And you're looking for guys, they're
looking to be entertained. So it sells itself there. But
Kim is amazingly funny and I've known her all the
way back to my Parenthood sitcom writing days. The same
thing with Sherry Shepherd. I met her when I was
doing Jamie Fox as a as a co executive producer
of that show. But the podcast local podcast Network as

(48:32):
a platform bringing authentic voices and perspective of multicultural talent,
including entertainers. What you just said, Shepherd and the Sherry
Shepherd and Kemp Wiley journal ust experts with the following shows. Now,
I'm assuming that the Funky Divas podcast hosted by involved Now,
how did which invoked members do you have? Okay, we

(48:57):
have Terry Ella my good who yes who HBC year
by the way, and was HBCU too? Um? And then
we have Cindy Hamon Braggs. And then we have Rona
Ben and you might know Rona from the Jamie Box Show. Um.
And so they have been I mean they've been a trio.

(49:17):
A lot of people don't know, but they've been a
trio for almost seventeen years. You know is the newest member.
But they're celebrating their thirties. They were selling last year.
They celebrating your City cancers and um. The idea for
the podcast. You know, I went to them and said, look,
you need to tell your story to stay together for
thirty years and they've been through we know they've been

(49:39):
through some change, they've been you know, experiences. You know,
you need to tell your story because other people need
to hear that, and your fans need to hear that.
Another young groups need to hear that. Another females need
to hear out. You have kind of stayed in year
and gotten through this and so that's really what the
podcast is about. It was the celebration of their thirties
anniversary and it was so well need that. You know,

(50:02):
it's just now taken off, you know, weird um. They'll
be doing every you know, we've been doing it once
a month. Now we're doing it every two weeks then
just you know, and they're really getting into it and
they're speaking from their perspective and very honestly from their perspective.
So yeah, we called it the Funky Divas because that's
what in Vogue is known for as the Funky Well.

(50:22):
I like it because when you start talking about singing
group female singing groups, you know, it's the Supremes. To me,
it's in Vogue and then its Destiny's Child. Those are
three you know that to me, a legendary that resonating.
So to have their voices not being solemn, and that's
what this podcast is all about, giving authentic voices. That's
what you're talking about. People talking for a point of reference,

(50:42):
can give career advice, to give advice about the loads
of success when it does not happen and when you
at the peak of the game, but more important, it's
the longevity. Thirty years. That's a long time. And I
know these people. So you've got a lot of HBCU people.
Not forget that Loney Love is a reviewer and m
HBCU people. I think, uh kim with it from Fisk

(51:05):
Him Fisk, Tennessee, Tennessee. Yeah, I kind of stop press.
I'll tell you, I know all these people. You got
to show which I love. I love. Now. Now let's
go back to my girl, the Vegans Sexy Cool podcast
hosted by Jackie Reid. How did you get Jackie Radio?
You know, I did not realize that there were so

(51:26):
many African Americans and black folks that are dingy and um.
When I talked to Jackie and she told me kind
of how she came up with the idea. She lost
the dog, her dog pads, and I think, if you know,
what she realized is how important it is what you
feed and what you put in your body. And she
said that she just kind of went on that journey

(51:48):
in veganism and now she's in it. Um and I'm surprised.
She gave me a recipe for some greens that had
don't meet at all. And when I tell you those
greens good. So she is. She has her podcast and
we're excited about that, and um, we're going to be
doing a she's going to be doing a series panel

(52:10):
discussions with African Americans. You know, in addition that are
celebrities that are vegans and understanding that it's a difference
between the vegetarian and a vegan. I didn't realize that. So, um,
it's it's an exciting of course. You know. Jackie is um,
you know, just a journalist, a great journalist. So she
brings a lot of new information, you know, to the podcast.

(52:33):
Now one of my favorite people you have as brash
and shaw. Uh superpower, my girl. Tell me how that
relationship was created because I interviewed her recently on Monimating Conversation.
She's an inspiration to me personally and to have on
the show, motivating people and tell them there is tomorrow.
When people tell you that isn't it? That might not
be a tomorrow? I think to me. For she represents

(52:55):
on your network, is amazing. Talk about that relationship. Yeah,
she she came. Actually I didn't really know her. I
knew of her. One of our affiliates w BLS and
New York he told her, you need to connect with
she or Elbridge, and he told me we needed to connect,
and she and I just connected and it was like
we know one another for years, you know, um, and

(53:17):
that's kind of how we connect. It was through a
radio one of my radio affiliates. And she's she's amazing.
I mean, she she's she's a duo. I mean she
just goes and gets it done and she can just
inspire people. So she's very very and she's very special.
So you know, she's a cancer survivor and she's a

(53:39):
superwoman four times cancer survivor. And so when somebody's delivered
that that information to you that many times and you
still is upbeat as she is, it's still forward thinking.
This she is. That podcast is as as a definitely
listen to because it's not about, uh, the fact that
she's a cancervivor. She's letting you know that when people
give you direct, you know, addic messages of information that

(54:01):
you feel may not allow you to have the life
that you want to have, what do you do? And
she her messages keep going, keep playing, keep living your dream,
and keep accelerating to the next page of success. That's
why I love and I love the diversity of when
when I'm looking together Vegan host, you got miss Shaw
and then Dea Direct. I haven't heard Dea. She still

(54:24):
based out of the Dallas Yep, she still based out
of Dallage. And she's you know, she's dealing with mental health,
dealing with relationships. Uh and and and mental and mental
health and mentopause. Okay, she said, can I talk about
I said, yes, that's this network is a lifestyle network

(54:45):
and I of women going through metapalls. So we conversation definitely.
So you know Dea, Um, you know she is very
direct and we excited, uh you know with her podcast.
But you're right, um, the goal is that you all
the podcasts are being curated, so we our philosophy is

(55:07):
it's more equality versus quantity on the network and that
you can come to this network, um in a week
and listen to the different podcasts and get a full
you get some laughter, you know. I mean whenever a
person here's the word cancer, you get you're nervous, you know,
so you're gonna Shawn you can listen and then help

(55:28):
you through that. And then if you're going through relationships,
you know, and then if you're not sure about. I
want people to bere to come and listen to the
different podcasts and be able to have a nice, full
experience and leave, you know, saying Okay, I'm good. You know,
I've got inspired. I can make it, and I'll be
back next week. That's really the the purpose of what

(55:49):
we're trying to do. I'm gonta tell you something. You know.
You know, I'm a big fan your top fans in
this business. I always tell you you're amazing. You know
what I mentor you are a real mental and you
have been so straight with me, you know, and honest
with me. You know, because you're you're you're your unique talent.

(56:11):
When I look at all this, I'm talking about these careers,
you know, because you have our herd. You have a
lot of podcast platforms out there, and it's a very
competitive medium, and these people are trusting your brain. That's
what I've always told you that you know you're special
from a standpoint, You've created a voice, a channel, and
then to build this out like this seems like the
sky is unlimited for you in this podcast or genre,

(56:32):
especially when you're talking about women of color will need
a voice. Sometimes you don't get that on local radio anymore.
You definitely don't get it on streaming platforms and things
like that. So what what Lanes, I forgot my girl
Rlanda watch? How How could I forgive her? Landa Watts?
You know, that is one of my favorite people. I

(56:55):
can't believe. I'm so happy you got on this platform.
Rlanda Watts. Yeah something. You know, She's another one that
I've known for a long time from you know, a
TV show and just you know, various acting and things
that she's done. Um. And so when I approached her,
I was like, well, you know, look, you can't her
dank Okay, you know, I was really She said, you know,

(57:16):
I like this. I can see what you're trying. Yes,
I want to be on this platform. Yes, I like this. Um.
And so she came on board. I was nervous, you know,
becausehen I went to these women, like you said, it's
pretty competitive out there. UM, but we're that's the reason
why we're niche you know. I I'm about um empowering women.

