Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Everett Swain II.
Purpose of the Interview
The interview aims to:
- Highlight alternative pathways to high-paying careers without a traditional four-year degree.
- Showcase how UXD Academy, founded by Everett Swain II, empowers individuals—especially from underserved communities—to leverage AI and design skills for financial and academic freedom.
- Inspire entrepreneurs and small business owners to embrace AI-driven opportunities.
Key Takeaways
-
AI as an Opportunity, Not a Threat
- AI can amplify human capabilities rather than replace them.
- Small businesses see 80% positive ROI from AI adoption, making it a major growth lever.
-
Career Without a Degree
- Over 40% of tech companies no longer require degrees, focusing instead on certifications and portfolios.
- UXD Academy teaches AI experience design and automation for learners as young as 13.
-
Everett’s Journey
- Started as a graphic designer, pivoted to UX after self-learning via “YouTube University.”
- Built UXD Academy to democratize access to tech careers and fight industry gatekeeping.
-
Business Model
- UXD Academy offers free resources and paid guidance.
- Created Our Table, an AI experience agency employing top students for real-world projects.
-
Impact on Underserved Communities
- Programs can transform lives, moving individuals from low-income jobs to salaries of $75K–$140K within 3 years.
- Focus on youth (starting at age 13) to break cycles of poverty and limited exposure.
-
Future AI Trends for Small Businesses
- AI agents, automated workflows, and AI-powered customer experiences will dominate in the next 12–18 months.
-
Legacy
- Everett aims to help 100,000 youth create their own reality through tech education.
Notable Quotes
-
On AI’s role:
“Think of AI as the smartest intern you know—you can train it to work specifically for you.” -
On education:
“You don’t need a degree for what I do. Over 40% of tech companies don’t care about degrees anymore—they care about your portfolio.” -
On opportunity:
“If you follow what I’m telling you, you can change your life in under a year and a half.” -
On underserved communities:
“For the first time in history, people of color can bridge the gap to academic and financial freedom without a four-year degree.” -
On legacy:
“If I can help 100,000 kids create their own reality, that will be my legacy.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald hosts this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
please visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click
the be a Guest button. If you are a small
(00:21):
business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer, or nonprofit now let's
get this show started. My guest is the founder of
UXD Academy. It has grown into a beacon for career
switchers and inspiring designers who lack the means or desire
to pursue a traditional four year degree. He has prepared
(00:41):
UXD Academy to the forefront of the AI and design education.
Please welcome to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Everytt twin.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
How you doing, Efverett, I'm doing well. It's my first
time in Atlanta, so I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well. Good.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
First of all, mister Swain, it's important that people understand when.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You say AI, what is that? Let's educate them about
that first.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, So AI is the buzzer because.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
People are saying AI is taking job.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Now, using AI willable people to have a career.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yes, yes, they're there. So AI artificial intelligence is a
buzzword right now. Everybody's probably heard it at some point.
But there are two schools of thought with AI. One, companies, unfortunately,
are looking at AI to replace people. And then there
are the top companies that are using AI to amplify
their people, so giving them AI as a means of
(01:32):
a copilot to help them with roles or tasks that
they do not want to do.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, how did you how did you get started? Was
your this is very technically driven? Technically driven? Yeah, give
us a background. I asked you be the expert.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yes, so you know what's interesting. I took an aptitude
test and I said I was equally analytical as I
was creative, and I should do graphic design. Now. I
went to school for that not knowing what graphic design was,
and then I couldn't find a job in graphic design.
Once I graduated, I stumbled upon an article that says
what is UX user experience design? And so I understood
(02:09):
what that meant. I was like, okay, I'm the one
who gets to design how a product or digital product
works and so they make more money. So I went
to go that route, and then ultimately I decided to
teach people how to do the same.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Now, let's talk about this because you're in an area
where there are a lot of professional schools that are
giving our certificates, and this interview is about people who
don't want to go to a four year institution.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
With that being said, is it people.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Don't want to go to a four year institution or
does people want to or feel they can be success
be successful without going to a four year institution.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I think it's a combination of both. I've been someone
who is saying you don't need to go to school
for what I do, and it's proven well over forty
percent of tech companies do not care about degrees anymore.
They care about certifications. But ultimately, is your portfolio? Can
you do the job? Prove it? Let me see it.
So i UXD Academy is literally showing people thirteen and
(03:15):
older how you can become an AI experience designer or
an AI automation expert without a degree.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Now, it's when people hear you say that, what's the first.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Reaction people are still they're just starting to understand, like,
what UX is.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I tell me, I'm just saying that you the exers,
We're going to get to you that I'm just talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
You know, we've been drilled go to college, go to college,
go to college, to college, get your degree. It is
wonderful lifestyle. Right now you're telling me a certificate?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, yeah, People's eyes light up and say, wait, I
don't have to go into this massive amount of debt
to get this type of job that's paying you one
hundred and fifty two hundred thousand dollars. Sign me up?
What do I need to do? That's more the reaction
that I get. It's not so much like a disbelief
like wow, I could I can do that with a degree.
(04:08):
It's more like tell me how and show me how.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
M h. Now, with that being said, how was you
XD born? Everett?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
It was born from a question, to be honest with you, So,
my second job in my field, I had the rare
opportunity of working for a black manager in the UX space,
and it's extremely rare, and so I after a few
months working on his team, he asked me, what do
you want to do with this career. I said, I
want to teach a work in a corporate space for
(04:38):
about ten years and then teach it at the university level.
He asked me, why do you have to wait to
teach people? The girlfriend I had at the time, I
helped her successfully switch her career and become a designer.
He said, you talked to girl, right, why can't you
teach people now? Two weeks later we founded UXD Academy.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
We said we.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Were it was a co co founding opportunity, but we're
no longer partners anymorekety solely on.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
It now, Okay, good? Great? Just wanted to hear words
or yes, I wanted to give them no problem.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Now, what gap do you see in education of workforce development?
That u XD Academy was created to film.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
The gap in the workforce honestly, diversity and not just
skin color. I'm talking about diversity and background. One of
the things I did not like about the industry was
the gatekeeping aspect. People were very pretentious against people who
(05:41):
did not have a degree. And then a few years
later companies said we don't care about degrees, and so
the gap that I'm feeling is showing people from all backgrounds. Hey,
you can learn this, and let me go ahead and
create a curriculum that allows you to perform better than
people who have a degree.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So let me ask you this. They can't be frustration.
It can't be in office. I won't use your anger
because there are people out there that go to college, Yeah,
get the degree, may be in debt or may not
be in debt, and then somebody with a certificate comes
along and is competing competitively from a financial or salary standpoint.
