Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Christopher Gray.
CEO and co-founder of Path. Gray discusses how his AI-powered platform is transforming test preparation for professional certifications, IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, and college admission exams.
🔑 Key Themes & Highlights
-
The Vision Behind Path
- Path provides unlimited practice questions, full-length exams, and personalized study plans.
- Uses AI to generate high-quality test prep content at a fraction of traditional costs.
-
Addressing Educational Barriers
- Many students struggle with standardized tests due to expensive prep courses.
- Path makes test preparation affordable, helping low-income students access scholarships and selective schools.
-
Professional Certifications & Career Growth
- Covers IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, and teaching certifications.
- Helps individuals pass exams like CompTIA Security+ and Praxis to secure high-paying jobs.
-
AI-Powered Test Preparation
- Provides unlimited practice exams and step-by-step solutions.
- Predicts users’ test scores before they take official exams, reducing financial risk.
-
Expanding Access to Education
- Offers prep for SAT, ACT, GED, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, and MCAT.
- Supports career changers and adults seeking new opportunities through certification programs.
📘 About Christopher Gray & Path
Christopher Gray is an entrepreneur dedicated to making education more accessible. His platform, Path, leverages AI to provide affordable and effective test preparation for students and professionals.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Rashaan McDonald, our host this weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Living your own. If you want to be a.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Guest on my show, please visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations
dot com and click to be a guest button to
submit your information. Now, let's get this show started. My
guest is the CEO and co founder of Path. Path
provides tests, preparation tools for unlimited practice questions, full length exams,
(00:34):
and personalized study plans for professional certification and IT, cybersecurity,
and healthcare and many more. And it also supports students
preparing for college mission exams such as SAT ACT, ged
L SAT and gm AT and many more. We got
a lot to talk about. Please welcome to the Money
(00:55):
Making Conversation Masterclass. Christopher Gray, how you don Christopher?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And good Man, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
First of all, Man, I've done a lot of interviews
with people. They talk about S A T, they talk
about a C T. Man, you stepped over the mountaintop
with your your program. When I hear certification and I
T certification healthcare certification in the UH in cybersecurity.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Plus G ed L S A T G M A
T man. That's a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
How did you in a in a in a short
short conversation, tell us how did you envision this particular app.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Right, So, the way the way I kind of see
path is that what we're trying to do is historically
they think like the A C T S, A T G,
MATT LSAD come to you and collects all these exams
like really are make or break kind of make or
break students and the ability to get into the college
they want to, but also scholarships. Right, you have a
(01:55):
new administration actually which is pushing for the reinstatement of
these different of these different exams and reliance on these exams,
you know, for the excuse of a merit based rhetography.
But the problem is all with differentiates the wealthy students
and middle and lower midalitized students from being a due
wellness test of preparation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You can go to capital in and.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Pay two three thousand dollars just to prepare for one
of these tests. Most low income people of color cannot
afford that, so they tend to not do well right.
So we thought with AI being at the forefront of
everything right now, we were able to kind of tackle
this problem. Use AI to generate the same quality content
that you would get at any of these other other platforms,
and able to do it for extremely cheap and put
(02:39):
all of the exams onto one roof so you don't
have to go and pay for all these different things. Right,
So our goal is really about education accessible and affordability,
but in reality is the highest impact is that these
tests have been historically been massive, various kids getting into
selective schools or getting scholarships that they want simply because
students can't practice and be able to do that. And
(03:01):
then with entry level jobs like comp tier certifications again
same thing super expensive and it's a huge barrier for
a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And that's what we're trying to address.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, thank you for explaining that to me, because of
the fact that my show Money Making Conversation Massacres is
trying to bring down those barriers with information and you're
the type of person that I try to connect the
dots with. Now, when you talk about you know, the
traditional online and traditional app base, they usually just do
(03:30):
sat act. How were you able to go beyond that
because that's the game change and for me, that's the
reason I have on this show. And let's start with
the certification part of your app, which is the IT,
cyber and healthcare just to name a few.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, So the reason why we're able to do everything
is so we use generative AI. Right, we don't have
to go in automatic, we don't have to go in
custom create all these different exam AI allows is to
give out we get weird to give our use unlimited
practice exams, unlimited practice, question in depth, step by self solutions,
and we can predict what you're gonna make for you
(04:11):
take the test, which is the big thing, right, So
you don't even need to go and take the acat
LSADG MAT or cybersecurity exam if you don't know if
you're going to pass. So it's like come Tia security
plus it's four hundred dollars just to take the exam.
So if you don't pass your first track, you got
to pay another four hundred dollars. And then that's just
for one of them. They're like fourteen different CompTIA asserts. Right,
(04:31):
so if you and to do their prep, it's like
five hundred dollars. You look at nine hundred dollars just
to pass this test, right, so if you don't pass
the first time, you have to do it again. And
you know with cybersecurity jobs being really key, So the
reason why we focus a lot on our professional certification
side on it and healthcare because those are two of
the most in demand fields that are always gone.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So we do in collects, so our ends, we do
CNA exams you want to be a nurse.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
We also have practice so for people that want to
become teachers, because I don't know, if you know, only
forty four percent of teachers actually passed to practical on
the first try, and a lot of students of color
who become teachers don't actually takes them three to five
times to pass it. Sometimes they just stop, you know.
So we are literally have the inability to prepare for
the practice exam has caused a teacher shortage in our economy.
(05:18):
Come Tia is I mean you can go and get
jobs in the federal workforce or entry level job who's
out a degree. You have a come Tia certification. So
when you look at people earning more money, so imagine
someone who doesn't have a degree just went to high school,
had the GED. All they need to do is, you know,
pass is exam and they can go out make an
eighty starting salary eighty one hundred K a year, right,
So that's what we're trying to do. That's why so
(05:39):
important to do that. But because we're able to use
Generator that we are able to be able to compass
all these different exams, be able to help as many
people as possible, give them as much practice as they need.