(57:37):
I like being in the background. UM. I like started.
I like startups and growing businesses and growing platforms, UM
and empowering women. That's our platform, and so I just
stayed with what we do and who we are in
our lane and we just keep driving through. And we
have a nice group of advertisers now that we've developed

(58:00):
over the last ten years that they're with us. They've
seen the results and they take the chance with us.
And so that's what's unique about this network too, is
that we're you know, we're starting out with advertisers that
are supporting as well my virtue of the relationship that
we had in syndication for the last teen years. So
I'm excited about that. Um. But yeah, Lelanda was just

(58:23):
like I'm I'm on it so so so that you
can see how it's a nice rounding out. Oh it's awesome.
Like I said, I've been I looked up and go,
I can't believe I forgot Rolanda watch. That is because
all these people I love, Mischawe, dear Direct, Jackie Reid,
you got my boy to be Lifted with Alfred Evan
and d C. Marshall, Landa Watts who one of my

(58:44):
DearS friends in Vogue that oh my goodness, Sherif scheferd
King Willie, and then you got the traditional Cafe Mocal
Radio is also on your podcast platform with London Love
Yo Yo and Angela. Correct correct, correct, Because it's so much,
you know with radio to restore radio, the brakes have
to be so short and there's so much it gets
cut and that's great conversation that can go into the podcast.

(59:10):
So we say what you don't hear on the radio,
you can go to the podcast and get them. Now
before I go, I want to talk about this this
Cafe virtual digital series. What exactly this first time I've
heard that. I always try to be in the loop,
which you and now you create a new digital series
or the Cafe Moka to the goal, salute her soul

(59:30):
sessions and she boutique. What exactly is all that? Well?
The you know, because with the whole pandemic, I found
that more people honestly were on the digital on the
platforms Facebook and on social media platforms. And you know,
the talent for the radio show is talent bats they
have other you know, TV and careers and so they

(59:53):
stay true to the radio show. UM. But what we
decided to do was is to take a topical calm
stations UM and have a host that's been a long
host with us as an ambassador Vanessa James. A lot
of people don't know she's out of Miami HUD and
social media ambassador. She's been with us for a while
and let Vanessa host a it's a little ten minute

(01:00:15):
segment show that's on Facebook called Cafe Moka to Go
and it's what's trending, is what people are talking about.
It might be you know, certain subjects. We did a
lot obviously when you know the voting season, um. And
it's hosted by Vanessa James, and so it's a it's
an extension of the Cafe Moka brand, but it's a
quick little catch that you can get all the little

(01:00:36):
news and everything from our perspective, from a woman's perspective
and Cafe Moka perspective. So you know, we're growing our brand. UM.
You know it's gotta be I say, we have to
be a village. Um. And so part of our village
is Vanessa with Cafe Moka to Go. And then when
we moved into the virtual space was salute her. So

(01:00:57):
many people responded and said, well, who also have you honored?
And you know, I want to know more about you know,
how how can a person get nominated to be honored?
And so what we decided to do will start Soul Sessions.
And the Soul Sessions is on Facebook and it's hosted
by one of our past Honor Reads suirl Forlott Williamson,

(01:01:19):
who is an amazing speaker UM and so she interviews
has salute her on the Reads because when we would
doing events over the last ten years, people didn't know
a lot about Honor Reads. So this way we're able
to feature some of our past on the Reads. So
that's what the Soul Sessions are. They are conversations from
the heart on how women have kind of you know,

(01:01:42):
UM forge through life UM and and and their story.
Everyone's a story, like you said, in their story, hoping
we will inspire someone else. And then we have our
you know, I love John Murray. UM. We have the Captive.
We have the Sheep Boutique and that is a show
where we feature UM small businesses and not just female

(01:02:03):
and small business, but you know unique one of the
kind small businesses. Things that you can't products and services
that you can't get in the big stores that you
could only get on these you know, these little boutiques.
And so that is a we just launched that in
November and that will run straight through next year and
that's hosted by John Mary. So that's it. We're just

(01:02:26):
creating a little Bigs and that's a thirty minute show
where we're featuring small businesses. Well, my friend, uh, we
just turned you're busy. I'm sure, as as we all know,
it's only gonna get busier for you because you're one
of those people like me. If it's a great idea,
you're gonna turn it into an executable idea. And that's

(01:02:48):
the brand of what you've developed with Miles Ahead Entertainment
and Broadcasting. Again, thank you for coming on the show. Uh,
make sure I get all my social media calls so
I can promote your events. You know, I support you
at all with different lanes because you're special and I'm
always be a big friendly with the Swag Awards. Huh
can we talk about the Swag Award? Well, you know

(01:03:10):
we went on the Piece of Player, but I didn't
know you know, you know I talked about Swag. Well, stop,
that's my show. That's my show. Come. One thing that
you have taught me is collaboration. Collaborations are to grow
your brands. And so I'm proud that we're now gonna
go into our second year of our collaboration on the

(01:03:30):
Swag Awards, and the Swag Awards is where you know
we aren a men uh and so, and it's hosted
of course with money making conversations that hosted about you.
So I just want to thank you for that. And
we've got some big ideas that will be coming as
we look to grow, you know, our Swag Awards and everything.

(01:03:50):
But thank you for being a mentor. Thank you for
all you do to promote small businesses and HBCUs um.
But we're excited and thank you, you know, just hanging
in there with us and giving you know, Cafe Mocha
and Miles Ahead Broadcasting in caming. You know some of
the insights that have made you so successful. Well, I'm

(01:04:13):
gonna tell you something. I wasn't gonna bring up the
Swag Award, you know, I'm would deliver those every week
because I I love your platform. It comes on in Atlanta, Georgia,
you know, and uh magic on those seven point five
I listened to it every Sunday, and so I'm just happy. Yeah,
I run commercials during that time slot to promote my
own money making conversation platform. So I realized this relationships

(01:04:36):
and and I respect what you do and I will
continue to deliver the Swag Awards. And as you say,
it's a partnership. I send you names. You said reach on.
This will work on my platform, don't work on the platform.
And unfortunately, blessed that so many people do my show
now and it give us a nice options for you
to be able to deliver on your platform the type
of men age wise and execute the everyday dad because

(01:04:59):
we want to promote that wether celebrities and well known entrepreneurs.
So I appreciate you and thank you for let me
get my little hype on for great Thank you very much, Chili.
We gotta get well. You know, I didn't see a
little paper. You know, I don't want to push nothing

(01:05:21):
for Believe me, I'm proud every week I do it. Uh.
It's a priority for me and my staff the Swag
Awards because more and more black men need to be
recognized and to be recognized on the platform for women
of color. That's what's so impressive to me, because the
fact that you know, there's so many miss missnomals and
misstatements about relationships and being that platform, and we in

(01:05:44):
the say the positive side, and it just becomes a
snowball effect. And so yes, anytime you need me for that.
But of course I represent for all your platforms, So
thank you very much. Again, thank you, thank you, and
be careful of me safe down. I have to sticky notes,
email alerts, a string around your finger. They're just not

