Naomi Achu; Enisa; Sebastian Roche; Jason Horowytz

6-13-26

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following is opaid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this podcast
constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or the
ideas expressed.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to a Moment of Zen. Time to sit back
and relax. As model, actress, mentor and super mom, Zen
SAMs takes you on a sexy and wild ride covering
the latest in film, fashion, pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host,

(00:29):
Zen SAMs.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Welcome back, beautiful New York, Tristate Area and beyond. You're
listening to a moment of Zen right here on seven
to ten WR the voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm
your host, Zen Sam's. Today's show brings together four powerful
conversations across music, culture, entertainment, real estate and self care.
We begin with Hydration with Heart series brought to you

(00:50):
by One Upon a Coconut, featuring Anissa the Brooklyn born
Albanian American singer, songwriter and global digital era artist. We'll
be talking about In the Pendants, artist ownership, her debut album,
and the emotional reality of building a global career outside
the traditional label system. Then we step into the world
of Taylor Sheridan with actor Sebastian Roche. He's an internationally

(01:14):
acclaimed actor known for his commanding film and TV performances,
and most recently recognized for his Unforgettable role as Father
Renault in nineteen twenty three. We're going to explore what
makes Sheridan's universe so captivating, why audiences are reconnecting with
modern Western storytelling, and the growing excitement around Bosky Ranch Live.

(01:35):
Coming up this September twelfth, in the Elevating Experiences series
brought to you by MTK Group, New York, we welcome
Jason Horowitz, founder and CEO of Monarch Realty Group. Jason
leads one of New York's fastest growing property management firms,
working with developers before buildings even open, to shape operations, staffing,
resident experience, and long term property value. We're chatting about

(01:58):
the four billion dollar blueprint and how one entrepreneur is
rewriting the rules of New York real estate before buildings
even open. And finally, in a Better Brighter You series
brought to you by Cispera, we welcome back Naomi Atchu,
Award winning Afrofusion artist filmmaker, entrepreneur and cultural ambassador known
as the Queen of Bamenda. We're talking African Pride, global music, storytelling, confidence,

(02:23):
self care, and the release of Ola Yayyay. So stay
with us because Today's a Moment of Zen is all
about ownership, legacy, identity, experience, and the powerful stories shaping
culture in real time. You're listening to a Moment of
Zen right here on seven to ten w R, the
voice of New York iHeartRadio. We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by the
field House in Northvale, New Jersey, a vibrant and fresh
take on youth and adult sports and family fun and
home to the New Jersey Thunder Softball program. Plan unforgettable
birthday parties or private events, or explore camps and programs
that keep kids active and inspired. Take time for yourself
in adult leagues, or render field or court with friends.

(03:03):
From a cutting edge gaming cave to hitting and pitching
centers and top tier sports instructors, the Fieldhouse is reigniting
the next generation of play. Head to Njfieldhouse dot com.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
Welcome back, beautiful New York tri state area and beyond.
You're listening to a moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten wo R the voice of newik iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zen Sam's Welcome back to the Better
Brighter You series brought to you by Cispera. Today we're
talking about culture confidence and what happens when an artist
stays true to her roots while building a global platform.

(03:36):
Our guest is an award winning afrofusion artist, filmmaker, entrepreneur,
and cultural ambassador known around the world as the Queen
of Bamenda Naomi at You. She's a two time Afrima
Award winner, founder of Naomi at You Studios, and she's
currently celebrating the release of her new single O La Yea,

(03:57):
a song arriving during one of the most ex periods
in global football culture and designed to celebrate African pride,
unity and joy. She's also expanding her creative footprint through
film with her upcoming feature project Fifteen Wives, proving that
storytelling has no boundaries. Naomi, Welcome to the show, Superstar,
Thank you, thank you. Always happy to be here. I'm

(04:20):
so excited to have you back on. Welcome back to
our show. Thank you. So I want to talk about
the song behind the moment. So every four years, the
World Cup becomes far more than a sporting event, right,
It becomes a cultural moment that brings together countries and
families and communities around a shared experience. For many African nations,

(04:42):
football isn't simply a game. It's really part of the
culture and the identity and national pride. Right. So, your
new single Ola Yaye arrives during a season when football
fans around the world are celebrating the road to the
twenty twenty six World Cup FIFA World Cup. What this
song and why did you feel this was the right

(05:03):
moment to release it? Well?

Speaker 4 (05:06):
I wrote Ola Yeah Yeah about twenty twenty one, right
around the pandemic period, and the first thing that came
to me when I was writing the song was Ola
yeah yeah, And I was like, you know, listening to it,
Ola yeah yeah, I said, this is not a song
that you just released.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
You have to release it at a time when people
can sing along.

Speaker 4 (05:25):
It's definitely a sing a long song and it definitely
sounded a competition friendly, soccer friendly. So I went in
to go ahead and release it this year and dedicate
it to the World Cup.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
I love that because the best songs become attached to memories, right,
I mean years from now, people may not remember every score,
but they'll remember how they felt when they heard the music. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Now I want to talk about putting Cameron on the
global stage. So one thing that really stood out to
me is that you've always spoke about putting Cameron and

(06:01):
African culture front and center through your work. And representation
doesn't always happen through politics or headlines. Sometimes it happens
through music and art and storytelling. So, Naomi, what does
it mean to you to showcase Camroon and African culture
during a moment when the world's attention is focused on
football and global connection. Well, number one, we can only

(06:25):
be who we are.