(06:21):
Can that create a problem.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I don't think that's it can create a problem. But
I think that was a problem i'd say probably four
years ago. Now not so much anymore because so many
people are intering. I have entered the field without a
degree from a four year institution, so.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I don't think it's much of a problem. Now are
you a four year graduate? I am okay, So you
a four year graduate? Give me your degree background for it,
because everything you're talking about is technically driven. Okay, talk
about you.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
My background is I would say creatively driven. So I
was a graphic design major, which, if I had to
boil it down in Layman's terms, graphic design is about
creating pretty graphics. And pretty images using color theory, psychology
and things of that nature to create a banner, an image,
a poster, or whatever it is. Well, that's sort of
(07:13):
died a little bit with the advent of AI tools
like Canva and things like that. Now I don't need
to have a degree in graphic design to create pretty images.
I could just use Canva to do it. And so
I made the switch. I reverse engineered my career. I
actually said, Okay, I'm creating images, or at least what
the school taught me is to create images. But I'm
seeing where the money is money is actually creating digital products.
(07:36):
So I reversed engineered that, taught myself how to do it,
and I'm sharing the wealth back.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
So how do you make money? It's money making conversation,
massic classes. How do you make money?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So I make money a couple different ways, one by
a consultant as a consultant for companies to create digital products.
Right now, it's the buzzword is AI, so AI agents,
automated workflows. But the cool thing that I've done is
within UXD Academy, I have built an AI experience agency
called our Table, and it's a way for me to
(08:07):
not only it's a way for me to create a
learn and earn pipeline where I can train people at
UXD Academy. I take the top ten percent of those
and employ them at our table on a project basis.
So I go out and get small business clients via
our table, and then I bring that work into the
school so that way my apprentices can see what real
(08:27):
real world work looks like.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Everett AI, what exactly is AI?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You know it exploded Chatt GPT right, Yep, that came
out like two years ago in there, but it's been
out longer than that. Yes, And so then you say,
I'm a self taught AI person, So how can you
teach yourself AI? African American black person of color and
(09:01):
now you're consulting? How are you continually able to educate
yourself and stay in front and stay up because it's
ever changing industry?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
How did you make decision to teach yourself because you
went to be a graphic designer that's what you've been
trained in. This feels way more technical, it is, well,
for for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So YouTube University, I learned practically everything that I needed
to learn about this from YouTube. I found great content creators.
I followed them they are creating the waves or behind
directly behind the people who are making the waves. So
I just stay right in that lane and follow what
they're doing and test it out. I tell people YouTube,
(09:42):
Google and books taught me everything I know about AI
and what is.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
AI when a standpoint of the reason I keep harping
there because you know, a year ago, i'd use AI
a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
From a standpoint of I have my podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
It translates my podcast, It gives me descriptions, it tells
me and give me some marketing campaigns and things like that.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Am I under selling what more I could do with AI?
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah? So I like to tell people AI. Just think
of it as the it's the smartest person you know
or the smartest intern that you know, and you can
train that intern to work specifically for you. In a nutshell,
that's why. And AI really is like the greatest mimic
(10:34):
on Earth. It's just learning from things that we've already produced.
It's not really creating anything. It's more like mimicking and
guessing based off of its data. And so we have
to feed it good data and it'll give us a
good output.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Okay, cool, I'm speaking of ever ever. Excuse me.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
He's the founder of you x d Academy and you're
based where Dallas, Dallas, Texas. Okay, let's get into more
details here. You actually academy teaches design, design tools and AI.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
How so, I have an online platform built on school Skool,
and effectively what I do is I've created my own
curriculum in video format, so I put that on that platform.
But it also serves as like a combination. The platform
serves as a combination of LinkedIn Google Classroom, so people
(11:30):
can post which I encourage people to share, Hey I
built this, and then every two weeks I do a
free class where I show people, Hey, here's what I'm
actively working on, and here are the tools that I'm
using to build what I am building, and so people
can come in and ask me those type of questions.
And then thirdly, a Mastermind a weekly Mastermind group where
(11:51):
people can get guidance from me and helping build their
portfolio as well as working on client work.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Wow, so underserved community.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I will tell you I won't get on the soapbox
bout guess, but I will tell you that I feel
that for the first time in history that people of
color black people who are on these programs or whether
you can call the welfare program programs that well you
actually with these certificates, like you said, you don't have
to go to a four year school for your college
(12:24):
or to your junior college.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Well, you could change your life.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
In a manner more literally I did.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Please let my let my my listeners hear this by
going to your your.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Website and seeing the results because living a life on
Section eight or staff programs.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You don't have to do this.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
You can live a better life, live in a better community,
because I would tell you that living in those communities
under those programs force you to maintain a certain lifestyle,
force you to live a certain way for you and you,
The Academy can bridge a gap of academic freedom financial
freedom not only for the individual, but for their family
(13:08):
members and their family family members.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Talk to us absolutely shop boxes if you want.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
To sure, sure I can. The job I had before
my career as a designer, I worked at a mortgage
lending bank. I hated it. I was making about fourteen
dollars an hour and I got to the point where
I said, I hate my situation. I don't like this,
and so I leveraged YouTube University and went down a
(13:34):
rabbit hole and started teaching myself right. The routine that
I had was I would get up, I would go
to work from seven to three. Then I would work
out from three to four, and then from five to
about two am. I am learning. I'm building, I'm redoing
my portfolio. I am putting my best foot forward so
(13:54):
people can give me a chance. Unfortunately that took me
about three years. Took me three years, but somebody gave
me a shot, and I haven't looked back since I started.
When I got my first job, I made seventy five thousand,
The second year I made one hundred and five. The
third year I made one hundred and forty. So it's
(14:16):
just gone up.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Part of that I do know how to speak, I
know how to interview would pretty well. However, my portfolio
is what got me that, and so I am literally
showing not only just people that looks like us, but
hardworking people a follow what I'm telling you. You can
change your life in under a year and a half. Okay,
(14:38):
well that next step, what do they have to do?
Would you say, follow what I'm telling you? Where do
we have to go to follow what you are telling
us in this interview. Perfect. So of course you can
go to my website UXD dot Academy. From there it'll
launch pad you straight into the free community. I offer
a free community. That's the thing, giving away my information
(15:01):
for free. What you're paying for is my guidance. So
I take a do it yourself approach because that's what
I did. So I'm going to give you the meat
and potatoes of all the courses you need to take,
the certifications you need here, all the books you need
to read. I give you all of that, so there
are no excuses. If you want to take your own time,
sure you can get there an under two years. But
(15:22):
if you want that guidance, well then that's where you're
going to pay. It's just hey, let me give you
the course correction that you need.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We will be right back with more insights from Money
Making Conversations Masteric Class. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation
master Lass with me Rashaun McDonald. Now, I remember I'm
older than you, but it's always about the youth. You've
spoken about teaching youth early about ai UX design. Well,
(15:56):
you say early, what age group are we talking about,
and then you can expound after that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
You know, children are they operate at a genius level
at five years old, right, But and I know people
who have been teaching their kids how to code, you know,
from the time they were six, seven or eight. I
start with thirteen. I think that's right before you going
(16:21):
into high school. And I think that's a significant number
to me because that's when my world changed, coming from
California and then going to Texas. That move taught me
that this world, this life is about adapting or dying.