(01:06:04):
big enough. So here's a big reminder from the California
Lottery tomorrow's Mega millions jack potties, of which three million
play now, please play responsibly. Must be eighteen years older
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Sure you know what else grows in the forest. Our imagination,
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(01:06:25):
because when we disconnect from this and connect with this,
we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than
you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring.
I discover the forest dot Org, brought to you by
the United States Forest Service and the AD Council. If

(01:06:45):
I could be you and you could be me for
just one hour, if you could find a way to
get inside each other's mind, walk a mile in my shoes,
wac a mile in my shoes. Shoes We've all felt
left out, and for some that feeling lasts more than
a moment. We can change that learn how it belonging

(01:07:06):
begins with us dot org. Brought to you by the Accouncil.
Welcome out. My next guest is a well known athlete.
Let's gop an athlete, because sometimes when you an athlete,
people will just keep you over there. His name is
Sheldon Williams, the former NBA lottery pick and Duke University

(01:07:26):
Hall of Fame player. Were discussing his career from Oklahoma
City to the NBA. In between all that was a
little unknown school called Duke University, his life after basketball,
and how he inspires to give back to the community.
That's really why I wanted on this show. We have
a lot of things by athletes, and we only hear
one side of the story. The Sheldon Williams Sundation is
dedicated to empowering student athletes and their families by delivering

(01:07:50):
and supporting initiatives that provide emotional and physical health through sports,
education and community involvement. Please welcome to Money Making Conversation.
For the very first time, the athlete shell do Williams,
How I'm good over there? Thanks for having me on,
and I emphasized athlete because somehow along the way, you
guys get diminished, You get diminished on your ability to communicate,

(01:08:13):
your diminished on your education abilities, your articulation. How do
you how do you overcome the athlete stereotype as you
move forward in life? Shelter, Well, it's interesting that you
asked that. I mean, until Laurn was probably smiler the
most forefront athlete that sit there and say, don't put

(01:08:35):
us in the box. Make sure that we know we're
more than what we do, whether he playing football, jamal basketball,
but more than that. And I think that was the
first time that actually like said it out loud. I
guess made it more of a worldly thing. But before
then he was always kept in the box like all right,
this is what you do and it's pretty much it.

(01:08:57):
So a lot of people now are kind of bringing
themselves on the main screen, like, hey, this is what
I used to get to this point, but overall me,
this is X, Y and Z, and I try to
use my social platform to let people know this is
what I do and not just what I did in
the past or what you know me. As this is

(01:09:21):
all me. I i'mould share you a little piece of
my life, Sheldon, because you know, I a sitcom writer,
stand up comedian, did deaf Jam and all of that,
and one of the bigger components in my life was
I managed Steve Harvey. And I bring that up because
of the fact that, you know, we had a ride
together like sixteen years and you know when image together,

(01:09:43):
image awards together, and box office movies, family feud, hit books,
and when I walked away and started to develop my
own career, I kind of was still trapped into that world.
And so I bring that up because as an NBA
lottery pick and at the highest level that an athlete

(01:10:03):
that can perform, and that is as a basketball player
you want to make an NBA how were you able
to make that transition because a lot of people kept
you in that bottle of being an NBA player or
what's going wrong? Why are you not still playing in
the NBA? Talk to us? Do that that that that
emotional release of trying to build your brand, the Sheldon
Weaves brand. Well, that's always kind of a I wouldn't

(01:10:29):
say difficult path, it's just it's it's a path that
you haven't done because you've been all your life been
trying to be this acthwde that you inspire to be.
Whether you looked up to Michael Jordan or any other
guys that play in your your your your position, or
your sport. You expire to be those guys. And then

(01:10:51):
once that timeline is pretty much ended, it's like, okay,
what do I do now? So hopefully within that one
or two years before it does actually in you kind
of started thinking about my next move, my next plan.
It's always hard because you always think that this is
what's gonna be for a lot of number of years,
and it's not always like that. So for me, when

(01:11:12):
I actually started to think about retiring, I wind up
and say, hey, this is what I want to do.
I want to go ahead and do something that one
keeps me active with my daughter who's now eleven, as
well as keep me within the game of basketball. And
I was able to unfortunate enough to actually be a
scout for the Brooklyn Nets on the West Coast. I

(01:11:34):
did that about three years before I said I want
to trap my hand into coaching, you know, be more
hands on than actually you know, kind of be in
the back front office type. Well, you know, the death
of Kobe Um you know, it was still the shocking
that way. I remember I went to l A after
his death, and uh it was like ghost town. Man,

(01:11:55):
I've never seen l A, which is like Party Central,
which is like Glitt, which is Glamor, which is uh
as they say, Hollywood. And then you mentioned your daughter,
you know, Daddy's girl. You know, I have a single
I'm a father and I have a daughter, so you
know the importance of that role that you play and
and guy and I remember, I all, I'm always available

(01:12:18):
for her to have a comment. And then you see
what happens to Kobe and that that whole daddy Gore
syndrome got Did you get caught up in there? Did
you realize your role that you have and with your
daughter who's loving now? Well, I got caught up in
it because one my daughter was actually doing things with

(01:12:38):
uh G J seam on the team and meet J
team at the Mamba Academy, so she was familiar with
both of those you know people, So that happened it
kind of hit a little bit closer. I mean, obviously
was sad for anybody to go down like that, whether
it be a main well named person or just anybody.

(01:13:00):
But what really hit me was the girls that were
around my my daughter's age not able to actually live
their life and got cut short. And talking to her
about it, it really hit home for me. I'm like, dang,
Like literally, these are somebody that you was actually an
academy my mama charity, practicing with, practice against and now

(01:13:23):
all of a sudden they're gone. And it's very sad
for that to happen. But that right there kind of
hit closer to home to me because of the little
girls that were running my my daughter's age was actually
round my daughter as well, you know, my bringing my
daughter because she was a professional athlete. You know, she
was a tennis prodigy, you know, so she was home
schooled and she played on the Tenants Tour, Professional Tendance

(01:13:46):
Tour and then she blew out her knee and and
when she blow I always remembered like the week before
Thanksgiving and she asked me, she said, Dad, what do
you She Dad? Can I Can I do something else?
And I said, what you wanna do? She said, I
want to go to college. And you've been an athlete,
and you know you just as a gifted athlete, you know,
a smart guy from Oklahoma City like you said, you

(01:14:09):
went from university diversity. Do you feel that you were
ever pushed along or did anybody ever stop and ask
Shelton what he wanted in the early years or you
just positioned to be this great athlete and you had
no other option. Well, growing up, my dad he played basketball,
he played in college as well, But for me and
my younger brother, he didn't want us to follow in

(01:14:32):
his footsteps. It wanted to kind of find our own path, right,
granted my dad's six eight, my mom is to five eleven,
right to be in our feature. So, um, I went
from playing baseball, soccer and footballers. Oklahoma is a big
football state, absolutely, and what's that as an Absolutely? You

(01:14:53):
come Oklahoma City, Come on that, Oklhoba, come on that, right?
And then I went into basketball, basket all in football
all of until my present year. And where I got
moved up to the high school team is back home.
Ninth grade was still junior high. So I was able
to do both those things. But honestly, with my dad,
he wanted us to find our own path. And once