Speaker 4 (06:27):
I can only talk about how I was raised and
so that's the my story portion of it. But historically,
Cameroon has a large, a big footprint when it comes
to soccer. We have a lot of amazing players that
have played over the years. So Cameroon, even though we
are not participating in the World Club by scoring, we
can participate of course by music in many other ways

(06:51):
because we are very very strong or powerful country when
it comes to soccer.

Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, and that's so true. That's powerful because culture is
actually one of the most effective ways to bring people together, right,
It creates understanding without saying a word. Absolutely, And let's
talk about African music's global takeovers. So we talked about this,
you and I on our show before. We've watched African
music explode globally over the last several years. I'm a

(07:20):
huge fan. I mean, streaming platforms have helped introduce artists
from across Africa to entirely new audiences, while afrobeats and afrofusion,
your genre, continue influencing fashion and dance and pop culture
around the world. And I mean you've been part of
this movement long before many people were paying attention. Naomi,

(07:40):
I know that for a fact. You're og how have
you watched African music evolve internationally and what excites you
most about where it's heading next.

Speaker 4 (07:51):
Well, I'm going to thank I'm going to thank streaming platforms.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
I'm going to thank.

Speaker 4 (07:58):
Yeah, I'm going to thank the pandemic because I think
afrobeats had been there prior to that, but because a
lot of these streaming platforms were more open during the pandemic,
African music could really be heard. And I appreciate the
fact that we appreciate that we enjoy whatever sounds good.
It's no longer about I listened to this genre of

(08:18):
music or I listen to that genre of music. It's
simply whatever sounds good. And where I think that we're
going is I think there's going to be a lot
of fusion.

Speaker 3 (08:29):
That's what I see.

Speaker 4 (08:29):
I see a lot of And just like you see
in a lot of the other performances and football football releases,
you're going to see a combination of different cultures. So
I'm thinking that we're going to experience a lot of
global fusion in our music.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
And I think that's such an important perspective because people
often celebrate the success without recognizing the pioneers who helped
build the road. And I think music is a way
that just celebrate and to your point, fusion brings together
many different communities, perspectives, and worlds. It's all about fusion. Now,

(09:10):
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this
was the Better Brighter You series and remind the audience
of that. So before we let you go today, you
know this more than anyone. We women are balancing more
responsibilities than ever before, right Naomi, we wear multiple hats.
We manage careers and families and businesses and expectations, often

(09:32):
all at once. So the conversation around beauty is evolving.
With that said, it's becoming less about perfection and more
about wellness and confidence and showing up as your best self.
Now you wear many hats artists, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and cultural ambassador,
how do you refill your own cup and protect your

(09:52):
piece and take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally
so that you could continue showing up at your brightest well?
Number one, I like to take time off.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
I do like quiet time, so whenever I can catch
an hour two hours, I just take advantage of that.
During the day, I do try to make sure I
get enough sleep. If I'm not sleeping well, then I
can't write or I can't be creative. So I got
to make sure that my creative juices keep flowing. So
sleeping is one of them. Staying healthy, working out, eating right,

(10:27):
and having good company. Having good friends who pour into
you as you pour into them. Good company very important.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Just like zen. So yeah, what role does skincare and
self care play in that overall wellness routine? Especially as
someone who spends so much time on stage and on
camera and then the public eye.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
Oh, skincare is so, so so important. I play skincare
sometimes even before makeup, because sometimes you don't have enough
time to put on makeup. But if you're skin is clear,
at least you look neat, you look clean. So it's
a very very big deal being an entertainer. You got
to now that I'm an actress, my skin has to

(11:12):
be even more better than it was before. Because as
an entertainer, you get on stage, you do your five minutes,
and you do your social media and that's it. But
in a film, you're shooting for two weeks and you
got to do the same scene that you did maybe
the next day because the rain was falling, some kind

(11:32):
of anything had happened, so and you always have to
remain and you have to look the same when you
get on set. So skincare is very important the fact
that it requires you to remain consistent in your appearance.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
And what's important, and I love this, is that treatments
and skincare routines, products like Cispera that help not only
in hyper figmentation and overall tone and and correction, but
they do in fact brighten you safely without all of
that harsh chemicals such as hydroquinone right because they are

(12:10):
cysteamine based. So I love that brands are now clinically
researched and clinically verified before they come direct to consumer,
which I think is so important when you're doing the research.
You know, you have this generation of Sephora kids running
to Sephora at seven and eight years old, putting products
on their skin that is harming them long term. So

(12:32):
we don't want skincare to be counterproductive. And I love that,
you know, we work with brands that are just at
the forefront of technology with all the proper verification.

Speaker 4 (12:41):
Yes, I love that too, and I'm looking forward to
sharing Cispara with my mom people in my family that
could benefit from it.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
So let's go Sispara. To keep up with Naomi, you
can follow her directly on the Gram at I Am
Naomi at You and be sure to stream her new
single Ola Yaya, which is available. And thank you for
joining us for another edition of the Better Writer You
series brought to you by Cispera, helping people address visible
discoloration and feel more confident in their skin What you're

(13:13):
back after this?

Speaker 2 (13:14):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Skin
by Sarah. Nationally recognized injectors, sarih Katz is redefining cosmetic
treatments with an approach that's subtle, precise, and confidence driven.
Whether you're new to injectables or looking for an expert touch,
Sarah creates results that enhance your natural features, never mask them.

(13:35):
Discover what personalized esthetics should feel like. To learn more,
visit skin by Sara dot com or follow at skin
by Sarri on Instagram.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri State area and beyond.
You're listening to a moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten WR the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zen SAMs. Welcome back to the Hydration
with Heart series, brought to you by Once Upon a Coconut. Today,
we're diving into something much bigger than music, because right
now we're witnessing one of the biggest shifts in entertainment history.