And the biggest thing that people like about PATH is
that we're letting them know they're going to pass where
they take the test, So they're like, hey, I'm about
to go and take the test about knowing they're going
to pass. So we're so being able to do that
by default we save them money. When most people don't
(06:00):
pass come Field their first time, so it's like they're
likely spending almost eight hundred to one thousand dollars, so
we're cutting We're saving all of these people thousands of
dollars and ensuring they pass the exam, which which makes
especially lowng in come people of color be able to
pass these exams, being able to get these certifications and
get the jobs they need without having to wait, you know,
(06:20):
to make extra money just to keep taking these.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Exams over and over and over again, hoping their path.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
As you speak, Christopher, I get more and more excited
about what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
He's the CEO and co founder of Path and AI
power platform transforming away students and professional prepare for critical exams. Now,
let's talk about where can we find path or is
there an app for a path?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
So Path, you can go to our website yourpath dot
ai again.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So your path while you while your path.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yes and yep, your path dot ai or just google
path test prep and will come right up. So go
on Google Google Path test prep will come up. Google
Path AI test Prep will come up right away. And
then you'll you'll be direct to our platform so and
so and just for just for example, like you go
to kaplan to stay for the act and act and
you have to pay for different ones. It's like twelve
(07:16):
hundred dollars sixty dollars or you can pay ten dollars
a month, so we are.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Usually sixty dollars. Did you say sixty dollars?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Yeah exactly, so yeah, I don't cost then and then
when I look at and through comp to you have
about twelve different certifications to prepare for each of them,
five hundred dollars for each preparation surgery, and then sixty
dollars you get a prep for all of them.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So you're saving literally.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Thousands lit'sten, just just put it out there, thousands of
dollars preparing for jobs that can change your lifestyle and
your future.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Within that, what's the preparation time?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
When you go and walk us through the steps of
somebody who's interested in certification for SAT But now let's
go to I T I T certification, what's the what's
the process?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
So a lot of people you want to you want
to prepare for the course. So the beat of a certification,
you get the certification. That's a step that you know
this mas here and that can just get you the job, right,
So that's why it's really really important. So the step
is that you want to prepare for the prepare for
do like cybersecurity courses. Either you can do it in college, community,
you can do it for universities, community to college, you
can stand on your own.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
That's to be the of it. Right. A lot of
times you don't actually need to go to college to
get certified in these exams, Like it's like the college
courses actually teaching get certified because you can go and
get the degree. But you have a certification, it doesn't matter, right.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
So so you so you want to take a course
on cybersecurity. Then you want to take enough to where
you are able to be prepared to take to come
tea exam. You know the different and you and now
they have Microsoft for juer because not just come tas
Microsoft for a Zure AWS. It's all and we have
a Zure and AWS on our platform too, we have
all of them. So you want to be able to
take the exam. So what you do is you take
(08:58):
the course, then you go and try take the certification.
The goals that you passing your first stry right, you're
able to get the certification. Then when you're then in
your job search, you're able to like just go to
any search or any job that require comes to you
and you're able to pofit.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Those jobs. Again, you don't even need a degree.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
So if you're able to get those certifications, you're able
to do that. And what's happening with it specifically is
that AI is making cybersecurity and it jobs go way up,
right because now we need that AI is running around
with AI agents doing this, AI just taking your credit
card like all this impersonating people. There's going to be
more of a need of cybersecurity certification. So that's one
(09:34):
reason why come to you said we're gonna come, you know,
to get the come to your certification. Bro used to
be one fifty dollars. This year they made a four hundred.
They said, look, we know y'all need this, so we go.
We going to make more money, right, so we're seeing
like that search. So that's the process. You find a
way to educate yourself on cybersecurity, prepare to take the exam,
and then get the certification. Paths in the middle where
(09:55):
we're helping you prepare for the exam so you can
get the certification and as many and ensure that you
pass on here first try saving you money and just
make sure you get the job. And then we're also
going to evolve into other things as well, because a
lot of so because you could take one I exam,
but you have to take others, like sometimes you need
three cert case the more you have the better, So
we have so we put all that on one PLoP
(10:15):
on and make sure that if your job says, oh
this is great, but to get this promotion, you need azure,
you need a that we you lot to get.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
That as well.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray. If you're hearing this information
and you're.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Like, wow, I gotta find out where this is that
go to your path dot ai that's your why. Oh
you arepath dot ai and you get more information. Hey, Christopher,
when I when I talk about this process, because AI
just popped on the scene recently. It's been around, but
everybody's talking about it, like just by the last couple
of years. When did you launch this company and when
(10:48):
did you introduce AI into the process.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
So I actually just lost it last year, so August
of last year. So so, but I came off my
other company, Scholarly with health students find money for college.
So I sold that company a year and a half
ago then started this company. So it's just been around
a year so and we've had a lot of success.
We have thousands and thousands of people use the platform,
passing their example on the first try. We have people
(11:12):
getting increasing their att score, increasing that school. We have
schools using the platform. We have like cybersecurity becomes using
the platform, have universities using the platform, so and you
can you can just go and get it yourself too.
You don't, we don't need to have be a part
of our organization to get it. But the idea is
that we solve this problem. And we saw that nobody
was using this problem, using AI to solve this problem.
(11:33):
We saw that everything in the market is like charging
students thousands of dollars. And the reason they do it
cause they're like, we know you're going to pay us,
because we know that you are associating this purchase with
like a higher income. Right, so we know that if
you pay us three thousand all if you're going to
make you know you're going to go and we're unlocking
one hundred thousand dollars a year for a year or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
But the thing is, at the same time, of course,
when people of color are not you know, that's the
that's the So the thing about this AI race is
that at the end of the day, as trained on
something and when you have people who think like that,
they're thinking, oh, they're thinking they're brothers, they're thinking of
people that look like them that come from the same
background they come from. Who can afford to pay three
thousand dollars? Right, we take a person of color, we'
(12:15):
from a little l background. I have another lens where Okay,
I see how this stuff is just as important as
you are. But I know that not only do I
want to make this more affordable, but actually, from a
financial perspective, it's better business to make this more affordable
because I get to take your market and I get
a larger market of people. So I end up making
more money and helping more people that would not have
been able to afford. That's not able to afford that.