You have to adapt to die. And so I want to,
you know, show that Everett, that was thirteen. Here's something
(16:45):
that you don't know as possible, but you're really good
at you just don't know it. And so that's why
I started that age.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Well, you know, it really is about like I said,
my degree is in mathematics, and it's we're just trying
to say, breaking down the fear factor of change. Yeah,
and that's what this is about, because if you focused
on let's say you have a graphics degree, you have
a four year degree. I'm trying to really reach the
people who have either that's lost here in this interview
(17:16):
for the very first time, trying to understand where they
can fit in it, trying to disseminate reality from their reality.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Talk to me.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
So for that person that you described, what I teach
people are AI tools, specifically no code and low code tools.
So no code is exactly how it sounds. You don't
have to know any code in order to use this tool.
If you know some code, then that means you can
take a low code tool and push it to the
(17:51):
max because you actually know the language. Card so you
know the language. But you can literally build a chatbot
an agent in ten minutes with these tools, and I
am teaching you how to do that and then how
to do it on a larger scale. So I would
say again, ux, the Academy's YouTube channel is a great
(18:12):
place to start, but in my community, I also list
out the YouTubers that I learned from. Right, and you
watch one video you're going down the rap hole and
you can see the phone that you have in your pocket.
That's more than enough to get you to it.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
And we know everybody lives off there on you nowadays,
so you know they are just many computers for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I knows of my picking my phone. This is pretty heavy.
It is you know, those.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Supposed to really have just because they're small don't mean
they're light exactly, which means that a lot of technologies
is cramped into that. And let me ask you this
effort in the next twelve to eighteen months, what major
AI trends are technologies you believe will have the biggest
impact on a small business. I'm a small business and
this show us about small business businesses and entrepreneurship.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Talk to us.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
So I would say, automated workflows, AI agents, and AI
powered customer experiences. Those are going to be the three
biggest I say, major shakeups in the next twelve to
eighteen months. This year was dubbed the Year of the Agent,
which effectively I just tell people an agent is a
(19:24):
souped up chat bot that can perform tasks for you
on its own or with you. That's all it is.
That is AI agents, automated workflows, and AI powered customer experiences. So,
for example, if I was, let's just I don't know
a Nordstrom dot com at the bottom right, there's a
(19:47):
chatbot over there right. Well, now, if I click and
interact with that chatbot, I can now have a personal
styling assistant and it can if I log in, it
can take my purchases and go, Okay, I know the
type of shoes you bought recently. I know the type
of clothes you bought recently. I'm going to now service you.
Here's some new ideas that I think you would like
(20:09):
based off of your history. Those type of experiences are
going to shake the world up in the next twelve
to eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Now, I don't know if that's a new quesse. You
know what happens is you know I shop, They probably
using AI. They probably using different the word algorithm. Yes, yes,
it is a popular term that now I think it's
being replaced by AI.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
You're right, okay. And so because you know I go
to store like Crogers, they see what I boy all
the time. Guess what I get coupons for these ibio exactly. Okay, Okay,
can you see me something different? Not just tied. It's
the same butter all the time.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Right. But when I look at what you doing at
AXD Academy, the thing is, and the reason you're on
this show is that I know that the world we
live in is changing. The way we view opportunities has
to change too. And when I saw what you were
developing or have developed short term opportunity through academic training.
(21:10):
I'll point an example to my audience. I'm based in
Atlanta and Goodwill offer the program where EV installations, and
they were offering a paid training period, and then after
that paid training period was over with, then you had
(21:31):
a full time salary that was over sixty.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Five thousand dollars no education, and we're talking about less
than six months.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
This whole period, this whole lifetime experience was changing. And
when I became aware of that program, that means that
the programs you were talking about is a reality too
because of the fact that but if you don't engage,
and I'm gonna just tell you this, ladies and gentlemen,
and you should tell them this too, there is work involved.
You're not going out there just picking an apple that
(22:01):
all that fell out of the tree, right right, We're
not saying that.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
But if you want a dream to become a reality,
we have to work.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Correct, absolutely absolutely. It is not I tell people that
what I do is simple, but it's not easy. It's
a very tedious thing. Because again, this to your point
earlier chat GPT came out in twenty twenty two. Okay,
so what we are the common people understand it AI
(22:31):
to them, it's it's only been around for three years.
AI has been around, I believe since the fifties fifty six.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Well, with your people, AI is ups. I've never known GPS.
You know, if you have GPS in your car, you've
been using AI.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Yes, you've been Googled, You've been using AI for the sarchin.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
It was since Google came out and allows you to
say a complete sentence, you were using AI exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But now they have given us the consumer, the ability
to play with AI. And that's what this chat GPT is.
It is not very easy to get the AI to
output the same consistent result every single time. It's not
that easy. And that's where prompt engineering comes in, where
you have to basically tailor your instructions very meticulously so
(23:17):
that way you get the same output every single time.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
What that means said, your toughest challenge is UXD. I
gotta ask, did I ask you what the name? Why
did you come up with the name you x D?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Yeah? So ux D is just an acronym for Universal
Experience Design, right, And the reason why I coin that
because I can tell you one of the biggest pet
pee's I have in this industry is people taking and
labeling things that are practically the same thing. So for example,
(23:52):
if I do three activities, I call it UI design,
But if I add one more thing to those three activities,
I can now call it, Oh, it's interaction design. Or
if I call it I add another thing and it's oh,
it's user experience design. I'm like, guys, it's all experience design.
It's just what part of the experience are you keying
(24:13):
in on. Do I like the research part of it? Okay,
well then you are you a researcher them. Do I
like actually pushing the pixels, changing the colors and things
like that? Okay, well then you're a UI designer. But
it's all an experience. So universal experience design is what
uctually stands for.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You know the amazing thing about a dreamer, and that's
what you were. You're a dreamer.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Now you're an executor of your dream you know, because
you put goals in place. Now in executing, like you said,
you had a partner at first, you're buy yourself now,
so you have nobody's lean on now, Everett, No, where
is your support.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Just so.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
That's a good question. I would say that for the
longest time, I haven't had one. In my professional life.
I am you know, when I grew up, I was
the oldest, I was the first and only person to
do what I'm doing. I am the only person to
do what I'm doing in my friend group. So I've
always been alone in that since. But that doesn't bother me.
(25:19):
I just look at at least for support. I have
met some people in my profession since then, and they
do a really good job of kind of providing that support.