(14:08):
According to Midia Research and Goldman Sachs, independent artists are
now responsible for a rapidly growing percentage of global music revenue,
while the creator economy itself is projected to approach nearly
half a trillion dollars by the end of the decade.
These are staggering statistics, and at the same time, younger
audiences increasingly value authenticity, direct connection, and artist ownership over

(14:31):
the traditional celebrity machine. And honestly, while that changes everything,
artists today are no longer just singers. They're brands, they're
storytellers their media companies. They're entrepreneurs navigating algorithms, audience building, touring, branding,
content creation, and emotional visibility all at the same time.

(14:51):
And today's guests, while she's living that transformation in real time,
joining me right now is Anissa. She's a Brooklyn born
Albanian America singer songwriter, and she's a globally recognized digital
era artist who first exploded online through vile covers before
even building an international fan base spanning multiple countries and cultures.

(15:12):
Now entering a completely new chapter independently, Anisa is preparing
to release her debut album on her own terms, led
by her newest single, Wrong Impression. Anisa, Welcome to the show, Superstar.

Speaker 5 (15:24):
Woo. That was amazing. Then, thank you. I'm so happy
to be here.

Speaker 3 (15:30):
You know I got you covered. I know how to
describe you. I'm your biggest fan. I love you. I
love you so much more so I want to talk
about major label to independent artists. This is quite the pivot.
So I think a lot of people still romanticize the
traditional music industry without fully understanding how dramatically the business

(15:51):
has changed a Lisa right. Years ago, artists needed gatekeepers
for distribution and visibility and access. But today, and you're
living proof of this, artists can build audiences globally before
the industry even catches up, right. But independence also means
carrying the emotional and financial weight yourself. And you said

(16:12):
that right when we were just talking about this very album, right,
And I think younger creatives listening right now really need
to understand both sides of that reality. So you're now
experienced both. You've experienced the traditional label system and the
independent artist world. What has been the biggest difference creatively
and emotionally and even professionally making that transition into independence?

Speaker 5 (16:35):
While the change has been absolutely the biggest change in
my life. I was signed to a record label, major
label for five years, and I mean I was in
a weird situation because being a new artist and maybe
an artist that's smaller compared to having a label that

(16:56):
has the biggest of the biggest artists in the world,
they don't really care about you. So I think I
spent five years of my life just trying to be
like prove to them, guys, I have what it takes
to like help.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
So help me. You know.

Speaker 5 (17:10):
I would help them within the hopes that they would
help me, as in I would always get myself from
zero to sixty and waiting for them to take it
from sixty to one hundred and just time after time
they never did. And you know, being independent, it doesn't
feel all that different because when I was signed to
a major label, I was still supplying my own music videos.

(17:33):
I was putting my own money into things, because they're
not the banks that you think that they would be
unless they really believe in you and they really want
to push for you, which is the top you know,
five percent of the label that they'll do that for.
They'll just kind of leave you down there to like
figure stuff out yourself. And you know, I would always try,

(17:53):
like song after song. You know, I had buzz here,
buzz in this country. I had this song pop off globally,
you know, At one point, I was like number one
on Billboard's Next Big Sound, Pandora's Next Big Sound, and
still it wasn't enough for them to help kind of
take me to the next level. So after that, after
years of doing that, you kind of look back and
you think, like, am I good? You know, you start

(18:14):
to really and I you know, I started off the
most confident person ever, but then like five years of
being told you're not good enough and trying to prove
yourself time after time again and just being let down,
it kind of breaks you down. So I mean, after
five years, I mean I tried to get out the
fourth year and then they kind of once I, you know, left,

(18:35):
I kind of left and then without literally was like
a week long. I dropped a song. That song popped off,
and they like reeled me back in and kind of
took that song from me and promised me the world.
They promised me the world, like time after time they'd
be like, hey, you know, if you just continue sticking
with us, you know we'll take you there. We'll make
you the biggest artists in the world. And you know,
you're so hungry and you're so like, I want you

(18:57):
guys to do it. For me, I want, I want
to make it, and yeah, it just never happens. You
just get lied to, lied to over and over again.
And now, being independent artists, I'm doing everything that I
did while I was signed, but ten times better because
now I'm in full control and they can't tell me
that I can't release that, or I can't do this
or yeah, and I'm supplying everything myself. It's not that
different because I felt like I was on my own

(19:18):
while I was signed to a major label. But now
as a independent artist, I've completely changed the sound. I've
changed the vibe. My confidence has grown.

Speaker 3 (19:28):
Your confidence has grown, And I'm glad that you broke
free and that you're finally focused and in control and
in the driver's seat. And honestly, I think this next
conversation is fascinating because audiences consume music every day without
realizing how much strategy now exists behind every release. And
the old model used to revolve around radio schedules and
label budgets and physical distribution. Now you know this better

(19:51):
than anyone. Artists are balancing streaming platforms and TikTok culture
and short form content and fan engagement and visual branding
like you do. So well with your music videos and
that direct audience retention simultaneously, I think is what feeds
your community. So you're right, you've been doing it all
on your own. Why do you need them? Right?

Speaker 5 (20:11):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (20:12):
Yeah, it's almost like artists today have to become startups. Yeah,
so your album, you know, your debut album is being
released independently, which completely changes the rollout process behind the scenes.
I don't think people are understanding this, right, So what
does an album rollout actually look like today? For an
independent artist like yourself trying to build globally without the

(20:34):
traditional machine behind you.