(01:15:14):
we actually found our own path, he was all right,
this is what you wanna do. Are you sure all right?
Are right, if you're gonna do this, then this is
what we need to do to get better every year.
And he kind of laid out guidelines for me and
my younger brother to follow if you want to be
successful and not sport well, you know, because we're got
to talk about your foundation. But I was just kind
of getting everybody assisted who you are, you know, your

(01:15:35):
story because the fact that you're a gifted athlete. You know,
there are some steps that go through the process that
you can get pushed the long. I know that, you know,
as my daughter got better, you know, specialized coaches are
coming around. You know, I was, you know, because they
wanted to fix his fix her her backhand, you know,
fix her serve, you know, fix her groundstrokes and all that.
But that's that period and not fast forward show. Yeah,

(01:15:59):
I am academies. You have social media. What was the
worst thing you had to deal with when you were
coming out of high school that the players have to
deal with today? You know, because technology it has to
be with the one thing is the social media or
is it is it the academies, is it the the circuits?
What is it? Well? For me, I kind of missed

(01:16:24):
the area, the area because they didn't come until later
on where the old social media platforms and the I
M G s. It was kind of later on in
my high school career they kind of kind of made
a big time. But when I was actually growing up,
if you had any kind success, it was in the
front page of newspaper. So we're reading that, and then
all of a sudden, people circling, you know, every time

(01:16:46):
they pay gets you that Hey, you know, you had
to target in your back so minor compared to what
it is with the social media. But if you read
the paper, your parents got the paper, and your pictures
on the front page of that sports section, people start
paying attention to who you are, and then all of
a sudden, your name kind of circulates throughout your whole
area and people are trying to come after you from that,

(01:17:09):
you know, because you know, because you know, social media
exists now and it's like certain people shouldn't be certain
people shouldn't be on social media. You know that to
shell certain people should be cut off. You know, they
Twitter to cut Donald Trump, They need to be cutting
some of these athletes. So as you because you're a mentor,
now you're a mentor, you as one of those been there,
done that. Uh, the success is part of your resume.

(01:17:33):
Duke University Hall of Famer. What you know? And I
would tell you this, Sheldon. I you know, I wasn't
a big fan of yours because you're just so good
in college and you played for Duke. You know, I'll
just tell you I love you as a man, as
a person, because Duke was just man. How did you
pick Duke? Man? You're in Oklahoma football country, you te
right there, University of Texas is right there. You know

(01:17:53):
what I'm saying, How did you go way over to
Duke to play basketball? Well, that's a question that I got.
It's a lot when I was leaving the state of Oklahoma.
Like my high school teammate with the OU, my high
school au teammate with OU. So they're trying to do
that the package deal. You let's go, you know kind
of like you know, Oklahoma boys stay in Oklahoma, which

(01:18:14):
was cool. But you're trying to tell me the best
of boath world Duke academics and do basketball and you
have a chance to go there. That's that compare. Like,
my dad was a big educator, so education was very
high on our list of schools. When we actually looking
for schools and played for it, so they have the

(01:18:36):
best of both worlds. It didn't compare Dude, Texas Duke,
oh you it didn't know it to school was the
ship to stop with Shaw stop. It was no comparison, brother,
Okay you team maybe oh you no way, Duke exceptional
universe because a lot of people when you when you
see a powerhouse like a Duke, you tend to throw

(01:18:59):
him in a pot and forget the academics that comes
with the school. Like dude, tell us about the academic
standards that they have there and why I do get
such a strong academic school. Well, the academic standards was,
like I said, one of the major reasons why I
chose that. Like my dad, as I said before, it
was a big educator, so he stressed education on us

(01:19:20):
all the time. With him being a teacher, we have
assignments and projects all year round, like whatever we had
going on for school, if we didn't have homework, best
believe that my dad came home all right, well we
got this project to do, or you gotta read for
an hour on this book right here. So it was
always him pushing us to do something. The further us

(01:19:40):
along with our education. But once we got to do
it was the same thing where you're in classes, you're
in study hall, you and all kinds of study groups
that kind of make yourself, you know, put yourself in
good position to actually be successful. So a lot of
the times were you think you may not know something,

(01:20:01):
dude did a good job of having people accessible to
talk to to help you along the way. And also,
I mean just just with the education alone, we know
that if you got a piece of paper from dude,
it's gonna set you up for you know, whatever you
want to do later on. Now, when when when you
talk about yourself, sir, as a player, you know, when
do you start making a conscious decision that it's time

(01:20:22):
to move on when you're an athlete, you know, because
that's the hardest decision, you know, because of the fact
that it's something some ways you don't plan for an exit.
How do you know what? And also the second question
is that when did the Sheldon when you foundation get started?
Was it do when you're playing days or after you
left the plan if you left the court, Well, it

(01:20:44):
was always in my mind, the sun Man's Foundation was
always my mind to do. I just didn't have time
to do it because once I got done planned, I
had my daughter, you know, the whole off season. So
with me playing, my daughter was getting older and was like, Daddy,
I come, You're always away. And that kind of got

(01:21:06):
to me because like she doesn't understand we're trying to
make a living for her. All she sees is Daddy
is on a road trip or Daddy's gone for whatever
amount of days. That's all she's seeing. So it kind
of got to me. That's why I kind of retired
a little bit earlier because I was like, nowhere, You're right,
some things are more important and you are more important.

(01:21:27):
So I wind up retiring early so I could spend
extra time with her, And as I said it before,
I kind of, you know, got into a job where
I was still able to do basketball with the West
Coast Scouting and then be with her. But kind of
going back to the question about the Sheldon Winds Foundation,
that was something I had already in mind. It was
just a matter of doing it. So once I retired,

(01:21:49):
I want to say I took about a year before
I started doing anything about it because that whole year
I took off it, which is me and my daughter,
and I was making sure it I was doing like
no ballet glasses and recitals and you know all those
other things that I didn't think about self doing. But
I'm a very front row you know, doing all that
stuff like you know, uh, just kind of beaming her
and making that for lost time and everything. But I

(01:22:12):
wanted to do that because one I grew up, my
mom was big into doing charity foundation whatever you wanna
call it. You know, I'm private type of word. Growing up.
When I was doing Rona McDonald house, I was doing
the homeless moment meals, those things were already still in me.
It was just a matter of back, you know, a
matter of just getting me back into the swing of

(01:22:33):
things and getting the opportunity to actually fully invested myself
in doing that. And that's why I started showing Metals
Foundation about two years ago. Okay, now you said the
show the Whiz Foundations dedicated to empowering student athletes and
their family about delivering and supporting initiatives that promote emotional
and physical health. Let's stop right there. I got the

(01:22:54):
physical health. What is the emotional and physical health through
sports at ucation and community involvement? Talk to us about that. Well,
as you see a lot of kids nowadays, they're dealing
with a lot more than I wouldn't say a lot more.
I think it's more addressed now than it was back
when I played. Because if you had any kind of

(01:23:17):
situation where off court problems or you know, uh, family
issues once you got into court. A lot of coaches
but how you do this? If you can't do it,
I'll find somebody that doesn't. That that doesn't that would
do that now past for in all these years, like hey,
I noticed that you're not being yourself, Come over and
talk to me. What's going on? You know, getting to

(01:23:39):
that point where you know where you more than just
you know in that way, you're a human being, You're
a person. So I want to make sure that I'm
time to what you're doing as well and talking to
you as a human being and not just a person
that comes and not just like a factor that comes
in and out. You know how it is with sports work,
things changed so fluidly, like everybody's coming in and out.