But ultimately I don't really need it because I have
I'm chasing my goals and I am ultimately trying to
show other people like me what is possible. So I
don't need support for that.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Well, it's important that Derek that you don't need it.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
But you know, as a guy who's managed high profile talent,
you know, sometimes you don't know where to go for
that question, you know, and people want to answers, and
you are what you're doing is you're I'm not says unique,
but you're unique because you are speaking it. You feel
me and so that means that your point of view matters.
(26:07):
And so as you build for these tough moments, these
bone wents of doubt, these bon wents of people going
or sometimes the pathway that you expected takes a curve
and creates doubt in yourself. What are the obstacles in
your business? And how have you overcome those obstacles.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
So from a subject matter expert, I a subject matter
perspective teaching people what I teach. The obstacles I have
are trying to partner with educational institutions. They still operate
very in a very archaic way, and so they are
(26:46):
very much reluctant to change, and so I am trying
to convince them like, hey, this is where we are now.
You need to adopt and need to train people based
off what's happening now. So that's been an obstacle to
try and convince them of them. However, I don't spend
that much time trying to convince people what they can't see.
I go and listen to the people who I'm trying
(27:07):
to help, and they give me a great perspective because
they are telling me what their problems are and I'm
attacking that head on. So I would say the biggest
obstacle is just not knowing where the hell, I'm going sometimes,
but I am grounded in what I'm doing and the
purpose that I'm doing. It allows me to overcome.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That, you know, big fear.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It's kind of an interesting interviewing you because you use
the word AIAI so much. And the number one fear
in the people who don't know, especially in the minority community,
is that AI is going to take their job. I
believe there are from a robotic standpoint, jobs are going
to be replaced. But again, somebody got to run the robot.
(27:51):
Somebody got a program the robot. Somebody got to be
able to organize a strategy to advance the services of
that robot.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
AI.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
I don't believe it's going to replace the job. It's
going to create options for a job. When I say that, Everett,
am I incorrect?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
No, I don't think you are AI will replace some job. Yes,
it will. It's it's it's it's happening.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Just removed the word AI from conversation. Robots were going
to root automation. Automation was going to replace certain jobs. Okay,
so AI, I believe it's not giving you an opportunity
to generate a salary you may have never seen in
your life. Yes, that's the conversation I want to pull
(28:43):
out of this interview.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Especially when you're dealing with the small business owner.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
So there's some reports, I believe it was mi T
came out with a study and showed that ninety five
of AI pilot programs failed. That's at the enterprise level,
that's not at the small business level. Small businesses have
shown about eighty percent of positive ROI from using AI,
(29:10):
and that is where the biggest opportunities are going to be.
Is to help small businesses introduced safely, introduce AI to
them so that way they can scale. That is going
to be the biggest opportunity and that's where I flourish again.
Companies that are less than fifty employees, they need help
(29:30):
and giving them AI by way of automating certain processes,
giving them AI what I call AI co workers, which
is just you know, effectively chat gpt A as a coworker,
right right, So those are going to be the biggest
opportunities from a small business standpoint.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I again, Everett, thank you for coming on the show.
I'm an interview at the founder of UXD. Before we
move forward, is there an app for ux the academy.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
No, but the a platform that will be learned on
school that there isn't that for that?
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Okay, cool, talk to us about that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
So again, I built my curriculum on a platform called
School that's skol relatively new. It's competing with products like
Kajabi Go High Level. I like School quite a bit.
They do have a mobile app, so again there are
no excuses with me. You can download the app and
(30:26):
launch into my free community and right there you have
all the access to people as well as to resources
that you need to learn this business.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
So because of the effort, what's your legacy? You know?
You know Inglewood, Austin. Correct. Now you're living in Dallas,
sitting in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm interviewing you and join the interview.
You're smart.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
You like I said, you're taking a YouTube university education
and turn it into all successful small business.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
What is your legacy?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
I you know what's interesting. I was told I was
a drawer, and that's why I think that that aptitude
test said I was equally analytical as it was creative. Right.
But I was told by family members, and I don't
think they meant any harm, but they said that you
can't make money doing art. So I have the attitude
of like, I'm going to prove you wrong. I'm gonna
(31:22):
show you right. And that's what I'm doing. And so
my legacy is I want other kids to have that
mentality when they go through my course and say, oh no,
I can create my own reality with this. If I
could have helped a minimum hundred thousand kids, yeah, if
(31:45):
I could help one hundred thousand pieces, and it is
a lot. But I believe in focusing on the future
doesn't mean that in somebody above forty can't learn it.
I have people who are fifty five in my class
learning and they're doing great. But I really want to
focus it's on the youth and to show them another
option exposure. If I can help one hundred thousand efforts
(32:06):
out there, that would be my lext well.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I like that because of the fact that the youth
really controls or changes the future.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
You know, you're younger than me. I'm pouring into you.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Hopefully by pouring into you, you won't make the same mistakes.
That's the whole core of this show. Money making conversations masculine.
I want to I want the people to hear you
going there's a better job. There's been a lifestyle for
you at UXD Academy. At least just look do your research.
He's already told you that you can go on YouTube
(32:42):
and verify what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
He's just organized, and I think that's the key component.
You go to the website. He's really hysterical. He has
a video of himself. He just he's like a pitch man.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
He's just can just he's very entertaining. In fact, I
would tell you this, you're after watching your video, you're
not as hyped as your website.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Why is that?
Speaker 3 (33:05):
That's actually my natural disposition, to be honest with you,
and it's because, like I'm actually in the weeds learning
stuff I do need to work on, you know, you know,
animating my voice a little bit more, and that is
something I'm going to be doing, as far as helping
out with the editing too, like show the funnier side.
But I'm dead serious farst of the time, which is great.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Like I said, you know, I'm not saying nothing negative,
but like I'm letting you know I've done my research
and watch it on go.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
He's very entertaining. I mean, I'm gonna just put his way.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
There's a passion on your website, and that passion is
driven by because frustration, I think, you know, because of
the fact that people don't know, and sometimes you have
to be amped up a little bit for sure to
try to get their attention to show this there's a
better way.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, you're you're. You hit that right on the head there.
I am very much passionate on the front facing website
of things because I have to get I have to
get your attention. And sometimes and I look, I've tried
working on it, but I've been told that, you know,
I could be very direct, very blunt, and sometimes it
(34:14):
comes off as harsh, but I'm like, this is no
laughing matter, especially when we think about I'm gonna bringing
them out to my soapbox to people of color, black people, Look,
we are at the bottom and a lot of metrics,
so there is no time for play. Play like we got.
We have to we have to get on the ball.