Speaker 5 (20:38):
Honestly, it's just it's being honest. It's showing your fans' vulnerability,
it's creating a world for them to engage in yourself.
It has to come authentically from you. It can't come
from let's say, you know, with the major labels, they'd
kind of create the artists create the world, and you
have to do this with me?

Speaker 6 (20:59):
Is there like that?

Speaker 5 (21:00):
And was important being independent? That everything comes from me?
And it feels authentic And I'm more myself than I've
ever been in the last you know, five six years
I was signed. I feel like I'm one hundred percent
at the best, the best music I've ever made, the
best I've ever visually kind of looked, and then also

(21:20):
the world that I'm creating. It's something that's really special
and unique. And this album is going to basically tell
my story from beginning to end. It's going to show
people a new side of me that I've been having
inside but I was never allowed to kind of show
the world. And I feel like it's something that's going
to reach people in a genuine way, like everyone's going

(21:41):
to be able to relate to at least one song
on the album.

Speaker 3 (21:44):
And honestly, Anissa, even the title wrong Impression feels very
very symbolic of this chapter because social media has created
a world where people often think they know public figures
based on curated moments and clips and visuals and algorithms,
but that's rarely the full story, right and research. I
was doing some research to back the stats on this series,

(22:07):
but the research continues showing audiences crave authenticity to your
point more than perfection right now, especially from younger the
younger ones really respond to authenticity. So I want to
go back to your new single, wrong Impression. This feels
layered even from the title alone, what's the overall energy
and message behind the song, and what do you think

(22:29):
people may have misunderstood about you up until now.

Speaker 5 (22:32):
That's a great question.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Then I know you.

Speaker 5 (22:34):
That's a great loaded one. First, I'll talk about the
vibe of the song on the album. On the project,
there is definitely all types of different vibes on the song,
but this one has that like eighties throwback vibe mixed
with some futuristic sounding elements, which is a theme that
I wanted to keep throughout my album. And I'm so
excited for this one because it really is a great

(22:57):
introduction to this album. It makes you feel like you're
you're somewhere back in the day just jamming, and like
you know, it's got a little bit of that Michael
Jackson vibe, if I do say some myself on the sound,
and I just really wanted to tap into that kind
of old school and that familiarity from back in the days,
like that was what music was really quality, Like people

(23:19):
cared about the bass, people cared about the keys and
things like that, and so I really wanted to tap
into that. And as for the wrong impression, the song
can be looked at in different directions like a lot
of these songs sound like relationship songs from the outside,
but they actually tie into my life and you know
what I've been through with the label or what I've
been through, you know, with people not you know, not

(23:41):
knowing the real me because I was kind of always
hiding behind this like, yeah, you go lucky, you know,
a happy artist, but inside I was always you know,
struggling to try to be seen. But the song is
actually one of those songs that I don't know if
I use that, but like, the dating world is so bad.
It's such a bad place right now.

Speaker 3 (24:00):
It is so hard.

Speaker 5 (24:02):
Yeah, And actually I've wrote a few songs about love
and trying to manifest love on my album, but this
song is actually one of those cases of when you're
like you kind of bored and you kind of want
to entertain yourself a little bit. So maybe you entertain
someone and they're like the perfect person for you on
a list, like they're not toxic, they have they check

(24:22):
all your boxes, which is what I say in the song.
But I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression
because I'm actually really not that into you, and it's
it's something that I've never heard like we sung in
a song before, so I thought it was something really
cool to sing about. But it happens to all of
us sometimes, Like you know, you're a you're in a place,
you're a little lonely, and so you entertain maybe a
conversation with someone. They fall in love with you, and

(24:43):
you're like, well, hold up, I sorry, I'm sorry, I
gave you the wrong impression.

Speaker 3 (24:47):
But this can ever be And this applies not just
to love, it applies to everything. Literally, It's such a
relatable conversation. So now I want to talk about we're
almost out of time here, but once gone a coconut
because this has been this has been really shadowing everything
you've done, and they've supported everything you've done from the beginning.
How did that relationship first come together? What role are

(25:09):
you now playing with the brand? And why did this
partnership feel authentic to who you are beyond the music itself.

Speaker 5 (25:16):
They supported me from the beginning with we did kind
of like we did a little showcase for some of
my top fans in the city and they hosted it,
and I felt so much love. First of all my
fans that were going crazy about it. They love this drink.
And now everyone who knows me knows Once Upon a
Cocau I've this drink has been such a vile part

(25:37):
of my life. I get DMS from fans constantly like, Hey, I.

Speaker 3 (25:41):
Just want to pack it.

Speaker 5 (25:42):
I love the blueberry too, which the blueberry is my
favorite flavor. Very underrated flavor by the way, but I
agree it just I it's such a natural thing to me.
It's it's really it doesn't feel like it's like some
kind of like, oh, you pay somebody and you post
like this has actually become a part of my life.
I take it to the I take it to the studio,
I travel and I put these in my suitcase and

(26:04):
country it literally because I cannot go a day without
this Once Upon a Coconut Girl. To the end, I
really am. It's one of the It's the best drink
on the market for me. You said it absolutely.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
And today's Hydration with Heart segment with an Lisa reminded
us that the future of entertainment is no longer just
about fame. It's about ownership and reinvention and authenticity and
building direct connection with audiences around the world. Be sure
to stream her newest single, Wrong Impression, and keep an
eye out, keep an eye out for her upcoming debut album.
As she enters this next independent chapter. You could follow

(26:39):
her directly on the ground at I Am Anissa, and
you can go to her official website. We'll be right
back after this. A Moment of Zen is brought to
you by Once Upon a Coconut.