(01:24:01):
I want to make sure that you know that I'm
here to talk. This is beyond basketball. It's really important
because like I said, I can relate to a lot
of the things that you're talking about. Because my wife
was with Marke, you know, she she retired, she was
practicing uh otometris, and she retired so my daughter could
travel and make sure that a stranger wasn't tied to

(01:24:23):
my daughter and making sure my daughter was, you know,
not being mistreated physically, because like you're saying, as an athlete,
people will push you and guess what, and guess what
and and and push you beyond. Because I see so
many stories about tremendous athletes who failed because they were
put in the situation, they were uncomfortable, and they didn't
have mentors, or they refused to tell their parents what

(01:24:45):
was going on out of fear. What made you survive?
Because I love the way you keep bringing up your
parents this whole conversation, doing this interview were doing, Shelton,
you constantly mentioned your parents. That really is the key
to you and who you are today, right, your parents?
Of course, I mean, my parents is what made me

(01:25:07):
who I am today, Me and my younger brother who
I am today, who we are today. I said, like,
if they wasn't able to steal those things into us,
be where we are right now or what we're trying
to do what we're trying to accomplish right now. So
it's a big credit to what they did for us
growing up, and now it's more so like, hey, you

(01:25:27):
see a version of them in us as we are
doing things that we're trying to do later on that life.
So I would say, like you know, me always mentioned
my parents as a reason for that because they played
and still are playing a big factor in my life.
Now Here is the interesting thing about both our lives.
We're black men, Sheldon and and I tell people, are

(01:25:49):
you know I gotta go back you know the George
Floyd And like I said, you and I both know that. Well,
I can speak for myself. A cop stops me for anything,
my flag score. I don't feel comfortable, especially at night.
I don't really feel comfortable at all. And so it's
that part of the education process that you're talking about,

(01:26:09):
the community involvement process that you're talking about, trying to
develop relationships for young black man and female young ladies
can be able to get through life in sports is
just one of the tools that they can get them
out of the neighborhood. Have given them positive options because
the world sees us for who we are based on
the color of our skin. I don't care what anybody says.

(01:26:30):
The color of our skin creates a different conversation. How
do you correlate that within your your foundation, the Shelton
with the Foundation family. It is a top beat we
constantly have to have for people that look like you're man, Man.
We have to do every time, and it's it's sad

(01:26:53):
to say, but we have to continue to do that.
A lot of this stuff, especially this year, has been
more and more recorded, seeing you know, going viral, whatever
that you're saying or whatever you think it is. It's
been going on for decades and decades, but yet we're
seeing more and more almost on a daily basis, and

(01:27:14):
a conversation that needs to continue to happen for people
that look like us has to be a forefront conversation
because if you're not blessed enough to come from like
Rocking from a two parent home where I was able
to have these conversations daily about what to do in

(01:27:35):
these situations, a lot of these kids don't have that,
so having somebody actually can talk them through these things
so they're not another statistic ended up like the people
you mentioned, which is sad and safe. But that's how
it is for us them nowadays. I know it's you know,
because it's because we're having a real conversation now, you know,

(01:27:56):
and I'm not saying we didn't have one earlier, but
because of the fact that you and I both know
you know, you know, you're taller black man than me,
you know, which means that I dude as successful as
I have been in my life. I've walked by some
white women clutch their bags. I saw them look at
me in a manner that I think that they feared

(01:28:17):
that I was gonna do something and I'm I'm in
tailor suits. I've walked into places and people have questioned,
would I would have looked as to why I'm in
that facility or why I'm in that restaurant, or why
am I walking down that street? You know? And uh.
But with that being said, you know, athletes has always
proven to be a vehicle of change, a vehicle of opportunity.

(01:28:41):
But like we also stated with Lebron, he's trying to
peel back this. We are only dare to do a service,
and that's a physical service, and I feel that's part
of what you're trying to do with the Sheldon Williams Foundation. Correct,
You're more than delivering a physical service. You're you're you're
you're developing people who are taxpayers, who are gonna get education,

(01:29:03):
who are going to make a difference in the community.
That seems to be the core of the Sheldon Williams Foundation.
Am I correct? Yes, I mean you kind of putty
much hit it on the head for a lot of
these youth that I'm trying to help and get back
and give opportunities to a lot of undeserving families and
people that want to be able to get out of

(01:29:25):
situations that you are in right now. I mean you
kind of said that already. How you being in tailor
suits me, I already have a kind of a two
strikes against me being tall and black. When I'm walking
down the street, you do see those things. And I'm
a guy that I'm not necessarily over, you know, joyous,

(01:29:46):
and I'm walking around like if I know you, there's
something different to her. But if I'm walking around, I'm
very very stow it. I said. People will take that
as a sign of, you know, I don't know something
that makes them afraid. And couple that I've been dealing
with from pretty much day one, and seeing this, I
have to actually over like you know, hey, how you

(01:30:07):
doing over? You know, and make myself like you know,
even make make make sure that feel more comfortable, which
is sad that I've actually do this absolutely, you know,
you gotta make them feel more comfortable. You have to
change the way you walk, you have to change your
tone to make people feel more comfortable when guess what,
You're already comfortable. You know that, you know, like I said,
I just wanted to just bring that out, you know,

(01:30:29):
because on this show, I try to have honest conversations.
You know. You know, you can do a lot of
interviews Sheldon and these and these interviews about the success
of your career, but we're talking about now and how
you have to change lives now. Like you said a
couple of years ago, you started to Sheldon Wives Foundation,
It's an extension of who you are. Is this the
voice of who you are now? Because at one point

(01:30:49):
the voice of who you were was an athlete? Is
this your voice now? This is pretty this is pretty
much my voice. Part A, part B, you know, like
building up. As you keep growing, you keep evolving, and
that's that we as human beings continue to do so.

(01:31:10):
A lot of people, especially before social media, you only
see the weak. And then if you follow me on
social media, you'll see I'm talking about you know, my daughter, uh,
social issues. You know, you'll see, like I said, Part one,
Part two, Part three, You're seeing a lot of stuff
that's going on, and that's involving as I involved, as

(01:31:31):
in the person I'm gonna become in the future. But
it's always every changing, so you always gonna get something
different than you may see a month, you know, a
year ago, where the case may be, you will see
that I'm not gonna be just put into a category
of box. I'm always gonna try to help me and

(01:31:51):
try to extend myself and do more things where I'm
not gonna be just one category. Okay, let let's have
some fun here. You know you you you know you
former lottery pick, you former NBA player. You're watching games,
you know you? You know we we see the big
three they didn't put together in Brooklyn. Can they win
it all? She? Can they win it all? Well? The thing?

(01:32:16):
The thing is, until last this past year, Lebron and
a d were the first team to win Route the
Bat when they got there for a long time. I
mean when Lebron and uh Lebron and U D Wade
and Chris Bosh when they got together, they didn't win
roup the bat. They then wait a couple of years

(01:32:36):
before they win their first one. I mean, you have
all these different big three as forming. The last time
I've seen a big three to form that won right
off the bat was back in Boston win KG Paul
and Real and first formed up. It's difficult to do,
especially with guys that demand the ball as much as
they did. I know they had a hard lost last night.