(12:37):
And for context, when I was in high school, I
had to go carry these little big att books around
and you got like one or two practices, and then
once that you did, there's nothing else and you have
to like go and buy another course. And then my mom,
you know, we can afford tweve hundred dollars to pay
for a press to review and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So that was a big barrier. Right.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
So now if I have paths, I could just do
as study as many times I want predict when I
run to take the exam and then be able to
do better.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
So you're going to I think we're going to see that.
I know everyone's trying to figure out, how do.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
We fight or go again, you know, do what we
need to do for this new administration. And I think
that if they bring up college, if they reinstate college
interest exams or become more certifications, because you know, they've
already said they're going to try to allow pilgrims to
be used for like boot camps and other things.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So that's already got to happen. So we want to
make sure that we're.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
At the forefront when when they're coming back and saying
you need to make this scord to get into college,
to get this college, you need to this certification. We
want to be on the forefront of that using AI
to make sure that our people can get these certifications,
get into college and still not have to pay thousands
of dollars, you know, and having that be a barrier.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
First of all, Christopher, you're a good communicator that helps
and to convey this message.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But let me give more detail on this.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Because of the fact that you said, Rashan, why are
you excited about PATH?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Because I do a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Of sat Act interviews and those are youth that's about
teenagers and parents trying to encourage them for a better life,
which is fantastic. It never really talks about adults because
adults are moved on where the PATH program gives you
certification opportunities and what I call adult jobs where they
may not want to go to college. They may have
(14:18):
graduated from high school already and they can go in
and get their gad jed if they didn't graduate, they
can go in and get it, certification of cyber certification,
healthcare certification.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
All these things are important. If you're an adult listening
to this now, they still do the set, they still
do the act.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
If you're a parent and you want to get your
child involved in academic training for these test scores, they
do that. I don't want to leave that part of
their program off because that's very important. But I also
know that this is a program that young adults, adults
in their thirties, people want to do career changes, can
take advantage of what PATH is bringing to the table.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
Please we don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with
more Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations
Masterclass continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow Money
(15:21):
Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Am I correcting what I'm saying there, Christopher?
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Exactly?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And also if you're going to grad school, we cover
gre GMATT, LSAT and MCAT too, So like if people
are going to grad school, that's that's the big thing,
and that's actually those tests are more expensive to study
more than any of them. Right, So if you want
to be a lawyer, if you want to go to
grad school, if you want to to Jerry, if you
want to go to business school, if you want to
go to med school, we help that We cover that too.
(15:50):
And it's exactly as you said, right, Like we our
goal is to give the same quality content but reducing
the price to make that more afford to, but also
helping people out.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
And I do believe that we're moving.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
To a more skill certification based society where like a
certific being able to be certified and it's something is
going to mean more than a degree, because we're seeing
that there are people with your degree, so they went
to this x amount school and then come in and
can't really do anything. So, like you know, versus their
people who didn't go to college, who actually spent four
years learning a skill, who are being certified as something,
(16:23):
you know, it end up being more valuable.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
So let me ask you this question to your scholar right.
Scholars Scholarly right?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, Scholarly was my company that I used to have.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Yeah, okay, cool, Now that was successful for you and
it's the same academic So it gave you the basis
for paths, right, it gave you the foundation and the
credibility to achieve the levels of certification and approved certification
that you are using now on path.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Am I correct in saying that?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yep, yep, okay cool.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Now you're on Shark Tank. Why did you go on
Shark Tank?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I went on Shark Tank with a lot of the
college students and I with graduating graduate in college my
senior year and I went on shark I mean it
was the visibility I was able to get Damon John
and Lorgan here and investors. And I don't know if
you know, but like we have, you saw the biggest
fight in Shark tank history, which.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Ended up going viral. You know, we just got tom
success from that.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
But you know shark Tank at the time, you know,
at that that was the peak when you got like
ten million views, that's like six seven million dollars. But
you're going to get you yeah, so and most founders
would have to raise capital to spend to get that.
So so shark Tank was just great and put us
on the map. It gave like instant grand brand credibility.
And you know, you know, you may have heard it
(17:37):
here first, but there's the chance I may be doing
it again.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So really, really, I've got to ask you, Christaler, your
platform sounds fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
They feel like they're generating the revenue. Why would you
want to.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Go on a show and give a part of your
your equity for a fee when it seems like you
can you can generate the wherevenue yourself.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
I think it depends on how fast you want to grow.
I think it depends on end up being a little
bit for teachers in terms of like if I want
to do it or not.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
But I think, but I think you're right.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
But I think and I think that that's another conversation
that's happening in the age of AI right now. You
can build a strong business and it can be extremely
profitable with very with a minimal head count, very little
and very little money because now a lot of marketing
and brand stuff, Like I have you how many asks
I've seen that are like AI actors that are like
(18:31):
and I'm thinking they're real people, right, you know, there's
so much happens so you can spend so little to
start a company. Now you're seeing all over in the
startup community their company making twenty thirty million dollars with
ten people like right, like, So I think you're right
in a sense that you know, we're moving into a
world where.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
You can build a big business. It can make a
lot of money.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
You don't need to do because people don't get the
downsides of raising capital because people get, oh, I raised
as much money, I'm this, I'm not, but they don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Once you get to looted to you, you get aboard you.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Then you are selling dolledge son of your equity, but
you're selling the right to determine when you sell your company.
So somebody can say, oh, oh, here you got one
hundred million dollar offer to someone to buy your company.
You may make sixty million from that, But the VC
who you raised twenty million from, say, you know what
I got a three hundred million dollar fund that doesn't
return my fund, So I'm going to block this deal
(19:24):
and make you work another five years so that BC
just you just so it's like a fautistic bargain, like
a devil's contract, where you you got all this person's money, right,
and they gave you money. They gave you like a
lot of money, so you got to do it. To say,
but in exchange, you're also giving them the right to
determine when you generate well for yourself, and that's what
you're giving up, and that's not a good place to
(19:44):
be in. And I will tell you I have friends
who have had to turn down millions of dollars simply
because their investor said this is not enough. It would
have been life changing for them. But then invest like, well,
this doesn't return my fund. So so I think you're right.