AI is our opportunity to do that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
It is really opportunity, It really really is. And I
hope more and more interviews. I do like that.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I try to consistently I'm not saying a lot of
people in fact, nobody's doing what you're doing. But there
are other certificate programs out there. Google has a certificate
scholarship program. I just mentioned good Will here in Atlanta,
it has a program. I'm sure they are a competing
type program out there that are presenting salaries that can
put you in a middle class and come immediately, as
(35:07):
soon as you pass it, there's a job waiting on
you because that skill set.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You know, it's really amazing.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
It was like, you know, there are a lot of
things that our current president, Donald Trump talks about and
right now he's talking about it. They trying to build
a chip chip manufacturing company in Arizona. And now he
did a lot of pushback because guess what, there're nobody
here can build the chips. Yeah, I guess well, but
they can if you train them. And that's the whole thing.
(35:36):
That's what we're talking about. At u x D Academy,
we're trying to get these we don't have the workforce,
we don't have the people qualified. At u x D Academy,
he will get you qualified for opportunities that will change
your life.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Did I say it correctly? Thank you for coming on.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Money appreciates this has been Money Making Conversations Masterclass with
Sean McDonald thanks to our guest and our audience. Visit
Moneymaking Conversations dot com to listen and register to be
a guest.
Hi, I'm Rashan McDonald hosts this weekly Money Making Conversation
Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. If you want
to be a guest on my show, Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
please visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click
the be a Guest button. If you are a small
(00:21):
business owner, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, influencer, or nonprofit now let's
get this show started. My guest is the founder of
UXD Academy. It has grown into a beacon for career
switchers and inspiring designers who lack the means or desire
to pursue a traditional four year degree. He has prepared
(00:41):
UXD Academy to the forefront of the AI and design education.
Please welcome to the Money Making Conversations Masterclass.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Everytt twin.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
How you doing, Efverett, I'm doing well. It's my first
time in Atlanta, so I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well. Good.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
First of all, mister Swain, it's important that people understand when.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
You say AI, what is that? Let's educate them about
that first.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Yeah, So AI is the buzzer because.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
People are saying AI is taking job.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Now, using AI willable people to have a career.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yes, yes, they're there. So AI artificial intelligence is a
buzzword right now. Everybody's probably heard it at some point.
But there are two schools of thought with AI. One, companies, unfortunately,
are looking at AI to replace people. And then there
are the top companies that are using AI to amplify
their people, so giving them AI as a means of
(01:32):
a copilot to help them with roles or tasks that
they do not want to do.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, how did you how did you get started? Was
your this is very technically driven? Technically driven? Yeah, give
us a background. I asked you be the expert.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yes, so you know what's interesting. I took an aptitude
test and I said I was equally analytical as I
was creative, and I should do graphic design. Now. I
went to school for that not knowing what graphic design was,
and then I couldn't find a job in graphic design.
Once I graduated, I stumbled upon an article that says
what is UX user experience design? And so I understood
(02:09):
what that meant. I was like, okay, I'm the one
who gets to design how a product or digital product
works and so they make more money. So I went
to go that route, and then ultimately I decided to
teach people how to do the same.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Now, let's talk about this because you're in an area
where there are a lot of professional schools that are
giving our certificates, and this interview is about people who
don't want to go to a four year institution.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
With that being said, is it people.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Don't want to go to a four year institution or
does people want to or feel they can be success
be successful without going to a four year institution.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I think it's a combination of both. I've been someone
who is saying you don't need to go to school
for what I do, and it's proven well over forty
percent of tech companies do not care about degrees anymore.
They care about certifications. But ultimately, is your portfolio? Can
you do the job? Prove it? Let me see it.
So i UXD Academy is literally showing people thirteen and
(03:15):
older how you can become an AI experience designer or
an AI automation expert without a degree.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Now, it's when people hear you say that, what's the first.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Reaction people are still they're just starting to understand, like,
what UX is.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I tell me, I'm just saying that you the exers,
We're going to get to you that I'm just talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
You know, we've been drilled go to college, go to college,
go to college, to college, get your degree. It is
wonderful lifestyle. Right now you're telling me a certificate?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, yeah, People's eyes light up and say, wait, I
don't have to go into this massive amount of debt
to get this type of job that's paying you one
hundred and fifty two hundred thousand dollars. Sign me up?
What do I need to do? That's more the reaction
that I get. It's not so much like a disbelief
like wow, I could I can do that with a degree.
(04:08):
It's more like tell me how and show me how.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
M h. Now, with that being said, how was you
XD born? Everett?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
It was born from a question, to be honest with you, So,
my second job in my field, I had the rare
opportunity of working for a black manager in the UX space,
and it's extremely rare, and so I after a few
months working on his team, he asked me, what do
you want to do with this career. I said, I
want to teach a work in a corporate space for
(04:38):
about ten years and then teach it at the university level.
He asked me, why do you have to wait to
teach people? The girlfriend I had at the time, I
helped her successfully switch her career and become a designer.
He said, you talked to girl, right, why can't you
teach people now? Two weeks later we founded UXD Academy.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
We said we.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Were it was a co co founding opportunity, but we're
no longer partners anymorekety solely on.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
It now, Okay, good? Great? Just wanted to hear words
or yes, I wanted to give them no problem.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Now, what gap do you see in education of workforce development?
That u XD Academy was created to film.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
The gap in the workforce honestly, diversity and not just
skin color. I'm talking about diversity and background. One of
the things I did not like about the industry was
the gatekeeping aspect. People were very pretentious against people who
(05:41):
did not have a degree. And then a few years
later companies said we don't care about degrees, and so
the gap that I'm feeling is showing people from all backgrounds. Hey,
you can learn this, and let me go ahead and
create a curriculum that allows you to perform better than
people who have a degree.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So let me ask you this. They can't be frustration.
It can't be in office. I won't use your anger
because there are people out there that go to college, Yeah,
get the degree, may be in debt or may not
be in debt, and then somebody with a certificate comes
along and is competing competitively from a financial or salary standpoint.
(06:21):
Can that create a problem.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
I don't think that's it can create a problem. But
I think that was a problem i'd say probably four
years ago. Now not so much anymore because so many
people are intering. I have entered the field without a
degree from a four year institution, so.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I don't think it's much of a problem. Now are
you a four year graduate? I am okay, So you
a four year graduate? Give me your degree background for it,
because everything you're talking about is technically driven. Okay, talk
about you.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
My background is I would say creatively driven. So I
was a graphic design major, which, if I had to
boil it down in Layman's terms, graphic design is about
creating pretty graphics. And pretty images using color theory, psychology
and things of that nature to create a banner, an image,
a poster, or whatever it is. Well, that's sort of
(07:13):
died a little bit with the advent of AI tools
like Canva and things like that. Now I don't need
to have a degree in graphic design to create pretty images.
I could just use Canva to do it. And so
I made the switch. I reverse engineered my career. I
actually said, Okay, I'm creating images, or at least what
the school taught me is to create images. But I'm
seeing where the money is money is actually creating digital products.
(07:36):
So I reversed engineered that, taught myself how to do it,
and I'm sharing the wealth back.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
So how do you make money? It's money making conversation,
massic classes. How do you make money?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So I make money a couple different ways, one by
a consultant as a consultant for companies to create digital products.