(01:33:00):
H I don't really pay attention to that loss, just because,
like with me being that dude, a lot of people
circle our number are on the calendar to make sure
that no matter what we're doing, we're gonna get up
for this game. And that's how it is for broken
nets right now. A lot of people don't get up
for that game. So they lost to uh Washington Ridzards.

(01:33:23):
But when I say one or two points and it
was a high scoring game, But until Washington Wizards can
continue to do and play like that, that game doesn't
really mean it doesn't hold much weight. Just because they lost.
That's that's the nature of playing. What's sending in two
games this season. But when you when you talk about

(01:33:43):
playing the game and watching the career and then Sheldon,
I look at that their honors or your jersey number
and seeing Dupe in the Hall of Fame? What what?
What stands out to be the most impressive thing that
is happening in your career that you would always go, man,
I can't believe that happened to me because you've got them,
you know, Gatorade Award to All American Honors, lottery pig

(01:34:04):
walked on the stage and recognized in front of thousand
people as one of the top athletes in the world.
What what? What? What always brings a smile to your
face when you think about it from an athletic standpoint,
I'm probably gonna say being able to have an opportunity
to have my jersey hung in the raptors of Cameron
Door Stadium, being one of thirteen guys, that's a that's

(01:34:25):
a bad raptor that Christians later Dave, that's a bad rafter.
That baby gret bred Hill, come on that bat. No,
I know, Duke man of all the bread layers, that
playing due my name and my jersey will be forever
home in that raptors. So I wouldn't say that's probably
the greatest one is like being a kid out of Oklahoma.

(01:34:47):
I didn't see myself one leaving the state of Oklahoma
because at that time I've only seen one player leave
to state of Oklahoma play that was Eaton Thomas who
left to go to Syracuse. Everybody staying in the state
of Oklahoma. So once I got a chance to actually
played for Duke University, yes, my careers are unfolding, and

(01:35:08):
that opportunity to become our player that was gonna become
and had the opportunity be actually have my jersey return,
that was a true blessing because I didn't go in
to do think now, I wouldn't do trying to think, Hey,
I gotta prove a lot of people wrong from back
home in Oklahoma that I can't play with the biggest
and the best of the college basketball And a wow,

(01:35:35):
what thank you for coming on money making conversation And
you're great. You're great talking boy. You know what I'm
saying you You you got the words coming out to
your mother with my friend. You know, you had that
little laid back, little stoic personality. But man, you can talk. Man,
you got something, just say you know and and continue
to make difference. I know that we was connected, and

(01:35:56):
an interview long overdue for us to connect. UH COVID
slowed down the relationship with one. You know, we know
what COVID is gonna do. From an athletic standpoint, we
see UH how's affecting UH high school's, UH college level
and players who who want to go pro, players who
want to extend their athletic careers are being cut short

(01:36:18):
and they're given an extra year of eligibility. But I
know that if you ever need even my man, Sheldon
welleves we shot McDonald's a friend and I'm always there
for your brother. And I hope you enjoyed this interview.
I appreciate that I did enjoy the nterview. I appreciate
you have me on. It was great talk, great discussions. Also,
I mean for us to actually talk about not just basketball,

(01:36:39):
but the whole life experience and topics. What's great for
me to actually talk to you about it. So thank
you so much for having me on. I really appreciate
my time. Well, you know the great thing about the
Sheldon is that you know me now, you know that
you know when we're talking, the future is gonna be
a different because you know coming on and I said hello,
a friend saying hello to you, and we're gonna talk
about life, man, just the life of about making sure

(01:37:01):
you and the brand that you're building now is important
and affects millions of people, not just hundreds, for millions
of people because your brands worldwide and social media allows
that to happen. The digital platform allows that to happen.
And my job is to make sure that you are
blessing to everybody because the Sheldon Williams Foundation, like I
stated early, is dedicated to empowering student athletes and their

(01:37:22):
families by delivering and supporting initiatives that promote emotional and
physical health through sports, education and community involvement. Again, thank
you for coming on Money Making Conversation Shelton Williams. Thank you,
appreciate it. Appreciate it. If you want to hear more
money Making Conversation interviews, please go to money Making Conversation
dot com. All subscribe in our YouTube channel with Sean McDonald,

(01:37:44):
I'm your host. We will be right back with more
money Making Conversations with your host ras Sean McDonald. Look
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(01:38:07):
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(01:39:56):
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(01:40:19):
and social responsibility, getting out, doing the right thing, trying
to help people, educate people, love people, feed people, encourage people,
not make everything about me, and to get out and
be a part of that legacy. You know, it's cool
being a comedian and being on tour and doing all
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to continue to educate and love, and motivate and and teach.

(01:40:43):
The Cafe Marka Swag Award represents men who helped strength,
whose wisdom is assertive, and who are genuine in their spirit.
Welcome back to money Making Conversations with your host Rashaan McDonald.
My next two guests about being committed to their effort,
being commuted to a plan. And actually, I'm for sure
when they started talking about this dream, people probably looked

(01:41:04):
at them sideways told them that was impossible, that could
only be one b et. You know, people, I always
tell people don't let your friends, your your relatives, your
church followers, or anybody, even if somebody you love who
loves you, swear you from your dream. I want to
tell people also that if you try to be a doctor,
don't talk to a mechanic. Vice version, try to be

(01:41:24):
a mechanics, don't talk to a doctor. So you have
to go to people who understand you. And that's why
I created Money Making Conversation. My next two years are
my Keith Lupton and Win Wait the second I call
him w W two. There two of the followers of
TCP Network. TCP stands for the Cultural Professional Network. They
recently took that business up in another notch in this
new year, bringing their content on Roku, which is really

(01:41:47):
really important, launching their Real Cool channel TCP TV. TCPTV
aims to give people all color and other disenfranchise groups
of voice on this platform and supports its community through
broadcasting content, community service events, and media literacy camps for kids.
Please work with to Money Making Conversation, my friends, because
we've been trying to get this connected. By three weeks.

(01:42:08):
Marquetes Loveton and he's not in studio, but if my
man the w W two William, Wait a second, thank
you for having us, Thank you for having us. You know,
you know you got a nathing like that. W W.
I gotta give you some hype. You what I'm saying, Well, guys,
you know there's a conversation I'm having with both of
you about the network called the Cultural Professional Network, and uh,

(01:42:32):
you know sometimes I'm gonna reference you Markees and something
reference you with, but feel free to create this in
a conversation about your brand that each one feels comfortable
a boy chiming in because I really want to let
my audience know and also build name and brand recognition.
That's what it's about when you come on shows like this,
so people walk away with a clear understanding what you're

(01:42:53):
trying to do. And I want to just start the
interview by saying congratulations by getting on the real coup platform.
Thank you very much, Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
It was it was actually a um uh it was
part of our like five year plan um and it
and it happened in in three years, you know. Uh,

(01:43:13):
So it's um testament um to the team that we
have right now. We have to date about about forty people.
Uh that that helped this thing move, you know, um
um and and everyone from start to finish, top to
bottom left right, um has has really helped this dream
come true. Now when you say dream come true, what

(01:43:36):
is the dream? Uh? The dream? The dream is all right? UM,
if I can have everybody just a dream with me
real quick, alright. Uh. On the right hand side, you
have your local news. You know your local affiliates, your
your ABC, CBS IS NBCs. Uh. You know that that

(01:43:58):
this group over here there they're not going to cover
certain stories um that that effect uh certain neighborhoods. Um,
certain neighborhoods. You know that they're only gonna have a
narrative um come out of that neighborhood that they're not
going to search for those um field good stories, those
stories that take a little bit more elbow breaths to get.