Speaker 7 (26:49):
Discover the refreshing taste of one hundred percent pure coconut
water that actually tastes great, not keep be sweet with
nordificial flavors or added sugar. It's packed with electrolytes to
keep you hydrated throughout your day, and with ten percent
profits going to charity, every sip makes a difference.

Speaker 3 (27:06):
Pure taste, pure goodness. Experience Nature's Gatorade.

Speaker 7 (27:10):
Visit Once Upon a Coconut or Nature's Gatorade dot Com.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri State area and beyond.
You're listening to a Moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten WR the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zen Sam's Welcome back to the Boski
Ranch Live Speaker series. Today we're stepping back inside the
ever expanding world of Taylor Sheridan, a storytelling universe that
has evolved far beyond TV and into a full cultural

(27:36):
movement because through projects like Yellowstone and eighteen eighty three
and nineteen twenty three, Taylor has helped reignite America's fascination
with Texas ranch culture, americanum music, and emotionally grounded storytelling
rooted in legacy, in land, in survival, and more importantly
in identity. But perhaps what makes this universe so compelling

(27:58):
is that even the villains become unforgettable, and today's guest
has become one of the most talked about antagonists in
Taylor's universe. Sebastian Roche is an internationally acclaimed actor known
for powerful, commanding and emotionally layered performances across film and TV.
Most recently, he entered Sheridan's through the nineteen twenty three

(28:19):
franchise as Father Renault, a role that immediately sparked intense
audience reaction and cemented him as one of the standout
baddies in the Sheridan universe. And this year, Sebastian He's
going to be among the talent attending Boski Ranch Live
at Boski Ranch, where fans will step beyond the screen
and into the immersive world surrounding Taylor Sheridan's storytelling universe

(28:41):
through music, culture, talent, and live experience. Sebastian, Welcome to
the show, Superstar.

Speaker 8 (28:47):
Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.

Speaker 3 (28:50):
So excited to chat, so excited to chat with you.
I mean, I've watched you on TV, and you are
good at what you do. But one thing I noticed
covering Taylor Sheridan's universe is that almost nobody enters this
world accidentally. I mean, there's usually a moment where timing
and storytelling and character all collide perfectly. Right. So what

(29:12):
led you into Taylor Sheridan's universe through nineteen twenty three
and did it feel like a creative breakthrough moment once
you realize the scale and emotional intensity of this world?

Speaker 8 (29:24):
Yes, I mean, first and foremost, I started work watching Yellowstone,
and I became completely obsessed with the universe of Yellowstone.
First of all, I'd known Taylor as as an extraordinary writer.
When I saw Sacario Helen high Water and I really
I thought to myself, and wind River as well, and
I thought to myself, this guy's truly, truly brilliant. And

(29:48):
then everyone told me, you have to watch Yellowstone. I
started watching became completely obsessed with it, and I thought
to myself, I have to be part of the Taylor
Sheridan universe. And I I truly, I really feel that
I willed myself onto that show. You know, like people
have what are they called image image boards. I kind

(30:11):
of image manifested. I truly manifested getting on that show.
And suddenly, you know, I auditioned for Banner Creighton first,
you know, the Scottish character, because I'm Scottish and French.
I'm a sort of amalgam of these both of the cultures.
And as soon as that didn't work out, but then

(30:34):
the role of father and No came up and I felt, Yes,
this is the role. It was really incredibly fortuitous. I
knew exactly what to do with the character. It sounds
a bit weird because the character is probably one of
the most evil characters I've ever played on the screen,
But yeah, I willed myself onto the show it and
it worked out, and it was one of the most

(30:56):
I think actually the highlight of my creative career. I'll
be honest with you.

Speaker 6 (31:01):
Work.

Speaker 3 (31:01):
Wow, you step into the perfect role. And what fascinates
me about Taylor Sheridan's writing is that even his villains
are intelligent and emotionally layered and impossible to forget. Right, So,
you've become you've become You've become one of the most
memorable antagonists inside the Taylor verse. What do you think

(31:23):
Taylor understands about writing villains that makes audiences simultaneously disturbed
by them but still completely captivated.

Speaker 8 (31:31):
Well, I think because I think Taylor doesn't write villains.
He just writes people with complex emotional backgrounds. You know,
I think that's that's the key to great writing, is
that he knows how to tell a story, and you know,
they I'm not a bad guy. I'm just part of
the story, and that's what's bringing us about him. He's

(31:52):
and he's one of the greatest dialogueists. His dialogue is
so on points and it's as if he gets into
the skin of the characters. So, yeah, you know what
I would say is he doesn't specifically write bad guys.
He writes people with very very Uh. I was gonna
I was going to use this sway word up f

(32:12):
up histories and backgrounds.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
Yeah, that's the mark of great storytelling when audiences emotionally
wrestle with a character instead of simply rejecting them. Right,
Because when I when I watch you, I want more
of it. Like I'm not, I'm not immediately like going
oh my God, like no, like y. I welcome your
character into the story because to your point, there's an

(32:39):
emotional complexity that belongs there because it's human nature, and
it's true. It's coming from a place of truth. And
I think truism in Hollywood has lost its meaning. I
think people are very surfaced, but Tailor's very layered and
deep and brings layered and deep people to his ecosystem.
Hence you, and you've played psychologically layered and patiness throughout

(33:00):
your career. I mean, I always say villains often reveal
more about humanity than heroes do. Yeah, what have you
personally learned about human nature from portraying characters audiences love
to hate?