Right now, it's the buzzword is AI, so AI agents,
automated workflows. But the cool thing that I've done is
within UXD Academy, I have built an AI experience agency
called our Table, and it's a way for me to
(08:07):
not only it's a way for me to create a
learn and earn pipeline where I can train people at
UXD Academy. I take the top ten percent of those
and employ them at our table on a project basis.
So I go out and get small business clients via
our table, and then I bring that work into the
school so that way my apprentices can see what real
(08:27):
real world work looks like.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Everett AI, what exactly is AI?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You know it exploded Chatt GPT right, Yep, that came
out like two years ago in there, but it's been
out longer than that. Yes, And so then you say,
I'm a self taught AI person, So how can you
teach yourself AI? African American black person of color and
(09:01):
now you're consulting? How are you continually able to educate
yourself and stay in front and stay up because it's
ever changing industry?
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
How did you make decision to teach yourself because you
went to be a graphic designer that's what you've been
trained in. This feels way more technical, it is, well,
for for sure.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So YouTube University, I learned practically everything that I needed
to learn about this from YouTube. I found great content creators.
I followed them they are creating the waves or behind
directly behind the people who are making the waves. So
I just stay right in that lane and follow what
they're doing and test it out. I tell people YouTube,
(09:42):
Google and books taught me everything I know about AI
and what is.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
AI when a standpoint of the reason I keep harping
there because you know, a year ago, i'd use AI
a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
From a standpoint of I have my podcast.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
It translates my podcast, It gives me descriptions, it tells
me and give me some marketing campaigns and things like that.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Am I under selling what more I could do with AI?
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Yeah? So I like to tell people AI. Just think
of it as the it's the smartest person you know
or the smartest intern that you know, and you can
train that intern to work specifically for you. In a nutshell,
that's why. And AI really is like the greatest mimic
(10:34):
on Earth. It's just learning from things that we've already produced.
It's not really creating anything. It's more like mimicking and
guessing based off of its data. And so we have
to feed it good data and it'll give us a
good output.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Okay, cool, I'm speaking of ever ever. Excuse me.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
He's the founder of you x d Academy and you're
based where Dallas, Dallas, Texas. Okay, let's get into more
details here. You actually academy teaches design, design tools and AI.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
How so, I have an online platform built on school Skool,
and effectively what I do is I've created my own
curriculum in video format, so I put that on that platform.
But it also serves as like a combination. The platform
serves as a combination of LinkedIn Google Classroom, so people
(11:30):
can post which I encourage people to share, Hey I
built this, and then every two weeks I do a
free class where I show people, Hey, here's what I'm
actively working on, and here are the tools that I'm
using to build what I am building, and so people
can come in and ask me those type of questions.
And then thirdly, a Mastermind a weekly Mastermind group where
(11:51):
people can get guidance from me and helping build their
portfolio as well as working on client work.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Wow, so underserved community.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I will tell you I won't get on the soapbox
bout guess, but I will tell you that I feel
that for the first time in history that people of
color black people who are on these programs or whether
you can call the welfare program programs that well you
actually with these certificates, like you said, you don't have
to go to a four year school for your college
(12:24):
or to your junior college.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Well, you could change your life.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
In a manner more literally I did.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Please let my let my my listeners hear this by
going to your your.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Website and seeing the results because living a life on
Section eight or staff programs.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You don't have to do this.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
You can live a better life, live in a better community,
because I would tell you that living in those communities
under those programs force you to maintain a certain lifestyle,
force you to live a certain way for you and you,
The Academy can bridge a gap of academic freedom financial
freedom not only for the individual, but for their family
(13:08):
members and their family family members.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Talk to us absolutely shop boxes if you want.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
To sure, sure I can. The job I had before
my career as a designer, I worked at a mortgage
lending bank. I hated it. I was making about fourteen
dollars an hour and I got to the point where
I said, I hate my situation. I don't like this,
and so I leveraged YouTube University and went down a
(13:34):
rabbit hole and started teaching myself right. The routine that
I had was I would get up, I would go
to work from seven to three. Then I would work
out from three to four, and then from five to
about two am. I am learning. I'm building, I'm redoing
my portfolio. I am putting my best foot forward so
(13:54):
people can give me a chance. Unfortunately that took me
about three years. Took me three years, but somebody gave
me a shot, and I haven't looked back since I started.
When I got my first job, I made seventy five thousand,
The second year I made one hundred and five. The
third year I made one hundred and forty. So it's
(14:16):
just gone up.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Now.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Part of that I do know how to speak, I
know how to interview would pretty well. However, my portfolio
is what got me that, and so I am literally
showing not only just people that looks like us, but
hardworking people a follow what I'm telling you. You can
change your life in under a year and a half. Okay,
(14:38):
well that next step, what do they have to do?
Would you say, follow what I'm telling you? Where do
we have to go to follow what you are telling
us in this interview. Perfect. So of course you can
go to my website UXD dot Academy. From there it'll
launch pad you straight into the free community. I offer
a free community. That's the thing, giving away my information
(15:01):
for free. What you're paying for is my guidance. So
I take a do it yourself approach because that's what
I did. So I'm going to give you the meat
and potatoes of all the courses you need to take,
the certifications you need here, all the books you need
to read. I give you all of that, so there
are no excuses. If you want to take your own time,
sure you can get there an under two years. But
(15:22):
if you want that guidance, well then that's where you're
going to pay. It's just hey, let me give you
the course correction that you need.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We will be right back with more insights from Money
Making Conversations Masteric Class. Welcome back to Money Making Conversation
master Lass with me Rashaun McDonald. Now, I remember I'm
older than you, but it's always about the youth. You've
spoken about teaching youth early about ai UX design. Well,
(15:56):
you say early, what age group are we talking about,
and then you can expound after that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
You know, children are they operate at a genius level
at five years old, right, But and I know people
who have been teaching their kids how to code, you know,
from the time they were six, seven or eight. I
start with thirteen. I think that's right before you going
(16:21):
into high school. And I think that's a significant number
to me because that's when my world changed, coming from
California and then going to Texas. That move taught me
that this world, this life is about adapting or dying.
You have to adapt to die. And so I want to,
you know, show that Everett, that was thirteen. Here's something
(16:45):
that you don't know as possible, but you're really good
at you just don't know it. And so that's why
I started that age.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Well, you know, it really is about like I said,
my degree is in mathematics, and it's we're just trying
to say, breaking down the fear factor of change. Yeah,
and that's what this is about, because if you focused
on let's say you have a graphics degree, you have
a four year degree. I'm trying to really reach the
people who have either that's lost here in this interview
(17:16):
for the very first time, trying to understand where they
can fit in it, trying to disseminate reality from their reality.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Talk to me.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
So for that person that you described, what I teach
people are AI tools, specifically no code and low code tools.