You you, if you really need the exposure and the capito,
do it, because some parts you need it. But just
but I think today you just got to make sure,
because you're right, you are giving a lot of your
(20:05):
company and people don't get the the.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Detail, the legal details that go into those deals.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
The next thing they don't want to put a board
in place. Next thing, you know, they're gonna butt you out.
You gotta be worried about that. Man, they vote you
out of your own company.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Okay, exactly, Yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Yeah, I'm happy you tell people that because that's a
big thing that no one knows, like you can get
booted out your own company.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
And so as they say the word board, get nervous.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
It's a great conversation, Chris Christopher, I know that the
ability to talk to people at this level on my
show and communicate these values, you know with DEI sitting
out there, which put your noise me because DEI is
has become a political tool.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
But then why you.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Fight political tools is by programs like Path. With Path
educates you at a less financial risk, I should say,
because a lot of the courses that you would have
to pay to participate, you pay it a lesser, more
accommodating an available amount with pat, Can you explain.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That to everybody one more time if we close out.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
The interview, Yeah, I think that you know. Yeah, so
d I is under attacked. It's not an attacked, it's
it's just really it's under attacked. But it's and you're
just singing it across the board. So I think it's really, really,
really important for us to figure out a way to
take charge and be focused in this chaos.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
And I think that I really encourage I.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Mean, if you guys see what's happening in DC, all
these federal workers, it used to be work for at
least especially for people of color, that you thought going
to join the working for the government was the most
secure job you can never have. Hell, you thought working
for Facebook and Meta and all these amazons. You thought
those like you you were set for your career, you
were set for life. There are people that are the
rugs being pulled up on you. So I think that,
(21:46):
you know, I encourage people to learn skills in AI,
get certified because these cybersecurity IT jobs are going to
be the d jobs where AI engineers are going to be,
you know, are going to be kind of the kings
of this market. But I think with this to be
able to do that, where we want to come in
again is ultimately helping you get certified, helping you be
able to be prepared for these jobs. And eventually we
(22:08):
want to be able to create our own certificates. We
want to be able to create certificate on path where
you can get certified, you know, on our platform to
be to say you know AI, say you know cloud
computing and all that stuff. Right, so I think that
is going to be really important. But like right now,
there's a not a lot every one of the against
stuff the world, the nation has voted against you know,
our people, and I think it's important for us to
(22:30):
be able to do things, support businesses that are rand
by people that look like you hopefully or just supporting
people you know who are minorities, and also being able
to be more entrepreneurial because again I have people who
literally have had a job their entire career as friends
who are making like two hundred k plus a year,
(22:50):
who have not been able to find work for six
eight months and still looking for a job because they're
telling them that I don't need to pay you two
hundred and fifty k a year because now because of
the AI tools, I can automate your job and what
you're doing now now that it was what was taking
costing you forty hours, taking you forty hours a week
to do, I got an AI agent that can do
(23:12):
it for five hours in a month. Right, Like I've
taken people's Actually what's happening is the more experienced people
are the people that are getting cut.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Now, what is the future you Path? Are you going
to do the same thing with Path? Are you going
to just scale it out and then sell it and
that next thing? I see you in Bermuda hanging out
looking good.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I think that you know my goal, right.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
I mean, I think every founder builds a business, and
I think you should be focused on that, whether you
want to go public. I don't think you start a
business with the idea I'm started to sell it, right.
I think every business has to have an exit. I mean,
I mean every business is to go to create generational
wealth for yourself, whether you're passing that down to your kids,
whether you are an.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Exit, whether your IPO.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Because at some point money will likely have to be
raised and you have to get people a turn of
their investment. And that's something I tell people. Another thing
that you have to understand. You take money from people,
you have to get it.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Back and to tell everybody how we get in touch
with you through your website.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, it's just you want to use Path, your path
I AI if you want to follow me mostly active
on LinkedIn and Instagram motor active.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
What does that mean there? Christ are multi active?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
You know I sound mostly active.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
My LinkedIn you just look at christpher Gray path you
ALcom and my ideas at CJ.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Gray nine to one.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
You're awesome brother.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
And if you if you sit back and you think
about your life, you know, since you graduate from college,
is it's just the direction you saw yourself going or
you were one of these people would go. I see
an opportunity and I build on it because a lot
of people are tied to fear, and fear creates a
lack of change, and you seem like you have a
(24:50):
fearless personality. Talk about your personality as we close out
this show.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I think that for me when I went to college,
it was right the year with a Wash came out
and I wanted to go to Wall Street. I wanted
I wanted to make a lot of money. I liked finance,
I had an affinity for it. I studied, I did.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I did a lot of virtual like stock market trading
when I was in school, through like the site that
gave you the virtual money and assimly the real market
that was summer, and I was really good at it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
May a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I lovekay virtual money, but I'm okay, this is something.
And then ironically my first job, ironically I sold my
company to Salame and my first internship in college and
the only time I ever worked for someone before Salame
was actually Fanny Made in twenty ten, and long story short,
I learned that I didn't want to work for some notework,
(25:38):
work for work for a company anymore. I fell out
with my boss and I had I had an exit interview.
I was probably I was younger, and I was more
candid then I am fresh out of Birmingham, but I
think I didn't have a pot of Polish and I
was very honest with her about how I felt about
her and through and then I left her. And then yeah,
and I didn't work for any And then also I
(26:03):
became an entrepreneur and that worked out for me and
I realized that a lot of the skills and self
started being able to It's something that I wanted to do,
and entrepreneurship is it for everyone. It's a lot of risk,
but I've I tell people. I just posted a status
today showing telling people that if all these layoffs have
been taught you that at this point, getting a job
there's no I don't even know if there's a such
(26:24):
thing as a stable job anymore. So you might as
well take the risk and build something, take dreat generational
wealth for yourself and your kids, you know, because that
seemed at this point, that seems like the same level
of risk is going to work for somebody, and then
when in a year you are displaced and then selling,
you don't have you don't have us out, you know,
you don't have, you know, any any way to take
care of your family. So so that's how I think
(26:46):
about it, and that's just kind of who I am.
I just I like to start thing, like to build things.