(01:44:21):
So you have your local affiliates over here. Over here,
you have your CB I mean your major CBS is,
you have your CNN's MSNBC S, and you have your
B E T s. Um. We know that when when
they talk about the melonated people, uh, people of color
in this country, Uh, it's it's more sell like a

(01:44:43):
broad stroke. It's never gonna get down to individual communities, uh,
individual neighborhoods. Uh. That's where TCP exists. We exist right
in that middle um be because we know that the
local affiliates, UM, they're not going to get the stories
that really address us UM and the national Uh, they're

(01:45:05):
not really going to have that microscope, so to speak,
to to break down certain stories that happen in certain neighborhoods,
communities and what happened. So we exist kind of right
in that middle sphere. Uh. And as we said, let
me ask you now, William. Now the network has ten shows,
and now you have a show which I'm about to

(01:45:27):
ask you to start talking. It's tall say Less, so
you know which is you know, in the in the
world of what we're talking about, a lot of people
say sometimes you should speak up. So we have a
tyler call say Less. Well, what do you mean by that? Say?
Lust is actually probably the opposite because we saved the
most um. That is exactly. It's kind of like a uh,

(01:45:55):
just a play on words. We we are very outspoken
on our show. If you've ever seen say Less for
anybody out there. We we cover pop culture, but we
also get into social issues and we do it unfiltered,
we do it with uh with with no no uh.
There's there's nobody to tell us what we can and

(01:46:16):
can't set. And that's what you get with TCP and
you won't get on regular news, a regular TV like.
We don't have nobody telling us we can't say this
and we can't say that. So we ok because nobody else. Okay,
say less, I'm against, don't say let's I'm on the show. Okay,
let's talk about some of the topic, because you know,

(01:46:37):
that's what money making conversation is. It's a conversation about
the community. It allows you to have a void like
I got. You know, I've got special guest Marquis over here,
you know, and I'm just stumbling at the opponent show.
Hit me with a couple of topics so I can
join in, come on with you. Okay. Well, yesterday we
we didn't say less and I started talking about colorism. Okay.

(01:46:57):
So because there was a conversation on one day to
Miami where Jim Brown had checked you're not checked. But
he was speaking to Malcolm lex and he asked, why
was he so militant? Uh? What was he militant? Didn't
have to do. But because he was like skined Um,
and I think colorism, I know colorism still exists today.
Has colorism affected chewing anyway? Now? I would say that

(01:47:21):
because I'm a black man. Anytime I walk in the room,
I've lost I've lost my competitive edge because you know
who I am. Okay, that's where white people don't have
to deal with colorism, you know, now have to deal
with being a different shade. I don't know if they
are tag you. I don't know if they Jewish, I
don't know if they Greek. You know, in some situations,
I might not even know that you are from a
Latin American country. So colorism just taking it out of

(01:47:44):
the African American community, which we know exists there as well.
But from a global perspective, I I am at a
loss because you know my eights. I can't play a game.
I can't play in the shadow of me being somebody
else are coming from a different culture because you know,
or a fact, I'm either African or Black, and so

(01:48:04):
looking at who I am, you're probably gonna say he's
a black guy. So from a colorism has always played
a game in my life, but I haven't let it
stop me because I've realized that's the hand I've been
dealt with. And so with that being said, I always
tell people, we might tell people, you know, racism does exist,
so it's your your purpose to get in the sightline

(01:48:26):
of the decision makers. I always tell people decisions are
always made when people are looking forward. People never look
back to make a decision. They never do. They never
turned around. Go oh, let me see who's behind me. Oh, Bill,
I want you to come back here. They make a
decision looking fraud left the right. And so that's how
I see what your brand TCP. You know, you guys
are in front of the decision makers. Now who are

(01:48:49):
the decision makers the viewers? And so so when you
ask me about my color, I always tell people, look,
I deal with it, but my job is to be
in front of the decision makers. And as long as
I can stand in front of the decision makers, I
have an edge and I'm not gonna let that beat
me down. And that's how I've been able to stay
ahead of the curve. I hear that, that alright, because

(01:49:15):
I come on you, I love well, you know, but
but that's why that's why when I when I reached
out to you guys because I saw an article on
you and I went, you know, we all got to
have a plane. You know, everybody has this theory because
you know, I grew up on BT like we all did.
And BT started out with music videos and then they

(01:49:38):
started you know, my boy Ed Gordon was the was
the you know, it was the black voice of news.
And then all of a sudden, BT kind of like
went away. They stopped serving the public for for they
never would. They never did um do it yourself shows,
They never did cooking shows. You see owners trying to
go in that direction. So black people have always been

(01:50:00):
uh cater to like, you know, we want action, we
want a comedy, and uh you want music in the
entertainment world, especially in the television of the streaming medium.
So that's why I'm happy to see what you guys
doing because when I see hip hop and politics, King's Court,
Boss Talk, sit Down with the Johnson's, you know, say
less opinionated facts. These are shows that I've been waiting

(01:50:23):
for because of streaming networks and and innovative gentlemen like
you allowed me and my family and my friends and
people of color to say, guess what we can participate
absolutely and and and that's really what what helped build CCP. UM.
We we built this thing off of uh Facebook, off

(01:50:44):
of Facebook line. Uh So, so it was that that
audience participation. UM. It was it was active active TV
watching UM where where as a viewer, UM, you're not
only watching the content, but you can be a part
of the conversation. And and really helped control the flow

(01:51:06):
of the conversation to a degree. UM and UM, and
especially over the pandemic, UM when when everything shut down, Uh,
that's when we really experienced a a explosion because everybody
was at home. UM, everybody was just scrolling through their phone. UM.

(01:51:26):
So what we said, UM, we had to move on
from the studio that we were at UM at that
time because of COVID, and we said, all right, well look, UM,
we're just gonna do this from my garage. UM, and
we're just going to broadcast from my garage. And and
for about four months, UM in the pandemic, we broadcasted

(01:51:49):
from my garage. We did it it up um a
little bit. UM. But during that time, again, people were
just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and just were being
and and really enjoying our content. Um and and then
with that the protests over the summer came UM and
and that's when we we witnessed another search because we

(01:52:11):
were we were right in the thick of things, UM,
getting getting the real stories, getting the real reactions of
the people. UM. We we went to places where other
other journalists UM may have been a bit fearful. UM.
But because we shared the same personal story UM of

(01:52:32):
other people that were protesting, we had access to places
and people during that time that really have helped us
tell tell the story UM. And and that's where people
began to really see the the effect and the reason
why we exist cool we to UH. We were all down.

(01:52:56):
It was terrible, but it was a lot to talk about,
and that makes for great content. So we spoke about it.
When you say we say terrible, you're talking about the
George Floyd or the loss of life from COVID because
it was just overtly affected. People of color were the
terrible part about the conversation. All of the above. COVID

(01:53:18):
hit and UM. We we never stopped working, so we
was they saw in real time. Our reaction was like
their reaction, like we we had no idea what we
were going through. Like it was. It was a scary time.
And then during that time, the George Floyd thing happened,
and all over the country, including our city, there were

(01:53:38):
there were protests everywhere and we were on the front lines.
We were at the protests, we were covering these things.
And during these protests, a young man was killed by
police in our very city and we were first on
the scene to cover that. So like all of these things, like,
we were there, we were, we were in the mix.
We were in d c for for for that march.