Speaker 8 (33:12):
I mean, in nineteen twenty three, what I've found really
interesting is that, you know, Taylor basically talks about a
subject that is hasn't been talked about at all. I
learned a lot about basically. I did a lot of
research on the history of residential schools, and I learned
a lot about the incredible horror of human nature in

(33:33):
terms of you know, subject gazing an entire an entire
indigenous people under you know, some sort of extreme religion.
But I've learned also that, you know, whenever I talk
about certain characters that I've played, like you know, it
was on this very popular show called Vampa Daries and
the Originals, and I played a thousand year old vampire

(33:56):
who was bent on revenge against his family for a
thousand and you know, where did this hatred and this
cruelty come from. It came from the fact that he
was spurned by his whole family and basically betrayed by
his whole family. So there was an emotional content to

(34:16):
the character that was so rich to tap in. You know,
what I found out playing bad guys is that you
can actually either the emotional content is there, the historical
the historical aspect of the character is there, or you
can actually invent it. And it's incredibly rich to bring
in your own interpretation of the character. It's not always

(34:38):
a one dimensional character. There's always something that makes it tick.
You know, these characters multi dimensional. Yeah, you know, if
you do your work, if you do your research, if
you do your imaginary research, it can turn into something
very rich in terms of creative outlet.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
And of course all roads are now leading toward Bosqui
Ranch Live this September, where fans will get to experience
the Tailor Verse beyond television through music and storytelling and
culture and talent in person. So what excites you Sebastian
most about attending Baski Ranch Live this year and getting

(35:16):
the opportunity to reconnect with fans face to face and
even some of your cast and crew fellow meets inside
this immersive environment.

Speaker 8 (35:25):
Well, for me, it's always great to you know, to
reconnect with castmates, but also for me, it's always really
wonderful to connect with the fans. You know, I've been
doing this a long time, you know, with in terms
of fan meeting fans over the years, you know, with
the shows I've done, Supernatural, Vampadaire, the Originals which have

(35:48):
huge fan bases, and now of course nineteen twenty three
Yellowstone have huge fan bases and different ones. Actually, it'll
be really nice to connect with a kind of a
new fan base. So I always delight in meeting people
who appreciate the work. It always makes an to feel
good to meet people who really appreciate your work. But

(36:09):
you know it because I've done a lot of theater,
and you know, you get that first hand experience of
fan appreciation. So it'll be nice to connect face to
face with fans and discuss whatever subject they want to
talk about.

Speaker 3 (36:23):
And I think that's why this event feels so unique,
because it's not just fandom anymore. It's full cultural immersion.

Speaker 8 (36:30):
Yeah, yeah, it really is.

Speaker 3 (36:32):
Now I want to what Taylor Sheridan has built, Sebastian.
We've been saying this throughout this whole interview is also
helping reshape the perception of Texas itself because production is
booming and American a culture is resurging, and audiences seem
really hungry for stories that feel authentic and emotionally grounded. Again,
so have you personally witnessed this larger cultural shift happening

(36:55):
around Taylor Shardan's productions And why do you think audiences
are reconnecting so intensely with modern Western storytelling right now?

Speaker 8 (37:04):
You know, I grew up loving Westerns, and I think
it's something that had been kind of abandoned in terms
of storytelling, which is strange because you know, a large
part of America is actually is actually connected to that enormously,
and there are moments in cultural history where people have
a hunger of something new, and he brought in something

(37:27):
so radically modern to quote unquote Western culture. You know
what I mean. He really shed a light on something
that had never been seen before. You know, we'd seen
Western culture portrait, but I don't know. He went to
it via sort of godfather like. You know, he kind

(37:48):
of mixed. He blended the mafia element to the Western elements,
and it created something so refreshing and incredible and so
character driven. I think his strength is really characters. You know,
he talks about that brilliantly. He says, you know, I
don't really want to write about exposition. I want to
write about characters. And we fell in love with these characters.
And he found these incredible actors. I mean, look at

(38:10):
who wants to work with Taylor. I mean, we're talking
about the krem de la Creme of actors. I couldn't
believe that I was in the same series as Harrison Ford,
my hero. I mean, come on, and Helen Mirron, my god.

Speaker 3 (38:24):
So I think I think I feel your passion, Sebastian, because.

Speaker 8 (38:30):
I fan you know, and I studied buying like Cowboy
books like it was so funny that that to see that.
You know, we've always been fascinated by that aspect of
American culture. It's kind of the first thing that we
saw as children, you know, at me as a European,
it was that Western culture. So I think it's a yeah,

(38:50):
it's it's a rewriting of Western culture, and he's doing
it brilliantly.

Speaker 3 (38:56):
There you go, Sebastian, Thank you so much for joining
us today. I learned so much about you. I can't
wait to hang with you on September twelve. Fascinating conversation.

Speaker 8 (39:05):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (39:06):
Fans can see Sebastian among the talent attending Boski Ranch
Live this September twelfth at Bosci Ranch, where music, storytelling, culture,
and immersive live experience are all going to collide inside
the world of Taylor Sheridan. You could head directly to
boskyranch Live dot com to get your tickets. We will
be there. You could follow Sebastian on the ground at

(39:26):
Sebastian Roche. You're listening to a moment of Zen right
here on seven to ten. War The Voice of New
York iHeartRadio. We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Bosky
Ranch Live Concert Series. Country music's roots are deep and diverse,
with stories told through raw emotion that bridge tradition and progress.
Master storyteller Taylor Sheridan's music concert series at Bosky Ranch
offers audiences the chance to experience both the finest country
music artists and up and coming artists, while celebrating the

(39:57):
Western way of life and championing the people and brand
that shape the community. Head to Boski Ranchlive dot com
to learn more.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
Welcome back, Beautiful New York, Tri State Area and beyond.
You're listening to a Moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten wor the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zenzam's Welcome back to the Elevating Experiences series,
brought to you by MTK Group, New York. We're exploring
a side of real estate today that most people never
really see, but one that can ultimately determine whether a

(40:27):
building succeeds or struggles for years to come. Because while
most people focus on architecture and amenities and sales, the
reality is that the resident experience often becomes the true
measure of a building's long term value, and according to
the National Multifamily Housing Council, there's more than forty four
million Americans that are now living in apartments and multifamily housing.