I don't think that I try to build things to
be rich. I think that wealth is the byproduct of
hard work and building something that adds value to the
people you serve.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
And I think that you know that and you should
be rewarded for that with wealth.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
But like, I don't just go I'll just trying away
that is just getting money, right like, because I think
that when the people that have that mindset, I find
they always fail because if you don't, if you're not
truly building something to add value to others, you don't,
you're likely not or frankly, don't deserve to be able
to generate wealth for yourself because those things have to be.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Handled Chris forher great thank you for coming on Money
Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Awesome, Well, thank you so much, man. I appreciate you
and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, Visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com. Social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join
us next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Keep winning.
Hi, I'm Rashaan McDonald, our host this weekly Money Making
Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show
provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other
people's success stories and start.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Living your own. If you want to be a.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Guest on my show, please visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations
dot com and click to be a guest button to
submit your information. Now, let's get this show started. My
guest is the CEO and co founder of Path. Path
provides tests, preparation tools for unlimited practice questions, full length exams,
(00:34):
and personalized study plans for professional certification and IT, cybersecurity,
and healthcare and many more. And it also supports students
preparing for college mission exams such as SAT ACT, ged
L SAT and gm AT and many more. We got
a lot to talk about. Please welcome to the Money
(00:55):
Making Conversation Masterclass. Christopher Gray, how you don Christopher?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And good Man, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
First of all, Man, I've done a lot of interviews
with people. They talk about S A T, they talk
about a C T. Man, you stepped over the mountaintop
with your your program. When I hear certification and I
T certification healthcare certification in the UH in cybersecurity.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Plus G ed L S A T G M A
T man. That's a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
How did you in a in a in a short
short conversation, tell us how did you envision this particular app.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Right, So, the way the way I kind of see
path is that what we're trying to do is historically
they think like the A C T S, A T G,
MATT LSAD come to you and collects all these exams
like really are make or break kind of make or
break students and the ability to get into the college
they want to, but also scholarships. Right, you have a
(01:55):
new administration actually which is pushing for the reinstatement of
these different of these different exams and reliance on these exams,
you know, for the excuse of a merit based rhetography.
But the problem is all with differentiates the wealthy students
and middle and lower midalitized students from being a due
wellness test of preparation.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You can go to capital in and.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Pay two three thousand dollars just to prepare for one
of these tests. Most low income people of color cannot
afford that, so they tend to not do well right.
So we thought with AI being at the forefront of
everything right now, we were able to kind of tackle
this problem. Use AI to generate the same quality content
that you would get at any of these other other platforms,
and able to do it for extremely cheap and put
(02:39):
all of the exams onto one roof so you don't
have to go and pay for all these different things. Right,
So our goal is really about education accessible and affordability,
but in reality is the highest impact is that these
tests have been historically been massive, various kids getting into
selective schools or getting scholarships that they want simply because
students can't practice and be able to do that. And
(03:01):
then with entry level jobs like comp tier certifications again
same thing super expensive and it's a huge barrier for
a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And that's what we're trying to address.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Well, thank you for explaining that to me, because of
the fact that my show Money Making Conversation Massacres is
trying to bring down those barriers with information and you're
the type of person that I try to connect the
dots with. Now, when you talk about you know, the
traditional online and traditional app base, they usually just do
(03:30):
sat act. How were you able to go beyond that
because that's the game change and for me, that's the
reason I have on this show. And let's start with
the certification part of your app, which is the IT,
cyber and healthcare just to name a few.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, So the reason why we're able to do everything
is so we use generative AI. Right, we don't have
to go in automatic, we don't have to go in
custom create all these different exam AI allows is to
give out we get weird to give our use unlimited
practice exams, unlimited practice, question in depth, step by self solutions,
and we can predict what you're gonna make for you
(04:11):
take the test, which is the big thing, right, So
you don't even need to go and take the acat
LSADG MAT or cybersecurity exam if you don't know if
you're going to pass. So it's like come Tia security
plus it's four hundred dollars just to take the exam.
So if you don't pass your first track, you got
to pay another four hundred dollars. And then that's just
for one of them. They're like fourteen different CompTIA asserts. Right,
(04:31):
so if you and to do their prep, it's like
five hundred dollars. You look at nine hundred dollars just
to pass this test, right, so if you don't pass
the first time, you have to do it again. And
you know with cybersecurity jobs being really key, So the
reason why we focus a lot on our professional certification
side on it and healthcare because those are two of
the most in demand fields that are always gone.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So we do in collects, so our ends, we do
CNA exams you want to be a nurse.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
We also have practice so for people that want to
become teachers, because I don't know, if you know, only
forty four percent of teachers actually passed to practical on
the first try, and a lot of students of color
who become teachers don't actually takes them three to five
times to pass it. Sometimes they just stop, you know.
So we are literally have the inability to prepare for
the practice exam has caused a teacher shortage in our economy.
(05:18):
Come Tia is I mean you can go and get
jobs in the federal workforce or entry level job who's
out a degree. You have a come Tia certification. So
when you look at people earning more money, so imagine
someone who doesn't have a degree just went to high school,
had the GED. All they need to do is, you know,
pass is exam and they can go out make an
eighty starting salary eighty one hundred K a year, right,
So that's what we're trying to do. That's why so
(05:39):
important to do that. But because we're able to use
Generator that we are able to be able to compass
all these different exams, be able to help as many
people as possible, give them as much practice as they need.
And the biggest thing that people like about PATH is
that we're letting them know they're going to pass where
they take the test, So they're like, hey, I'm about
to go and take the test about knowing they're going
to pass. So we're so being able to do that
by default we save them money. When most people don't
(06:00):
pass come Field their first time, so it's like they're
likely spending almost eight hundred to one thousand dollars, so
we're cutting We're saving all of these people thousands of
dollars and ensuring they pass the exam, which which makes
especially lowng in come people of color be able to
pass these exams, being able to get these certifications and
get the jobs they need without having to wait, you know,
(06:20):
to make extra money just to keep taking these.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Exams over and over and over again, hoping their path.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
As you speak, Christopher, I get more and more excited
about what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
He's the CEO and co founder of Path and AI
power platform transforming away students and professional prepare for critical exams. Now,
let's talk about where can we find path or is
there an app for a path?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
So Path, you can go to our website yourpath dot
ai again.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So your path while you while your path.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yes and yep, your path dot ai or just google
path test prep and will come right up. So go
on Google Google Path test prep will come up. Google
Path AI test Prep will come up right away. And
then you'll you'll be direct to our platform so and
so and just for just for example, like you go
to kaplan to stay for the act and act and
you have to pay for different ones. It's like twelve
(07:16):
hundred dollars sixty dollars or you can pay ten dollars
a month, so we are.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Usually sixty dollars. Did you say sixty dollars?
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Yeah exactly, so yeah, I don't cost then and then
when I look at and through comp to you have
about twelve different certifications to prepare for each of them,
five hundred dollars for each preparation surgery, and then sixty
dollars you get a prep for all of them.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
So you're saving literally.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Thousands lit'sten, just just put it out there, thousands of
dollars preparing for jobs that can change your lifestyle and
your future.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Within that, what's the preparation time?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
When you go and walk us through the steps of
somebody who's interested in certification for SAT But now let's
go to I T I T certification, what's the what's
the process?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
So a lot of people you want to you want
to prepare for the course. So the beat of a certification,
you get the certification. That's a step that you know
this mas here and that can just get you the job, right,
So that's why it's really really important. So the step
is that you want to prepare for the prepare for
do like cybersecurity courses. Either you can do it in college, community,
you can do it for universities, community to college, you
can stand on your own.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
That's to be the of it. Right. A lot of
times you don't actually need to go to college to
get certified in these exams, Like it's like the college
courses actually teaching get certified because you can go and
get the degree. But you have a certification, it doesn't matter, right.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
So so you so you want to take a course
on cybersecurity. Then you want to take enough to where
you are able to be prepared to take to come
tea exam. You know the different and you and now
they have Microsoft for juer because not just come tas
Microsoft for a Zure AWS. It's all and we have
a Zure and AWS on our platform too, we have
all of them. So you want to be able to
take the exam. So what you do is you take
(08:58):
the course, then you go and try take the certification.
The goals that you passing your first stry right, you're
able to get the certification. Then when you're then in
your job search, you're able to like just go to
any search or any job that require comes to you
and you're able to pofit.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Those jobs. Again, you don't even need a degree.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
So if you're able to get those certifications, you're able
to do that. And what's happening with it specifically is
that AI is making cybersecurity and it jobs go way up,
right because now we need that AI is running around
with AI agents doing this, AI just taking your credit
card like all this impersonating people. There's going to be
more of a need of cybersecurity certification. So that's one
(09:34):
reason why come to you said we're gonna come, you know,
to get the come to your certification. Bro used to
be one fifty dollars. This year they made a four hundred.
They said, look, we know y'all need this, so we go.
We going to make more money, right, so we're seeing
like that search. So that's the process. You find a
way to educate yourself on cybersecurity, prepare to take the exam,
and then get the certification. Paths in the middle where
(09:55):
we're helping you prepare for the exam so you can
get the certification and as many and ensure that you
pass on here first try saving you money and just
make sure you get the job. And then we're also
going to evolve into other things as well, because a
lot of so because you could take one I exam,
but you have to take others, like sometimes you need
three cert case the more you have the better, So
we have so we put all that on one PLoP
(10:15):
on and make sure that if your job says, oh
this is great, but to get this promotion, you need azure,
you need a that we you lot to get.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
That as well.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I'm talking to Christopher Gray. If you're hearing this information
and you're.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Like, wow, I gotta find out where this is that
go to your path dot ai that's your why. Oh
you arepath dot ai and you get more information. Hey, Christopher,
when I when I talk about this process, because AI
just popped on the scene recently. It's been around, but
everybody's talking about it, like just by the last couple
of years. When did you launch this company and when
(10:48):
did you introduce AI into the process.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
So I actually just lost it last year, so August
of last year. So so, but I came off my
other company, Scholarly with health students find money for college.
So I sold that company a year and a half
ago then started this company. So it's just been around
a year so and we've had a lot of success.
We have thousands and thousands of people use the platform,
passing their example on the first try. We have people
(11:12):
getting increasing their att score, increasing that school. We have
schools using the platform. We have like cybersecurity becomes using
the platform, have universities using the platform, so and you
can you can just go and get it yourself too.
You don't, we don't need to have be a part
of our organization to get it. But the idea is
that we solve this problem. And we saw that nobody
was using this problem, using AI to solve this problem.
(11:33):
We saw that everything in the market is like charging
students thousands of dollars. And the reason they do it
cause they're like, we know you're going to pay us,
because we know that you are associating this purchase with
like a higher income. Right, so we know that if
you pay us three thousand all if you're going to
make you know you're going to go and we're unlocking
one hundred thousand dollars a year for a year or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
But the thing is, at the same time, of course,
when people of color are not you know, that's the
that's the So the thing about this AI race is
that at the end of the day, as trained on
something and when you have people who think like that,
they're thinking, oh, they're thinking they're brothers, they're thinking of
people that look like them that come from the same
background they come from. Who can afford to pay three
thousand dollars? Right, we take a person of color, we'
(12:15):
from a little l background. I have another lens where Okay,
I see how this stuff is just as important as
you are. But I know that not only do I
want to make this more affordable, but actually, from a
financial perspective, it's better business to make this more affordable
because I get to take your market and I get
a larger market of people. So I end up making
more money and helping more people that would not have
been able to afford. That's not able to afford that.
(12:37):
And for context, when I was in high school, I
had to go carry these little big att books around
and you got like one or two practices, and then
once that you did, there's nothing else and you have
to like go and buy another course. And then my mom,
you know, we can afford tweve hundred dollars to pay
for a press to review and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So that was a big barrier. Right.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
So now if I have paths, I could just do
as study as many times I want predict when I
run to take the exam and then be able to
do better.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
So you're going to I think we're going to see that.
I know everyone's trying to figure out, how do.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
We fight or go again, you know, do what we
need to do for this new administration. And I think
that if they bring up college, if they reinstate college
interest exams or become more certifications, because you know, they've
already said they're going to try to allow pilgrims to
be used for like boot camps and other things.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So that's already got to happen. So we want to
make sure that we're.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
At the forefront when when they're coming back and saying
you need to make this scord to get into college,
to get this college, you need to this certification. We
want to be on the forefront of that using AI
to make sure that our people can get these certifications,
get into college and still not have to pay thousands
of dollars, you know, and having that be a barrier.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
First of all, Christopher, you're a good communicator that helps
and to convey this message.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But let me give more detail on this.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Because of the fact that you said, Rashan, why are
you excited about PATH?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Because I do a lot.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Of sat Act interviews and those are youth that's about
teenagers and parents trying to encourage them for a better life,
which is fantastic. It never really talks about adults because
adults are moved on where the PATH program gives you
certification opportunities and what I call adult jobs where they
may not want to go to college. They may have
(14:18):
graduated from high school already and they can go in
and get their gad jed if they didn't graduate, they
can go in and get it, certification of cyber certification,
healthcare certification.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
All these things are important. If you're an adult listening
to this now, they still do the set, they still
do the act.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
If you're a parent and you want to get your
child involved in academic training for these test scores, they
do that. I don't want to leave that part of
their program off because that's very important. But I also
know that this is a program that young adults, adults
in their thirties, people want to do career changes, can
take advantage of what PATH is bringing to the table.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
Please we don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with
more Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashaan McDonald. Money Making Conversations
Masterclass continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow Money
(15:21):
Making Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Am I correcting what I'm saying there, Christopher?
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Exactly?
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And also if you're going to grad school, we cover
gre GMATT, LSAT and MCAT too, So like if people
are going to grad school, that's that's the big thing,
and that's actually those tests are more expensive to study
more than any of them. Right, So if you want
to be a lawyer, if you want to go to
grad school, if you want to to Jerry, if you
want to go to business school, if you want to
go to med school, we help that We cover that too.
(15:50):
And it's exactly as you said, right, Like we our
goal is to give the same quality content but reducing
the price to make that more afford to, but also
helping people out.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
And I do believe that we're moving.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
To a more skill certification based society where like a
certific being able to be certified and it's something is
going to mean more than a degree, because we're seeing
that there are people with your degree, so they went
to this x amount school and then come in and
can't really do anything. So, like you know, versus their
people who didn't go to college, who actually spent four
years learning a skill, who are being certified as something,
(16:23):
you know, it end up being more valuable.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
So let me ask you this question to your scholar right.
Scholars Scholarly right?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, Scholarly was my company that I used to have.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Yeah, okay, cool, Now that was successful for you and
it's the same academic So it gave you the basis
for paths, right, it gave you the foundation and the
credibility to achieve the levels of certification and approved certification
that you are using now on path.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Am I correct in saying that?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yep, yep, okay cool.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Now you're on Shark Tank. Why did you go on
Shark Tank?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I went on Shark Tank with a lot of the
college students and I with graduating graduate in college my
senior year and I went on shark I mean it
was the visibility I was able to get Damon John
and Lorgan here and investors. And I don't know if
you know, but like we have, you saw the biggest
fight in Shark tank history, which.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Ended up going viral. You know, we just got tom
success from that.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
But you know shark Tank at the time, you know,
at that that was the peak when you got like
ten million views, that's like six seven million dollars. But
you're going to get you yeah, so and most founders
would have to raise capital to spend to get that.
So so shark Tank was just great and put us
on the map. It gave like instant grand brand credibility.
And you know, you know, you may have heard it
(17:37):
here first, but there's the chance I may be doing
it again.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So really, really, I've got to ask you, Christaler, your
platform sounds fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
They feel like they're generating the revenue. Why would you
want to.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Go on a show and give a part of your
your equity for a fee when it seems like you
can you can generate the wherevenue yourself.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
I think it depends on how fast you want to grow.
I think it depends on end up being a little
bit for teachers in terms of like if I want
to do it or not.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
But I think, but I think you're right.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
But I think and I think that that's another conversation
that's happening in the age of AI right now. You
can build a strong business and it can be extremely
profitable with very with a minimal head count, very little
and very little money because now a lot of marketing
and brand stuff, Like I have you how many asks
I've seen that are like AI actors that are like
(18:31):
and I'm thinking they're real people, right, you know, there's
so much happens so you can spend so little to
start a company. Now you're seeing all over in the
startup community their company making twenty thirty million dollars with
ten people like right, like, So I think you're right
in a sense that you know, we're moving into a
world where.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
You can build a big business. It can make a
lot of money.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
You don't need to do because people don't get the
downsides of raising capital because people get, oh, I raised
as much money, I'm this, I'm not, but they don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Once you get to looted to you, you get aboard you.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Then you are selling dolledge son of your equity, but
you're selling the right to determine when you sell your company.
So somebody can say, oh, oh, here you got one
hundred million dollar offer to someone to buy your company.
You may make sixty million from that, But the VC
who you raised twenty million from, say, you know what
I got a three hundred million dollar fund that doesn't
return my fund, So I'm going to block this deal
(19:24):
and make you work another five years so that BC
just you just so it's like a fautistic bargain, like
a devil's contract, where you you got all this person's money, right,
and they gave you money. They gave you like a
lot of money, so you got to do it. To say,
but in exchange, you're also giving them the right to
determine when you generate well for yourself, and that's what
you're giving up, and that's not a good place to
(19:44):
be in. And I will tell you I have friends
who have had to turn down millions of dollars simply
because their investor said this is not enough. It would
have been life changing for them. But then invest like, well,
this doesn't return my fund. So so I think you're right.
You you, if you really need the exposure and the capito,
do it, because some parts you need it. But just
but I think today you just got to make sure,
because you're right, you are giving a lot of your
(20:05):
company and people don't get the the.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Detail, the legal details that go into those deals.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
The next thing they don't want to put a board
in place. Next thing, you know, they're gonna butt you out.
You gotta be worried about that. Man, they vote you
out of your own company.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Okay, exactly, Yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Yeah, I'm happy you tell people that because that's a
big thing that no one knows, like you can get
booted out your own company.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
And so as they say the word board, get nervous.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
It's a great conversation, Chris Christopher, I know that the
ability to talk to people at this level on my
show and communicate these values, you know with DEI sitting
out there, which put your noise me because DEI is
has become a political tool.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
But then why you.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Fight political tools is by programs like Path. With Path
educates you at a less financial risk, I should say,
because a lot of the courses that you would have
to pay to participate, you pay it a lesser, more
accommodating an available amount with pat, Can you explain.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
That to everybody one more time if we close out.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
The interview, Yeah, I think that you know. Yeah, so
d I is under attacked. It's not an attacked, it's
it's just really it's under attacked. But it's and you're
just singing it across the board. So I think it's really, really,
really important for us to figure out a way to
take charge and be focused in this chaos.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
And I think that I really encourage I.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Mean, if you guys see what's happening in DC, all
these federal workers, it used to be work for at
least especially for people of color, that you thought going
to join the working for the government was the most
secure job you can never have. Hell, you thought working
for Facebook and Meta and all these amazons. You thought
those like you you were set for your career, you
were set for life. There are people that are the
rugs being pulled up on you. So I think that,
(21:46):
you know, I encourage people to learn skills in AI,
get certified because these cybersecurity IT jobs are going to
be the d jobs where AI engineers are going to be,
you know, are going to be kind of the kings
of this market. But I think with this to be
able to do that, where we want to come in
again is ultimately helping you get certified, helping you be
able to be prepared for these jobs. And eventually we
(22:08):
want to be able to create our own certificates. We
want to be able to create certificate on path where
you can get certified, you know, on our platform to
be to say you know AI, say you know cloud
computing and all that stuff. Right, so I think that
is going to be really important. But like right now,
there's a not a lot every one of the against
stuff the world, the nation has voted against you know,
our people, and I think it's important for us to
(22:30):
be able to do things, support businesses that are rand
by people that look like you hopefully or just supporting
people you know who are minorities, and also being able
to be more entrepreneurial because again I have people who
literally have had a job their entire career as friends
who are making like two hundred k plus a year,
(22:50):
who have not been able to find work for six
eight months and still looking for a job because they're
telling them that I don't need to pay you two
hundred and fifty k a year because now because of
the AI tools, I can automate your job and what
you're doing now now that it was what was taking
costing you forty hours, taking you forty hours a week
to do, I got an AI agent that can do
(23:12):
it for five hours in a month. Right, Like I've
taken people's Actually what's happening is the more experienced people
are the people that are getting cut.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Now, what is the future you Path? Are you going
to do the same thing with Path? Are you going
to just scale it out and then sell it and
that next thing? I see you in Bermuda hanging out
looking good.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
I think that you know my goal, right.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
I mean, I think every founder builds a business, and
I think you should be focused on that, whether you
want to go public. I don't think you start a
business with the idea I'm started to sell it, right.
I think every business has to have an exit. I mean,
I mean every business is to go to create generational
wealth for yourself, whether you're passing that down to your kids,
whether you are an.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Exit, whether your IPO.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Because at some point money will likely have to be
raised and you have to get people a turn of
their investment. And that's something I tell people. Another thing
that you have to understand. You take money from people,
you have to get it.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Back and to tell everybody how we get in touch
with you through your website.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Yeah, it's just you want to use Path, your path
I AI if you want to follow me mostly active
on LinkedIn and Instagram motor active.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
What does that mean there? Christ are multi active?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
You know I sound mostly active.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
My LinkedIn you just look at christpher Gray path you
ALcom and my ideas at CJ.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Gray nine to one.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
You're awesome brother.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
And if you if you sit back and you think
about your life, you know, since you graduate from college,
is it's just the direction you saw yourself going or
you were one of these people would go. I see
an opportunity and I build on it because a lot
of people are tied to fear, and fear creates a
lack of change, and you seem like you have a
(24:50):
fearless personality. Talk about your personality as we close out
this show.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I think that for me when I went to college,
it was right the year with a Wash came out
and I wanted to go to Wall Street. I wanted
I wanted to make a lot of money. I liked finance,
I had an affinity for it. I studied, I did.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I did a lot of virtual like stock market trading
when I was in school, through like the site that
gave you the virtual money and assimly the real market
that was summer, and I was really good at it.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
May a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I lovekay virtual money, but I'm okay, this is something.
And then ironically my first job, ironically I sold my
company to Salame and my first internship in college and
the only time I ever worked for someone before Salame
was actually Fanny Made in twenty ten, and long story short,
I learned that I didn't want to work for some notework,
(25:38):
work for work for a company anymore. I fell out
with my boss and I had I had an exit interview.
I was probably I was younger, and I was more
candid then I am fresh out of Birmingham, but I
think I didn't have a pot of Polish and I
was very honest with her about how I felt about
her and through and then I left her. And then yeah,
and I didn't work for any And then also I
(26:03):
became an entrepreneur and that worked out for me and
I realized that a lot of the skills and self
started being able to It's something that I wanted to do,
and entrepreneurship is it for everyone. It's a lot of risk,
but I've I tell people. I just posted a status
today showing telling people that if all these layoffs have
been taught you that at this point, getting a job
there's no I don't even know if there's a such
(26:24):
thing as a stable job anymore. So you might as
well take the risk and build something, take dreat generational
wealth for yourself and your kids, you know, because that
seemed at this point, that seems like the same level
of risk is going to work for somebody, and then
when in a year you are displaced and then selling,
you don't have you don't have us out, you know,
you don't have, you know, any any way to take
care of your family. So so that's how I think
(26:46):
about it, and that's just kind of who I am.
I just I like to start thing, like to build things.
I don't think that I try to build things to
be rich. I think that wealth is the byproduct of
hard work and building something that adds value to the
people you serve.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
And I think that you know that and you should
be rewarded for that with wealth.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
But like, I don't just go I'll just trying away
that is just getting money, right like, because I think
that when the people that have that mindset, I find
they always fail because if you don't, if you're not
truly building something to add value to others, you don't,
you're likely not or frankly, don't deserve to be able
to generate wealth for yourself because those things have to be.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Handled Chris forher great thank you for coming on Money
Making Conversation Masterclass.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
Awesome, Well, thank you so much, man. I appreciate you
and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, Visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com. Social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join
us next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Keep winning.
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