So no code is exactly how it sounds. You don't
have to know any code in order to use this tool.
If you know some code, then that means you can
take a low code tool and push it to the
(17:51):
max because you actually know the language. Card so you
know the language. But you can literally build a chatbot
an agent in ten minutes with these tools, and I
am teaching you how to do that and then how
to do it on a larger scale. So I would
say again, ux, the Academy's YouTube channel is a great
(18:12):
place to start, but in my community, I also list
out the YouTubers that I learned from. Right, and you
watch one video you're going down the rap hole and
you can see the phone that you have in your pocket.
That's more than enough to get you to it.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
And we know everybody lives off there on you nowadays,
so you know they are just many computers for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I knows of my picking my phone. This is pretty heavy.
It is you know, those.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Supposed to really have just because they're small don't mean
they're light exactly, which means that a lot of technologies
is cramped into that. And let me ask you this
effort in the next twelve to eighteen months, what major
AI trends are technologies you believe will have the biggest
impact on a small business. I'm a small business and
this show us about small business businesses and entrepreneurship.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Talk to us.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
So I would say, automated workflows, AI agents, and AI
powered customer experiences. Those are going to be the three
biggest I say, major shakeups in the next twelve to
eighteen months. This year was dubbed the Year of the Agent,
which effectively I just tell people an agent is a
(19:24):
souped up chat bot that can perform tasks for you
on its own or with you. That's all it is.
That is AI agents, automated workflows, and AI powered customer experiences. So,
for example, if I was, let's just I don't know
a Nordstrom dot com at the bottom right, there's a
(19:47):
chatbot over there right. Well, now, if I click and
interact with that chatbot, I can now have a personal
styling assistant and it can if I log in, it
can take my purchases and go, Okay, I know the
type of shoes you bought recently. I know the type
of clothes you bought recently. I'm going to now service you.
Here's some new ideas that I think you would like
(20:09):
based off of your history. Those type of experiences are
going to shake the world up in the next twelve
to eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Now, I don't know if that's a new quesse. You
know what happens is you know I shop, They probably
using AI. They probably using different the word algorithm. Yes, yes,
it is a popular term that now I think it's
being replaced by AI.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
You're right, okay. And so because you know I go
to store like Crogers, they see what I boy all
the time. Guess what I get coupons for these ibio exactly. Okay, Okay,
can you see me something different? Not just tied. It's
the same butter all the time.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Right. But when I look at what you doing at
AXD Academy, the thing is, and the reason you're on
this show is that I know that the world we
live in is changing. The way we view opportunities has
to change too. And when I saw what you were
developing or have developed short term opportunity through academic training.
(21:10):
I'll point an example to my audience. I'm based in
Atlanta and Goodwill offer the program where EV installations, and
they were offering a paid training period, and then after
that paid training period was over with, then you had
(21:31):
a full time salary that was over sixty.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Five thousand dollars no education, and we're talking about less
than six months.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
This whole period, this whole lifetime experience was changing. And
when I became aware of that program, that means that
the programs you were talking about is a reality too
because of the fact that but if you don't engage,
and I'm gonna just tell you this, ladies and gentlemen,
and you should tell them this too, there is work involved.
You're not going out there just picking an apple that
(22:01):
all that fell out of the tree, right right, We're
not saying that.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
But if you want a dream to become a reality,
we have to work.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Correct, absolutely absolutely. It is not I tell people that
what I do is simple, but it's not easy. It's
a very tedious thing. Because again, this to your point
earlier chat GPT came out in twenty twenty two. Okay,
so what we are the common people understand it AI
(22:31):
to them, it's it's only been around for three years.
AI has been around, I believe since the fifties fifty six.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Well, with your people, AI is ups. I've never known GPS.
You know, if you have GPS in your car, you've
been using AI.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Yes, you've been Googled, You've been using AI for the sarchin.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
It was since Google came out and allows you to
say a complete sentence, you were using AI exactly.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But now they have given us the consumer, the ability
to play with AI. And that's what this chat GPT is.
It is not very easy to get the AI to
output the same consistent result every single time. It's not
that easy. And that's where prompt engineering comes in, where
you have to basically tailor your instructions very meticulously so
(23:17):
that way you get the same output every single time.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
What that means said, your toughest challenge is UXD. I
gotta ask, did I ask you what the name? Why
did you come up with the name you x D?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Yeah? So ux D is just an acronym for Universal
Experience Design, right, And the reason why I coin that
because I can tell you one of the biggest pet
pee's I have in this industry is people taking and
labeling things that are practically the same thing. So for example,
(23:52):
if I do three activities, I call it UI design,
But if I add one more thing to those three activities,
I can now call it, Oh, it's interaction design. Or
if I call it I add another thing and it's oh,
it's user experience design. I'm like, guys, it's all experience design.
It's just what part of the experience are you keying
(24:13):
in on. Do I like the research part of it? Okay,
well then you are you a researcher them. Do I
like actually pushing the pixels, changing the colors and things
like that? Okay, well then you're a UI designer. But
it's all an experience. So universal experience design is what
uctually stands for.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You know the amazing thing about a dreamer, and that's
what you were. You're a dreamer.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Now you're an executor of your dream you know, because
you put goals in place. Now in executing, like you said,
you had a partner at first, you're buy yourself now,
so you have nobody's lean on now, Everett, No, where
is your support.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Just so.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
That's a good question. I would say that for the
longest time, I haven't had one. In my professional life.
I am you know, when I grew up, I was
the oldest, I was the first and only person to
do what I'm doing. I am the only person to
do what I'm doing in my friend group. So I've
always been alone in that since. But that doesn't bother me.
(25:19):
I just look at at least for support. I have
met some people in my profession since then, and they
do a really good job of kind of providing that support.
But ultimately I don't really need it because I have
I'm chasing my goals and I am ultimately trying to
show other people like me what is possible. So I
don't need support for that.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Well, it's important that Derek that you don't need it.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
But you know, as a guy who's managed high profile talent,
you know, sometimes you don't know where to go for
that question, you know, and people want to answers, and
you are what you're doing is you're I'm not says unique,
but you're unique because you are speaking it. You feel
me and so that means that your point of view matters.
(26:07):
And so as you build for these tough moments, these
bone wents of doubt, these bon wents of people going
or sometimes the pathway that you expected takes a curve
and creates doubt in yourself. What are the obstacles in
your business? And how have you overcome those obstacles.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
So from a subject matter expert, I a subject matter
perspective teaching people what I teach. The obstacles I have
are trying to partner with educational institutions. They still operate
very in a very archaic way, and so they are
(26:46):
very much reluctant to change, and so I am trying
to convince them like, hey, this is where we are now.
You need to adopt and need to train people based
off what's happening now. So that's been an obstacle to
try and convince them of them. However, I don't spend
that much time trying to convince people what they can't see.