(40:49):
While New York continues to experience growing demand for professionally
managed residential communities, and at the same time, resident expectations
around technology and communication, service and op rational efficiency have
never been higher. Well today's guests recognized that shift years ago.
Jason Horowitz is the founder and CEO of Monarch Realty Group,

(41:10):
one of New York City's fastest growing property management firms,
and since launching back in twenty nineteen, Monarch has grown
to nearly fifty properties, more than fifteen hundred residents, over
one hundred and forty employees, and currently manages approximately two
point five billion in condominium assets, with projections exceeding four
billion by the end of this year alone. And prior

(41:32):
to founding Monarch, Jason built his career in commercial banking
with institutions including JP Morgan and Capital I and Santander,
developing deep expertise in real estate finance before bringing that
knowledge into the operational side of development. It all fits perfectly. Today,
Monarch works alongside developers long before buildings open, helping shape

(41:53):
budgets and staffing operations, resident experience, and that long term
asset performance from the ground up. Jason, Wow, congratulations on
all your success. Welcome to the show, superstar.

Speaker 6 (42:04):
Thank you for having me, and I truly appreciate the opportunity.

Speaker 3 (42:07):
I mean, listen, you're seasoned professional, both in front end
behind the scenes. And one of the things that immediately
stood out to me when I was researching Monarch is
that you often become involved long before residents ever move
into a building, right And I think that traditionally property
management was viewed as something that happened after construction was completed,

(42:29):
but today more developers are realizing that operational planning can
have a significant impact on financial performance and resident satisfaction
and then that long term property value that we're talking about.
So what problem did you identify in the marketplace, Jason,
that made developers start bringing Monarch into projects so early
and why has that become such a competitive advantage.

Speaker 6 (42:50):
That's a great question. And Monarch's biggest position, or our
capabilities and platform of being brought into projects at the
early stages was primarily focused on the budget creation or
creating the budget for the building well before it opens up.
That budget then determines the services that the building will
operate under. That is an opportunity that we have in

(43:13):
terms of the platform or the time that we are
brought into a project, and the capabilities or impact that
we have are determined in the budget themselves. Those types
of services, such as the amenities or the different levels
of staffing. Every detail from amenities and resident impact are
determined when the budget is created two years before the
building is opened up. We have the opportunity to impact

(43:35):
those services and influence how the building should be run,
and developers are seeing that value needed more and more
in projects. We are involved and called constantly on projects
before they open up for details on how residents want
to experience or it will experience certain amenities. Our platform
has allowed us the ability to impact buildings financially, and

(43:57):
what I mean by that is that when we impact,
when we create a budget that determines the residence common
charges and what they pay per month, that means that
we are determining the services that they will experience, and
that level of experience costs money that's determined in the budget,
but how we operate the building will happen two years later.
So we have the privilege of setting those budgets and

(44:18):
standards for the building, and the right developers truly value
our impact and our knowledge on how the residents want
to experience a high level service of the amenities or
the experience that are created in these condominiums. Previously, there
were a number of challenges with delivering those services, but
residents do not care. They have the expectations that regardless

(44:39):
of challenges such as COVID or anything else which made
a big impact on the market, they still want services.
And to your point that you made earlier, it's never
been higher or it's never been greater that it has
in the past.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
Yeah. I love that perspective, Jason, because it really changes
the role of property management from being reactive to becoming
part of the strategic planning process from day, which is
so critical. Which brings me to my next question. I
want to talk about why luxury living means something different
today than it did even ten years ago. Right, So

(45:11):
luxury used to mean finishes in square footage, that's exactly
what people google, right, But today residents the ones that
I speak to Many are looking for something very different, right.
They expect steamless tech, like the technology of how can
I pay everything online? How can it be connected through
an app to my landlord? How can I manage everything?

(45:33):
Faster communication? The elevated service security, I mean if you
can't attest for having your elevators properly secured, watched with
proper cameras, if cameras are broken or not working. There's
convenience and more importantly this is the most important for me,
a sense of community because people in New York City

(45:54):
are like most people come here alone. There's transplants, and
even when you have family, please, it's different than in
the suburbs. The families are isolated sometimes unless you find
a building where there is a sense of community, and
at that point you can ask your neighbor for anything,
including childcare. So, how has that definition of luxury living

(46:16):
changed since you entered the industry And what are today's
buyers and residents expecting that they weren't asking for ten
years ago.

Speaker 6 (46:23):
It's been wild and it's been amazing to see the
changes over the past ten years. To your point, as
I mentioned, or as you mentioned, when we first started Monarch,
we were founded in twenty nineteen, about two months before
COVID started. And I say that because ten years ago,
expectations have changed drastically, but COVID changed or force changes immediately,
and I think that the largest change in residence expectations

(46:48):
really were finishes. Initially, you know, ten years ago, square
footage price per square foot, your finish's high end. That
was what caught attention. The marketing, the advertisement, you know,
the ability to touch numerous markets in the reach. That
was really you know, called the brand or how brands
were built today and how that has changed over the years.