(01:53:59):
They on our next march. We were there, like we
were everywhere during this year. UM, when it was just
rough for people, we were, we were, we were working
you know VICE UH programming and which I'm a big
fan of, and it it feels very much that you
guys are doing VICE, which is organic, authentic programming that

(01:54:23):
feels gritty and UH from from our on the original
point of view, am I closer saying the style of
program that you guys are trying to bring to the
to the people of color community. UM. I would say
that we're a mix between UM VICE and UM and
T Y T on the Young Turvis UM. But we're

(01:54:48):
we're just mellanated. You know, this is mellanated media, like
we like to say, you know, now we got this
tea programs. You know, I'm gonna take it this way.
I'm gonna take this away. You know, when I look
at Boss Talk and I look at King's Chord and
hip hop and politics, you know, that to me is
I'm not seeing that nowhere else. So that's important to

(01:55:09):
hear that because I can't hear that on the radio.
I can't hear that on Serious x M, even though
they say that's what they do. You know, you know
they you know they they've they've had the same people
do the host the same shows for the last ten years.
And that's serious talk. And if you go to the
to the HBC used, they're over there inundated by jazz

(01:55:31):
stations and adult program It really is crazy to me
when I go to college stations and I go, who
are they trying to? The listeners fitting up? And so
that means they missed the whole voice of what I
think these schools are supposed to be at tuned into.
And so so when I listened what you guys are doing,
it feels like I'm hitting the millennial generation. Weally much

(01:55:52):
that am I wrong in saying that? No, we were
we were blessed with the Internet and with the inn
we were able to cut out the the middleman and
give it to the people's straight, no filter, and and
that's what we try to do. It. We're gonna hit
her from all angles using the technology that we had
and the technology that we've had when we started to

(01:56:14):
the technology that we have now has allowed us to
be capable of doing things that we wouldn't even have
dreamed about in the beginning. And so so it's moving
at a rapid pace. And yeah, that's that's exactly what
we're gonna do, is take complete advantage of every media
platform that we can. Now here's a funny part. Now
makes you know you said you started on Facebook Live.

(01:56:35):
So I my deal impression to y'all. Y'all were like
out there. Yeah, it was raw, it was unpredictable. Uh,
it was learning on the on the fly. People people
comment and you're dropping some information accurate, but it was
from the heart. Talk about those earliest early years of

(01:56:56):
lunch of the network. Then so um so we we
started um in in a community center, um In in
a um studio that wasn't used for ten years. UM,
so there was. There was just terrible, terrible, terrible reception.

(01:57:19):
UM no ventilation. Uh. And and we had to hold
our phones so like we we would have to hold
the phone for an hour, you know, seventy five minutes,
ninety minutes, however long the show was, and our arm
was a tripod and like, UM coming up that was
like a money joke, uh tc p t C p

(01:57:41):
uh they'll have you hold the phone. They'll have you
hold the phone for an hour, you know. So so
that was really like, UM, that was a humbling Uh.
It was very very humbling. And then UM and then
at times when the community center was closed, you know,
we had to figure out ways to still put on

(01:58:01):
the show and everything because we wanted to be consistent
with this um our start is what really is our
strong foundation, because we really leaned on one another um
at the beginning. And and and now we can share
those stories now like oh we got a studio now.

(01:58:21):
But at the beginning, UM, I remember when we were
running off of one LFE you know, UM, when we
were all sweating in the studio, those signs were very humbling.
Don't they lock us out? The building and we can't
get in. But you and not your Roku, your Roku challenge.

(01:58:43):
You know, it's like it's like it's like, don't let
when I when I hear your story and I read
your story, it's really about overcoming the odds and like
I said, people kicking dirt in your face and people
caution you. People will be a more critical but not
seeing the vision or the passion of the hope or
the dreams. And now you're on the Rocal channel, which
is the ultimate platform for you know, for for streaming channels.

(01:59:05):
It really is you know, you know roal coul is
like it's like you know you you you you get
it all. Like any small TV as Roku. That's the
beauty of when you're going from a technology standpoint, you're
not being left. If you buy a new TV, it's
a small TV, it will have Rocal channel and you
guys are on that. How can one find your on
the search button on the Rocal channel, Go up and

(01:59:29):
and type in your search for TCP television pot right up. Click. Okay,
now who started crying for who? Who? Who? Was like
I disbelieve and kept typing in TCP TCP that make
sure it worked. I think I watched it for seven

(01:59:52):
I'm biggest fair absolutely well. When you got your brother
Brandon Way, he does a pin Native Facts, I see.
I love this a family operation because I see Marquis, Marquis,
you have a you have kids, you have a TCP
in the morning, you have that show. And then I
see uh Reverend Sherry Lufton UH does Reset Boss, Talking Boy,

(02:00:16):
Jessic Cannon, Kings Corp. By Andre Dixon, Hip Hop and
Politics by Nina falk Taekwon Ryo. I love that. What
is Tip Floorida? What is Tip Floor Um Tip Florida.
That is um. That is our sports and and pop
culture show. And it also takes a little a little

(02:00:37):
deeper look into sports, uh than our apiated facts show
um um afionated facts. That's more you know, it's in
its name opinions and Florida takes it takes a little
bit deeper looking at UH statistics and tying that into
UH pop culture and whatnot. Well, my friend, how can

(02:00:59):
I up you? I got you know, Twitter, I got
social media, I got one point six million brand influences.
I'd love to be able to send me some banners
because that's what this show is developed. You know, I'm
not charging anybody anything, but you know, God has allowed
me to live my dream. This is part of my dream,
you know, being able to talk to talented individuals like
you and I consider your visionaries and the visionaries. Uh,

(02:01:23):
I need partnerships. I'm a partner and then trying to
be able to market and be able to get the
word out. So if you send me banners I put
in my weekly newsletter, you sent me banners I posted
on my social media because I'm proud of you. And
I just want to thank you guys for being patient
with me because we rescheduled a couple of times because
in earnest I wanted to put my best foot forward

(02:01:44):
and presenting this interview to America. I really appreciate it. Hey,
William Markets, thank you for coming on the show. Uh
money making conversation platform dot com okay cool, thank you
for coming on the show. I want to appreciate you all.
We're gonna get this aired immediately and we're gonna start
for voting and doing our part to make this winning

(02:02:05):
situation and winn an opportunity. I'm so proud of you
guys to be on that real coup platform. I really
that is a big deal. It's not nothing that I'm
gonna shy away from and say that anybody can get
on it, and that's not true. You're creating a valid,
consumable program for people of color. Your tin shows are
only the beginning. Again, thank you for taking the time
to come on Money Making Conversation and like I was told,
everybody keep winning. Okay, thank you for having us cool. Alright.

(02:02:29):
If you want to hear more Money Making Conversation interview,
please go to Money Making Conversation dot com. I was
shot mcdonn't. I'm your hope. In this season of giving,
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All Episodes

E252: Kirk Franklin - hosts a new podcast, “Good Words with Kirk Franklin”; Sheila Eldridge - Founder of Café Mocha radio; Shelden Williams - Former NBA Player lottery pick; Marquis Lupton & William Way Jr.- Founders of the TCP TV Network on Roku channel

Episode Transcript

Host

Rushion McDonald

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