I go and listen to the people who I'm trying
(27:07):
to help, and they give me a great perspective because
they are telling me what their problems are and I'm
attacking that head on. So I would say the biggest
obstacle is just not knowing where the hell, I'm going sometimes,
but I am grounded in what I'm doing and the
purpose that I'm doing. It allows me to overcome.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That, you know, big fear.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It's kind of an interesting interviewing you because you use
the word AIAI so much. And the number one fear
in the people who don't know, especially in the minority community,
is that AI is going to take their job. I
believe there are from a robotic standpoint, jobs are going
to be replaced. But again, somebody got to run the robot.
(27:51):
Somebody got a program the robot. Somebody got to be
able to organize a strategy to advance the services of
that robot.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
AI.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
I don't believe it's going to replace the job. It's
going to create options for a job. When I say that, Everett,
am I incorrect?
Speaker 3 (28:10):
No, I don't think you are AI will replace some job. Yes,
it will. It's it's it's it's happening.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Just removed the word AI from conversation. Robots were going
to root automation. Automation was going to replace certain jobs. Okay,
so AI, I believe it's not giving you an opportunity
to generate a salary you may have never seen in
your life. Yes, that's the conversation I want to pull
(28:43):
out of this interview.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Especially when you're dealing with the small business owner.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
So there's some reports, I believe it was mi T
came out with a study and showed that ninety five
of AI pilot programs failed. That's at the enterprise level,
that's not at the small business level. Small businesses have
shown about eighty percent of positive ROI from using AI,
(29:10):
and that is where the biggest opportunities are going to be.
Is to help small businesses introduced safely, introduce AI to
them so that way they can scale. That is going
to be the biggest opportunity and that's where I flourish again.
Companies that are less than fifty employees, they need help
(29:30):
and giving them AI by way of automating certain processes,
giving them AI what I call AI co workers, which
is just you know, effectively chat gpt A as a coworker,
right right, So those are going to be the biggest
opportunities from a small business standpoint.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I again, Everett, thank you for coming on the show.
I'm an interview at the founder of UXD. Before we
move forward, is there an app for ux the academy.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
No, but the a platform that will be learned on
school that there isn't that for that?
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Okay, cool, talk to us about that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
So again, I built my curriculum on a platform called
School that's skol relatively new. It's competing with products like
Kajabi Go High Level. I like School quite a bit.
They do have a mobile app, so again there are
no excuses with me. You can download the app and
(30:26):
launch into my free community and right there you have
all the access to people as well as to resources
that you need to learn this business.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
So because of the effort, what's your legacy? You know?
You know Inglewood, Austin. Correct. Now you're living in Dallas,
sitting in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm interviewing you and join the interview.
You're smart.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
You like I said, you're taking a YouTube university education
and turn it into all successful small business.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
What is your legacy?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
I you know what's interesting. I was told I was
a drawer, and that's why I think that that aptitude
test said I was equally analytical as it was creative. Right.
But I was told by family members, and I don't
think they meant any harm, but they said that you
can't make money doing art. So I have the attitude
of like, I'm going to prove you wrong. I'm gonna
(31:22):
show you right. And that's what I'm doing. And so
my legacy is I want other kids to have that
mentality when they go through my course and say, oh no,
I can create my own reality with this. If I
could have helped a minimum hundred thousand kids, yeah, if
(31:45):
I could help one hundred thousand pieces, and it is
a lot. But I believe in focusing on the future
doesn't mean that in somebody above forty can't learn it.
I have people who are fifty five in my class
learning and they're doing great. But I really want to
focus it's on the youth and to show them another
option exposure. If I can help one hundred thousand efforts
(32:06):
out there, that would be my lext well.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I like that because of the fact that the youth
really controls or changes the future.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
You know, you're younger than me. I'm pouring into you.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Hopefully by pouring into you, you won't make the same mistakes.
That's the whole core of this show. Money making conversations masculine.
I want to I want the people to hear you
going there's a better job. There's been a lifestyle for
you at UXD Academy. At least just look do your research.
He's already told you that you can go on YouTube
(32:42):
and verify what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
He's just organized, and I think that's the key component.
You go to the website. He's really hysterical. He has
a video of himself. He just he's like a pitch man.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
He's just can just he's very entertaining. In fact, I
would tell you this, you're after watching your video, you're
not as hyped as your website.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Why is that?
Speaker 3 (33:05):
That's actually my natural disposition, to be honest with you,
and it's because, like I'm actually in the weeds learning
stuff I do need to work on, you know, you know,
animating my voice a little bit more, and that is
something I'm going to be doing, as far as helping
out with the editing too, like show the funnier side.
But I'm dead serious farst of the time, which is great.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Like I said, you know, I'm not saying nothing negative,
but like I'm letting you know I've done my research
and watch it on go.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
He's very entertaining. I mean, I'm gonna just put his way.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
There's a passion on your website, and that passion is
driven by because frustration, I think, you know, because of
the fact that people don't know, and sometimes you have
to be amped up a little bit for sure to
try to get their attention to show this there's a
better way.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, you're you're. You hit that right on the head there.
I am very much passionate on the front facing website
of things because I have to get I have to
get your attention. And sometimes and I look, I've tried
working on it, but I've been told that, you know,
I could be very direct, very blunt, and sometimes it
(34:14):
comes off as harsh, but I'm like, this is no
laughing matter, especially when we think about I'm gonna bringing
them out to my soapbox to people of color, black people, Look,
we are at the bottom and a lot of metrics,
so there is no time for play. Play like we got.
We have to we have to get on the ball.
AI is our opportunity to do that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
It is really opportunity, It really really is. And I
hope more and more interviews. I do like that.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I try to consistently I'm not saying a lot of
people in fact, nobody's doing what you're doing. But there
are other certificate programs out there. Google has a certificate
scholarship program. I just mentioned good Will here in Atlanta,
it has a program. I'm sure they are a competing
type program out there that are presenting salaries that can
put you in a middle class and come immediately, as
(35:07):
soon as you pass it, there's a job waiting on
you because that skill set.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You know, it's really amazing.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
It was like, you know, there are a lot of
things that our current president, Donald Trump talks about and
right now he's talking about it. They trying to build
a chip chip manufacturing company in Arizona. And now he
did a lot of pushback because guess what, there're nobody
here can build the chips. Yeah, I guess well, but
they can if you train them. And that's the whole thing.
(35:36):
That's what we're talking about. At u x D Academy,
we're trying to get these we don't have the workforce,
we don't have the people qualified. At u x D Academy,
he will get you qualified for opportunities that will change
your life.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Did I say it correctly? Thank you for coming on.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
Money appreciates this has been Money Making Conversations Masterclass with
Sean McDonald thanks to our guest and our audience. Visit
Moneymaking Conversations dot com to listen and register to be
a guest.
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