(47:08):
Services are felt by what is in the building or
how what that brings out in the community that is
built within the building. To your point, we have some
high end buildings now where amenities are more important than
the actual finishes in the building we have. You know
that marketing actually ties into the amount of square footage
of amenities. Some of the buildings that we're managing, they're
nicer than five star hotels. You know, they've got full

(47:30):
full basketball courts, they've got coal plunges and spas. We've
residents that walk around like it's you know, a vacation
or a resort. They're walking around in sandals, they're carrying
a towel.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
You know.

Speaker 6 (47:42):
Some of our buildings have ceramic classes and experiences. So
I think that the world has changed where expectations of finishes,
where footage that's built into New York, those are expected,
and I think people have new values and since COVID
that has changed that drastically. The need for people to
work out of their home take you know, use the
amenity spaces that are provided, but they're using them in

(48:04):
different ways, and they're proud to bring family or friends
into their building and that is a brand or a
representation of their brand. Social image is everything in this world.
So the ability to show the experience that you can
live within your home, I truly feel is very important
to residents nowadays, whereas yesterday, I don't think that was

(48:24):
a thought or something that wasn't wasn't really.

Speaker 8 (48:25):
In the market.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
Yeah, I agree, I agree, And now I want to
talk about the future of property management. So one thing
that caught my attention is your mention of a new
venture that could potentially revolutionize the property management space across industries.
Right and what we're seeing is tech reshaping everything from
customer service and operations to communication and predictive decision making. Right, So,

(48:48):
without giving away too much, what industry problem are you
solving with this new venture and why do you believe
the timing is right for innovation.

Speaker 6 (48:57):
I appreciate this question, and we are working on something
right now that we know will revolutionize this entire industry.
Over the years, this business is a chaotic industry. We
are dealing with human emotion, we are dealing with residents
and their home and their financial impact. It's all tied
into one that brings the chaotic call it lifestyle of
the property management world. Over the years, we've realized the

(49:21):
various needs or the needs of using various systems to
operate a property, and when you work in new construction,
even more so, you have to adapt to some of
those systems that are installed into a building, like the
camera systems or the access control into a building. The
chaotic nature of property management has made it very challenging
to operate a company behind the scenes in terms of

(49:43):
paying bills, recording all of the expenses for buildings, down
to the ability to answer an email back to a resident.
What we are working on is the first or the
technology that is the first of its kind. It is
an AI driven property management company that uses prompt activity
and understands the bylaws, the governing documents of each of

(50:04):
the properties that we manage, and it customizes the prompt
and suggestions. That is to provide support to our back office,
meaning it understands issues as they come in and it
will tie them to or customize them to the house
rules or the bylaws of each of the properties we manage.
So what that allows for is a direct approach, customized

(50:26):
service for each to our residents. But it's a better
way to ensure the proper success behind our scenes or
behind the scenes excuse me. Today we use a back
end system that only provides or we use it as
an accounting software. We have to use three other technologies
to provide our service as a property manager. There is
no company that is building a fully integrated property management

(50:47):
software that has a resident interface that has low voltage
or access control meaning you can get into your amenities
and control that you with your application. Also the ability
to customize and have a bridge for any Bluetooth enabled
smart home technology such as your thermostats or your TV
or any type of seriosystems. So what we are doing

(51:09):
is we are building a AI driven property management platform
that is built from the inside out, meaning with the
knowledge of a property management company to help operate properties
rather than just being a plug and only solving one
or two problems, which most companies are doing today.

Speaker 3 (51:25):
Yeah, I mean those are often really the best businesses, right,
the ones that solve problems people have simply accepted for years.
Thank you so much for being transparent and teaching us
a whole bunch of stuff today, and I can't wait
to track your success and have you back soon.

Speaker 6 (51:41):
Thank you so much. I really appreciate the time.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
To learn more about Monarch Realty Group, you could go
directly to Monarchrealtygroup dot com and you can also connect
with Jason and the Monarch Realty Group directly on LinkedIn
and on the ground. Big special thank you to Mtkgroup
New York for bringing you this edition of elevating Experiences.
We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by MTK
Group New York. Experience Travel Without Limits MTK Travel Club,
part of MTK Group New York, offers exclusive access to
private jet travel, five star resorts, and unforgettable luxury experience
designed around you. From seamless departures to personalized itineraries. We

(52:21):
elevate every moment of your journey. MTK Travel Club makes
extraordinary travel effortless. Visit mtkgroupny dot com today to discover
a new level of luxury.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
Well that's a wrap my beautiful Dry State area. You're
listening to a Moment of Zen right here on seven
to ten wor the voice of New york iHeartRadio. It's
been a pleasure being your host. Remember to join me
right here on a Moment of Zen every Saturday, or
you could head directly to a moment of Zen dot
com for live listening links and episode downloads in your city.
Also remember that we're live on Traverse TV Sundays at

(52:56):
one pm Eastern YouTube Sundays at two pm Eastern, and
all episodes of a Moment of Zen are available on
your home TV streaming platform. It's family friendly, free programming
to you, no app downloaded. You could head to moxt
youorometv dot com. Thank you for listening to us. It's
been an absolute pleasure being your host. Thanks again to
all our advertisers, sponsors and partners that continue to make

(53:20):
the show possible. And remember that Happiness is the only
thing that multiplies when you share it. We'll be back
next week.

Speaker 1 (53:26):
The proceeding was a paid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this
podcast constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed