November 3, 2024 • 79 mins
After navigating my own suicide attempt during pregnancy, I'm honored to welcome Cyrus Webb as the first male guest on "Listen Linda". Our conversation is both a celebration of breaking boundaries and a heartfelt exploration of resilience in life's darkest chapters. Cyrus bravely shares his transformative journey from surviving multiple suicide attempts to finding healing through faith and the supportive words of friends. Together, we uncover the power of shared experiences and highlight how pivotal moments can become sources of strength and empowerment.
Family and community play a pivotal role in our stories. We explore the profound impact of unwavering parental support, even when career paths aren’t fully understood. Through personal anecdotes, we reflect on the sacrifices made by loved ones and the nurturing of dreams that shape our lives. The importance of community is further emphasized as I share my own journey of finding support through social media, transforming virtual connections into real-life friendships that provided solace during times of profound loss.
The episode also touches on self-discovery and valuing one's worth. I recount a personal experience of recognizing the importance of setting boundaries and charging what I'm truly worth for my professional services. Cyrus Webb, a media personality and author, joins us to discuss how his creative journey has been a source of healing and inspiration. His story underscores the importance of acknowledging emotions and embracing positivity. As we wrap up, we reflect on the enduring themes of love, resilience, and faith as cornerstones in overcoming adversity, encouraging each listener to stand strong and embrace their journey.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
When you get caught in the rain With nowhere to run,
when you're distraught and inpain Without anyone, when you
keep crying out to be saved butnobody comes, when you keep
crying out to be saved butnobody comes and you feel so far
(00:51):
away that you just can't findyour way home, you can get there
alone, it's okay.
Won't you say, yes, I can makeit through the rain, I can stand
(01:22):
up once again on my own, and Iknow that I'm strong enough to
mend.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tight to my faith and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
And if you keep falling down,don't you dare give in.
(02:06):
You will arise safe and sound.
So keep pressing on, step bystep, and you'll find what you
need to breathe in what you sayI can make it through the rain,
(02:35):
I can stand up once again On myown, and I know that I'm strong
enough to mend.
And every time I feel free, Ihold tight to my faith and I
(02:55):
live one more day and I'll makeit through the rain.
And when the rain blows andshadows grow close, thank you,
you'll never pull through.
(03:20):
Don't have to say.
Stand tall and say, yeah, yeah,I can make it through the rain.
(03:43):
I can stand up once again on myown and I know that I'm strong
enough to last.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tighter to my faith.
(04:05):
I can make it through the rainand send the woods again and I
live one more day and night.
I can make it through the rain.
(04:28):
Oh, yeah, she can.
You'll make it through the rain.
You're broken down and tired Ofliving life on the
(05:07):
merry-go-round and you can'tfind a fighter.
But I see it in you.
So we can walk it out.
Ooh, mountains, we can walk itout.
(05:30):
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again.
And I'll rise up.
I like the waves.
(05:52):
I'll rise up In spite of theache.
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again For you,
for you, for you, for you.
(06:17):
The silence isn't white and itfeels like it's getting hard to
breathe and I know you feel likedying.
But I promise we'll take theworld to its feet.
(06:38):
Ooh, I won't take it to its feet.
I won't dance and I'll rise up.
I'll rise like the day.
I'll rise up.
(06:59):
I'll rise unafraid.
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again For you,
for you, for you, for you.
(07:28):
All we need, all we need, ishope, and for that we have each
other, and for that we have eachother, and we will rise, we
(07:48):
will rise, we will rise, we willrise, we will rise, oh, we will
rise.
I'll rise up, rise like the day.
I'll rise up in spite of theday.
I rise up In spite of the ache.
I will rise a thousand timesagain and we'll rise up High
(08:18):
like the waves.
We'll rise up In spite of theache.
We'll rise up and we'll do it athousand times again.
For you, for you, for you, foryou, you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Hello, hello, hello.
That was Miss Andra Day andMariah Carey with Rise Up and
Make it Through the Rain.
(09:20):
We are still waiting on theanticipated guest.
You guys know, sometimesstation here can just really be,
you know, difficult if you'renew to the platform, and that is
okay.
So while we are waiting, I wantto say I apologize, thank you
(09:47):
All right now.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I apologize, cyrus, if you can hear me.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I almost had to meet Anita singing to you.
Now how you doing.
Hit your icon and you can comeoff of mute.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
All right, jacqueline .
Thank you so much for having meReally appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Thank you, thank you and, just like Miss anita said,
I apologize now I apologize forevidently trying to log in.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I was like I thought I was in already on spotify, but
look, I'm so glad I make it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Thanks again for the invite oh no, no problem, no
problem at all.
I I am so, so glad and for youguys.
You guys know this is the firsttime in Listen Linda history
that a male has been a guest onthis platform.
Uh-oh, I am turning over a newleaf.
I only allow women on myplatform.
(11:18):
I only allow myself to do mystuff, but I am bringing down
the walls.
You guys Ain't y'all proud ofme?
All right, all right.
So cyrus is making historytoday as the first male other
than mr cox and my boy to evergrace the listen linda platform.
(11:39):
So welcome mr cyrus cox.
I mean look, oh lord, I'm gonnahave some trouble when I get
off of here.
Welcome Mr Cyrus Cox.
I mean look, ooh Lord, uh-oh,I'm going to have some trouble
when I get off of here.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Look, hey, look, I'm like man.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
did I miss something?
We're about to go into prayerright now.
All right God, all right, allright, god.
As we step into this momenttogether, we're asking for your
presence to guide us.
Lord, god, help us speak fromthe heart, with realness and
compassion, as we connect withCyrus and just dive into his
journey.
(12:14):
Let us listen deeply, shareemotions that resonate, with
everyone tuning in, and may thisconversation be lit with your
light, bringing hope andinspiration to all who hear it.
Amen, amen, all right, allright.
So we're just gonna jump rightinto it.
All right, cyrus, because allright, we're just gonna get real
(12:36):
, because I know they canprobably prep you.
You got a whole team that'sbeen on my show, so I I know
they impressed you Like look you, finna, get ready and go in the
hot seat.
She finna try to get you andthey was right.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Hey, it's my pleasure .
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Yes, yes, yes.
So let's get real.
Can you take us back to amoment in your journey when you
felt like you were totallybroken, Like what did that teach
you about resilience and howdid it shift your whole outlook
on life?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Wow, that's a great first question, jacqueline.
You know, and I can't, and itdoesn't even take much thought I
was 20 years old, living in NewYork, and just survived my
third suicide attempt, and Iremember being in the hospital,
and I was living in New York bymyself, so I had no family there
.
All my family was still in theSouth.
And so I remember waking up andalmost hearing God say to me
(13:37):
how dare you try to take whatyou can't give?
And I realized then that I waslooking at my life in a totally
distorted way.
I was so focused on what Ididn't think I could give
instead of thinking about whatGod could do through me.
And when I started making thatshift at 20, everything that has
(14:02):
happened in my life since thenhas basically been revealed to
me as God's plan, and so I can Italk about that.
But I think it's one thingthat's important for especially
us guys to admit that, yes, wecan be broken.
And I should say too my, whatled me to my suicide attempts
had nothing to do with abuse,had nothing to do with bullying,
(14:25):
had nothing to do with neglect.
I literally did not feel worthy.
I did not feel like I was aperson of worth.
I felt like people were lyingto me when they said I was smart
, that I was gifted.
I did not see the gifts orappreciate the gifts that God
had given me up until that pointand again because I was
(14:46):
thinking about it from myperspective and then, when I
realized my gifts were not evenfor me, jacqueline, that is
literally what shifted my entirelife and the way I've lived
ever since.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Oh, my goodness, Well we done.
Kicked it off y'all because heshowed he came in guns blazing,
praise the Lord, and I just youknow that's right.
Dr Velma, I truly appreciateyour transparency, and you know
(15:20):
if you've read most of myliterature and so you can kind
of know that we kind of relatein that area.
I've also survived suicideattempt, but mine was while I
was pregnant with my first child, and so I took a bunch of pills
(15:41):
heart pills, all type of pillsand they had to pump my stomach
out and luckily, you know, Isurvived that and that was also
a pivot in my life.
That said, you know what yougot so much to live for.
You know God has a plan foryour life, and who do you think
(16:02):
you are to just come in and saywhat you're going to do?
Like I tell my kids I havedominion over you, and I guess
god was telling me.
Like I have dominion over you,how dare you right right, look,
go somewhere and set out youain't going nowhere till I tell
you you're going.
So yeah, I appreciate, I prayand I thank God for keeping you
(16:25):
here, because look at themillions of lives you've changed
in just a short period of time.
So I thank God for keeping youhere.
Okay, honey, like we all know,words can heal or hurt.
Can you recall a time whensomeone's words have pulled you
(16:47):
up from your darkest days, like,how did that moment change how
you see the power of connection?
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, you know, there's been.
Honestly, I've had severalincidents in my life that have
led me to that point.
But I have to tell you one ofthe biggest ones, and it's a
slogan that has lived forever inmy head, ever since Jacqueline,
and I can even tell you theyear it was 2006.
And a friend of mine, locallyin Mississippi you know I've
(17:16):
always been a person who Ididn't care what people had to
say about me or what I did, orhe thinks he's so much, or he
thinks he can do this.
Do this Because, again, at thispoint, by the time it's
surviving three, two or threeattempts.
Look, I know, I'm here, I'mdoing what I'm supposed to be
doing.
You may not see it, it may notbe for you, that's fine, but
this is what I'm supposed to bedoing.
And a friend of mine her name isStephanie Mitchell, jacqueline,
(17:38):
and she's living today.
She's having her own challenges, health wise.
(17:59):
But she said to me in 2006, shesaid Cyrus, she said they just
don't see it.
She said they have placed theselimitations on themselves.
And then she said these words,said you need to put that on the
shirt, not me, because you werethe one who said it.
You know what I'm saying.
That is something you need toput on the shirt, because those
words, when you limit your mind,you limit yourself.
That goes to not only whatyou've been called to do by God.
That goes to not only when itcomes to what you can do in your
family.
What you can do you know withyourself.
(18:21):
You know, I think when yourealize that with the moment you
put a ceiling on it, you'rebasically blocking the blessings
of God.
Amen.
And for me, when she said that,it's like, oh, my goodness,
that is a big thing.
So that again has stood with me, because when something happens
(18:42):
, always keep in mind, when youlimit your mind, you limit
yourself, and that's what'shelped me not to put ceilings or
caps on the blessings or thethings I know God has for me.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Well, I can attest to that.
I remember, probably about ayear and a half ago, when I kind
of broke out and just started,you know, like you know what,
I'm tired of playing background,I'm tired of playing Milli
Vanilli.
Like my husband, you know, hesaw all the work that I was
doing, like behind the scenes,right, and he's like why do you
(19:14):
do that?
Why do you allow people to justdo that to you?
And I was like do what.
He was like you call it helping, but you're doing everything.
He was like you are phenomenal,like your talent is limitless,
like you're.
Like he was like a bottomlesspit, like a bottomless well, and
you don't understand how manygifts that you have.
(19:39):
And he was like you.
You basically what he wastelling told me, said change
your mind, change your life.
Once you change your mindset,your whole life will change.
And I I never thought about itthat way, because I'm just
always, just naturally, a giverright, and it started out as
(20:00):
being what dr velma would call apeople pleaser right, and just
it's just always wanting toplease everybody, always wanting
to please everybody.
Because I was, you know, ofcourse, you know I'm a product
of the foster care system, so Ialways wanted to make sure that
I pleased whoever I was aroundso they would keep me around.
(20:24):
That's the feeling of beingunwanted or unneeded, or feeling
like you know, I don't belong,I don't fit in.
Well, god told me one day, likeyou know what, you're not meant
to fit in.
That's why you're the blacksheep.
You're not meant to fit in,you're meant to stand out
because what I have for you isso much greater.
If you just allow people to seethe things that I'm doing in
(20:50):
your life, then they will knowthat there is a God, because
only God is able to do thesethings for you.
I can't do anything by myself,cyrus.
You can't do anything byyourself, and so that is the
reason people will, like you,say, oh, he thinks he did.
I get that a lot, cyrus.
You can't do anything byyourself, and so that is the
reason people will, like you,say, oh, he thinks he's this.
I get that a lot too.
Oh, she thinks she's this, Iabsolutely do.
(21:12):
I remember I was on the bus theother day and someone told this
guy who do you think you don'teven know who you are?
And he said I do know who I am.
And he said what are you?
He said the s and it took me tothe moon.
(21:35):
Because I'm like that is me, I,that's what I think.
I, yes, absolutely the, becausehow you, of course, I do, and
when people don't feel thatabout themselves, they, they try
to project that onto you andthat's not your problem.
And so, yes, thank you so muchfor that.
(22:11):
In who's tuning in?
Who will tune into the replay?
Please take note of that.
Is is 100 to.
To be 100 confident in yourself, that's not being braggadocious
, that is confidence.
And a lot of times the enemywill try to come and they will
try to make you feel guilty forbeing confident, because that is
something that they lack.
So let's stop practicing thatminimizing who you are,
(22:34):
compartmentalizing yourself forbeing great, because God, he
does not make any mistakes andhe is of excellence and royalty.
And if you are his child, likeI know and like Cyrus know, you
are his child.
You are of royalty andexcellence.
You inherited that from thefather and never let nobody make
you feel less than that.
(22:54):
And on that note, I got anotherquestion for you Because I
caught with the questions.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
All right.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Now I've been tuning in to your shows a lot,
especially with Dr V, becauseyou know, when y'all two get
together y'all are like y'allneed, like TV gold, like TV gold
.
It's just so funny, it'sentertaining, but it's also very
intellectual conversations.
(23:21):
You know it's a lot of wisdomthat comes from you.
Know, just you two collabing,and I learn a lot every time I
listen to you guys, but everytime, like I remember you saying
how close you were with yourmom, and so let's talk about
your mom Like what's onesacrifice that she made for you
that still gets you emotional,like how has her strength been
(23:44):
the fire that pushed you throughyour own challenges in life?
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
My mom and I, and my dad aswell, but definitely my mom, I
think you know I and Jacquelineyou can relate to this and
probably a lot of your listenerscan too.
The path I take makesabsolutely no sense to my family
.
What I've been able to do makesabsolutely no sense to them.
(24:10):
When I first started this in2003, they had, you have to
think, no one in my family hadever been on television, no one
had been on radio, no one hadwritten a book, no one had done
all this traveling.
And who do you work for?
You know, those are thequestions I would get up in the
(24:31):
morning and I would literally mygrandmother, who I got a chance
to be her caregiver until shedied in 2014.
I remember, before thingskicked off, she I would be here
working and I would hear hersometimes say, well, he didn't
go anywhere.
Today I don't know what he'sdoing.
It's not real.
I mean because the world welive in is so different than the
world they knew For them, for aman to work, you got up, you
got dressed and you punched theclock for somebody else the
(24:53):
whole idea of entrepreneurship.
So for my mom, growing up, Iused to say I wanted to be an
author.
This was me as a child.
I wanted to be an author.
I wanted to be an illustrator,a drawer, an artist.
And she would always say, okay,but in her mind, like what are
you going to do for a job?
You know what I'm saying.
(25:15):
And so I'm like no, that's thejob I want.
She's like well, no, I hearartists don't make it to their
dead, and so that means youwon't actually, so what are you
gonna do?
So when she saw that wasn'tgoing anywhere, she would give
get me.
I mean, I was the first one inmy neighborhood, jack, when we
had a computer, and these arethe little slim computers like
(25:36):
we have today.
These are the.
I know both.
He was.
You know that he's the app, yeah, and then we have dial up.
So there was that.
But she would sacrifice to getme art books and to get me
things because she I guess sheeven then saw it saw that.
(25:58):
Okay, if he's saying this iswhat he wants to do, I'm going
to do my part to support it.
Now, we were not people of means, we were not people who could
afford.
You know, we were literallypaycheck to paycheck.
A family that's paycheck topaycheck.
My mom worked, my dad worked,you know, but they were.
I think, about the sacrificesshe made as far as time, I mean,
(26:18):
she worked at, he worked in thedaytime, she worked in the
daytime, he worked at night.
So there were.
You know we didn't really sitdown together as a family, but
we knew we were loved from thesacrifices.
So I think about that and whatI'm able to do for them today,
when my dad retired and helpinghim out and both of my parents
are living close and beingmindful even though I do have to
(26:41):
travel for work and stuff beingmindful of their needs.
So I think about that sacrificeand the example of hard work.
They said, even though we'reworking totally different, the
idea of hard work.
And I tell them, I said I wouldnot be who I am.
I don't believe without thatexample Because they showed me,
and I think it's the only way Ithink about a lot of things but,
(27:02):
especially when it comes tohard work, you have to make
sacrifices, right.
Absolutely Nothing's going tocome easy, and I've always known
but especially when it comes tohard work, that you have to
make sacrifices, right.
Absolutely nothing going tocome easy, and I've always known
that I've never expected anyoneto give me anything, because my
parents didn't expect anyone togive them anything, you know,
and so I think that has been thebiggest thing and the biggest
gift, because it's a lesson Icontinue to learn from
(27:23):
absolutely.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It's like train train your child up in a way they
should go and they will neverpart from it.
And absolutely, I'm a hundredpercent.
Anybody who know me, who see me, who know me in the street, who
know, who know anything aboutme the way I ride for my boys is
second to none, I think in theuniverse.
(27:46):
I think, if I'm gonna be an art,the light.
Whatever they want to do, theywant to do karate oh, we signing
them up.
The dukes want to play thepiano we bought a piano.
Jay wants to do the guitar wegot the guitar with the bass.
Jay wanna do debate we gotdebate.
Jay wanted a clothing line weit.
Everything that these kids wantto do oh, they want to write a
(28:10):
book.
Cool, we're going to write thebook.
You know, we're going to getthis.
You know, mom, you're abestseller.
I wish I could do that.
Okay, no problem, I'll run yourbestseller campaign.
Whatever it is that my kids wantto do, they are 100% want to do
(28:32):
, they are 100 able to do.
And I really, truly just haveto give props, like you said, to
my husband, because my husbandgets up every day.
He makes sure the kids get toschool, because he know I have
health challenges myself a lotof times.
I'm bear ridden and I can't um,but he gets up, he makes sure
my kids get to school, he works,he works out, he comes home, he
makes sure I had my medicineand I ain't fluke, because, you
know, sometimes I don't feellike taking, but he'll make sure
(28:54):
I took it, I ate it.
Just he makes sure that home iswell, taken care of, the bills,
everything, and all he wants meto do is just do what makes me
happy and I just thank Godbecause I didn't always have
that.
I was a single mom for fouryears with my oldest son before
(29:20):
me, and my husband got marriedand I worked three jobs.
I remember walking.
I dropped Jayden off at schoolon the bus and I had to walk the
rest of the way because Ididn't have bus fare and a snow
blizzard, a mile and a half toget to work, to work with people
with disabilities, until 11 atnight and my husband was a good
(29:44):
friend of mine at the time,would pick me up from school, go
take me to my foster mom'shouse to pick up my son, and
that continued for about a yearand a half.
And so the sacrifices that momsmake for their children, but
also the sacrifices that the dadmakes to make sure that the mom
(30:05):
is good, to make sure good dadsand good moms.
And I just you know Iappreciate your mom, especially
because I'm a mom, a real mom,that I don't care if somebody is
going to.
I've had offers.
Cyrus, you will not believe.
Hey, you can make 5 000 if youtravel to this state.
They're looking for this personto come speak or they're
(30:27):
looking for this person to be akeynote.
If my kid got a basketball game, or my kid got something going
on at home or he's sick, or myhusband got something that he
can't break away from, if theycan't come with me, or I have to
miss something, it wasn't meantfor me, because my kids going
(30:47):
to always trump whatever isgoing on in the universe to me.
You know, and so I see thatthat's how your mom was.
So I just kudos, kudos to you,mrs Webb.
You know you got it on lock.
I appreciate that.
Um, now, um, as far as likeinfluence in the community,
community, your community hasbeen there for you.
(31:10):
As far as, like your, not justprobably your village around you
at home in Mississippi, butalso your virtual community.
No doubt, no doubt, can youshare a heartfelt story about a
time that they rallied aroundyou during a tough moment.
(31:33):
How did that love remind you ofthe power of your connection
with them and their love andtheir connection with you?
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yeah, that would definitely have to be going back
to May of 2014, which is, Imean, as an adult, after my
suicide attempt, was probablythe most difficult time of my
life, and that was the death ofmy grandmother, someone who gave
me my first haircut.
I moved back to Brandon,mississippi, where I currently
(32:05):
live, to take care of her aftershe was put on dialysis, and so
you know, they told her at thetime, you know, she probably
would not live three years.
She lived nine years ondialysis, died at the age of 91
in 2014.
But we had a very specialrelationship.
I'm an interesting person,jacqueline, in that, because of
(32:29):
my schedule, if it was up to melike living the life I live now,
I would not eat three meals aday.
Well, I don't eat three meals aday.
I'm not a person who, you know,I was not as focused on other
people except when it came toher, so when my schedule was the
most flexible.
(32:50):
So when they told me what wasgoing on, I said, well, I'll
move back to Brandon, I can bethere, I can take her to Dallas
on Mondays, wednesdays andFridays.
I can cook her three meals aday.
I can check her blood sugar andgive her insulin shots.
It was a privilege for me to dothat.
It was a privilege for me to dothat.
That's how I looked at it,because I moved in with her when
I was a teenager because shewas living by herself.
(33:12):
Her children, which now all ofthem are gone, except for my mom
, so she's buried all of herchildren and so it's not stuff
for my mom who's still living,and so it's my privilege to be
able to do that.
But when she that last year 2014, was very difficult.
It was for me professionallywas a high point.
(33:33):
Personally it was a disaster.
I got my first book deal thatyear at the beginning of the
year.
She started having heart issuesat the beginning of the year,
so we were back and forth to thehospital, which had not
happened at the beginning of theyear.
So we were back and forth tothe hospital, which had not
happened, and so I did not postabout it initially on social
(33:55):
Jacqueline only because I wastrying to stay focused and I was
building a business.
I did not, but people were usedto seeing my grandmother with
the magazine.
She was a reader like me, so Iwould take pictures of her with
the magazine and those kinds ofthings and leave them to house
it out at the grocery store orwhatever.
So when May came around and itwas obvious that we were coming
(34:18):
to the end, I didn't know whatto do, and so that last week she
died and that day she died Iwent on Facebook and I told them
.
I said, because I was trying toprocess it myself, but I knew
that my community, to your point, would understand, because all
(34:41):
of us go through loss, all of usgo through challenges, and this
has been the biggest thing thatliterally had ever happened to
me.
So, you know, I went on to talkabout her and the outpouring of
support and love that I got wasamazing.
I mean, authors were sharingpictures because she would read
(35:02):
some of the books of the authors.
I would be interviewing withJacqueline, and so they were
sharing and I would takepictures of her with.
They were sharing the pictures,and so I had those moments to
smile about, you know, and thosekinds of things, and so that
really kind of sealed thecommunity for me in 2014,.
That it was bigger than justprofessional, because I always
(35:24):
joke with people.
I don't have a personal life.
That really became morereinforced after she passed.
Passed because she was theclosest I had to Normacy,
because you know, like I said,cooking and and doing things,
you know I I that was notsomething I typically do today.
You know it's not something Ido like that.
So I think that that really wasa moment for me in 2014, and it
(35:48):
has continued.
So I do share things with mymom.
My family does not.
They are not social mediapeople, so I'm very respectful
of that.
None of them are on social.
So I share pictures, mostlywith my mom and with my nephew,
but I don't include a lot ofthem mostly with my mom and with
my nephew, but I don't includea lot of them.
(36:08):
My dad people literally justsaw him, I think, this year,
because he's not big on picturesand that kind of thing.
But yeah, 2014 was really thatbig moment when I really felt
the friendship of social mediaoutside of just the professional
, absolutely absolutely and itis.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
It's a professional, absolutely, absolutely, and it
is.
It's a blessing to have.
I was talking to my husband theother night because ever since
I moved out here with my husband, I've had to kind of break away
from some people who you, just,you still love and you used to
be friends with these people.
But you go on different pathsand you, just, you still love,
and you, you, you used to befriends with these people, but
you, you go on different pathsand you just outgrow, um, a lot
(36:53):
of things that some people arestill trapped in.
They're still trapped in thattime because they're afraid of
change, and so I had todisconnect from a lot of people.
But also I lost soul, like mysoul, people that I kept close.
I lost my grandmother, I lostmy dad, I lost my sister, I lost
(37:16):
a couple of my uncles.
I lost my best friend, and shewas only 30, to kidney failure.
I lost, and we were friendssince the third grade, and so
when you lose your entire circle, a couple of my foster parents,
who I was very, very close to,a foster sister, I'm losing all
(37:38):
these people within a five-yeartimeframe, right, and so I'm not
processing it, I'm justblanking, iteting it, if that,
if that's even a word I think Ijust made it up, but I'm
basically enveloping everythingand I'm just stuffing it in the
envelope and moving on.
Stuffing it in the envelope andmoving on.
(38:00):
I think when I lost my dad iswhen I I went numb and then I
lost a few more people that arereally really close to me after
that, but by that time I wasnumb and then one day, uh, on
the anniversary of his death, Ijust broke and after that it was
just like a spiral of me havingto unpack all of that hurt and
(38:25):
you know, with, of course, with,um, god and with my pastor, but
the, the, the rallying ofsupport that I had behind me
with my true friends, um, that Ihad made through social media,
um, that I met on the book slam,dr velma, laquita parks,
(38:46):
carolyn coleman, all of thesepeople that I met on an app
called the clubhouse, and youknow it's just, it was like
crazy, because I was justtelling my husband I don't have
any friends like my husband.
Of course he's an army man,hurrah, right, like he has his
army buddies that he can call,he can talk to, or he has, like
(39:07):
his, his biological family.
I didn't have that.
I have one sister that I'lltalk to every single day.
The rest of my siblings, I lovethem, they love me, but
everybody is just kind of likemoving, you know.
That's kind of like how we'vebeen our whole life.
So we don't, we only know thatright.
And so I'm like I only gotDarcelle and if I can't call her
(39:27):
, I don't have anybody else.
I can't unload on my husbandall the time, you know, because
he'd be like that's womenbusiness, I don't care about
that.
So it's like you don't havenobody.
But now I have a village rightof people through social media
who have not just been friendssocial media friends but been
(39:50):
friends outside of social media.
Me and my husband were honoredwith the Presidential Lifetime
Achievement Award just this pastSeptember and Carolyn Coleman
drove four hours just to comewatch us receive that award.
Laquita, who we all know,laquita Parks of Pay-Per-Beat
(40:12):
Publishing.
She has a child, you know, adisability, you know, with her
leg, and she made sure that notonly did she attend that
ceremony but showed us aroundAtlanta, you know, invited us to
meet her whole family.
And these are the things thatpeople don't even know.
(40:34):
Dr Velvo, you already know Italk to her every single day.
I call her Mama B and it's, youknow.
I know her family, I know herhusband, I know both of her
daughters, I know hergranddaughter, you know, and
it's like these people haveinvited us outside of the app
into their homes to meet theirfamilies, dr Audrey, and all of
(40:58):
these people.
Melanie Johnson, who's also fromMississippi, who we call each
other sister cousins, who wecall each other sister cousins,
and we look alike, and I gotfamily that's in mid-group.
My dad is from Sunflower County, mississippi.
My grandma is from Greenville,mississippi.
You know, like I got people inMississippi who are still there
(41:22):
New Orleans, you know, andLouisiana.
My other grandmother is Creole.
She's from Louisiana, she'sfrom New Orleans, and so it's
like, you know, I was raised bypeople from the South and just
to be able to kind of bond withjust people from all over the
world I have a friend even inthe UK just all over the world,
(41:45):
and it's just an amazing feelingthat social media can be that
place where you can find comfortoutside of your local community
that you would never be able todo had not these apps ever been
created.
So it's not always negative.
You know, people say I don'twant to get on social media.
It's negative, it's what youmake it.
(42:07):
It's truly what you make it,and if you're pouring out love,
that's what you'll receive, youknow.
So I just I thank, I thank youfor sharing that and allowing me
also to kind of share mine aswell.
Now, we all have personalsacrifices when we're chasing
our dreams, because chasing ourdreams is not easy and it comes
(42:29):
with tough choices.
What's a personal sacrificethat you feel that you made that
still weighs on your heart, andhow has it impacted your
relationship with your lovedones?
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Well, Jacqueline, it's been great being on your
show.
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
I know.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Look when they say you're not going anywhere.
So let me just say this whatI'm about to say, almost nobody
probably listening will agreewith.
But you asked me a personalquestion and I'm going to give
you the truth and a personalanswer, okay.
So help me, jesus, all right.
So, growing up, I always wantedto have a family.
(43:19):
Now I thought, you know, I'm afaithful guy, I'm a good guy,
I'm a nerdy guy, but I'm a goodguy, and that was my thing.
I was going to get married,have a wife, have children.
I never doubted I could takecare of my family, right, okay?
So I had the suicide attempt in2020.
(43:40):
And then I thought to myselfyou know what?
Actually, I don't really want afamily.
I was looking at my family andthought this is what I'm
supposed to have, and I telleverybody this.
And you ask me a personalquestion.
I'm going to give you.
This is my truth.
(44:01):
Here I feel like this, and I'veheard this saying and,
jacqueline, for me it rings true, and that is you cannot have
everything all at once, and forme, the sacrifice has been that
I have had to make tough choices.
A lot of people don't know this.
(44:22):
I was actually engaged, and thiswas at the very beginning of my
professional career as anentrepreneur, and I never will
forget this experience Now.
I would go to her house onSunday.
She lived with her mom and hersister.
I would cook for them onSundays, we'd hang out.
But when the work startedpicking up, I started doing
(44:44):
in-person events and so I waslike you know, well, I have an
event coming up.
I would love for you to come.
You know, sometimes she'd belike you know, you know I don't
really want to go.
I said, okay, well, cool, I'llcheck in with you.
You know, after the eventSometimes she would go and I
didn't see it at the time.
I understand it better now thatI don't know what she thought
(45:08):
was going to happen at the event, that it was going to be just
us.
But it was my event.
Other people were here, right,so you have to network, right,
exactly.
So I never will forget thisconversation.
She says to me one day she sayssorry.
She says I just feel like youdon't have the time right now
for me, the time that I need,and she says I'm going to need
(45:32):
you to make a choice.
Now, one thing, anyone whoknows me will tell you, my mom,
my brother, anybody.
If you give me a choice, I'mgoing to make an honest choice.
I'm not going to do what youthink I should do.
I'm going to do what I feellike is the best thing to do.
And I said to her.
I said I totally understandthat.
(45:53):
And I said to her at that pointand I hope you find somebody
that can give you what you want.
Now let me tell you what andI'm not saying this to be petty,
I'm not saying this foranything.
I'm just answering the questionthat the host asked me.
That was it.
(46:13):
I want you to think about this.
That was in 2008.
She's still single to this day.
Now I say this to say this.
Now I say this to say this.
A lot of times, we do thingsbecause it's what people expect
(46:34):
us to do or we feel pressured todo.
What she did, honestly, wasgive me a gift, and that gift
was to realize that you knowwhat.
This may not be the path for me.
No-transcript.
There's nobody that I want tospend my life with at this point
(46:55):
, not one person.
There's nobody that I yearn for.
And I'm going to tell youanother thing I don't get lonely
.
I can't tell you the last timeI was depressed I don't think
I'm missing out on anything.
I have a very fulfilled life.
So I said that to say I do notbelieve you can have everything
(47:15):
all at once, not if you aretruly going to give it your all.
And I don't regret the choice Imade in that moment in 2008.
And every day since then Ithought to myself you know what?
I could not have made a betterchoice.
Now people look at all thestuff I do and say you do all
(47:37):
this stuff.
How do you do all this stuff?
To your point?
You make sacrifices.
You know there are things Ihave to tell people no to.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
I'm just learning that word and it feels so good
to come out when I say it, itfeels magnificent.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
It is one of my top three.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
It's an exhilarating feeling that I get when I say no
.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
It is a word of freedom and even my parents have
understood that no is acomplete sentence.
There's no, don't you think?
There's no trying to figure itout.
There's no explanation.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
Yeah, my yes to my little sister.
You know, what I love aboutwhat you just said is the fact
that you are absolutely right.
Sometimes, when people will tryto do is gaslight you, or they
will try to make you feel as iflike pressured into, like an
ultimatum, and theyautomatically think, because you
(48:36):
have a good heart and you're aChristian and you're a good
person, that you're going tojust go with whatever they say
and just you know.
Ok, all right, so I have anultimatum here to you and the
rest of the world that I'm goingto choose what I want to do,
(48:57):
because if you allow people todo that to you, it's going to
have a snowball effect.
Now, everything after that inyour life would have been well.
It's an ultimatum.
Either I get these shoes ornobody gets anything.
It's an ultimatum.
If I don't get this, then no,you know either this or this.
And it's an ultimatum.
If I don't get this, then no,you know either this or this.
(49:18):
And it's always like you givingin at some point.
So at some point in life wehave to stand our ground and
just truly do what feels rightfor us.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Yeah, I was talking to you exactly.
I was going to add the week mygrandmother died.
You know one of the things shesaid to me I'm so glad you
didn't get married.
I was going to add the week mygrandmother died.
You know one of the things shesaid to me.
I'm so glad you didn't getmarried the week she died.
That's one of the things shesaid to me.
(49:50):
She said because there would nothave been time for anybody else
, and that to me was even moretime Because it's supposed to
cling to your wife.
Speaker 3 (49:55):
Yeah, but you're supposed to cling to your wife.
Yeah, but you're supposed tocling to your wife, but it's
still supposed to be a sense offamily there, and if there's
somebody that's so self-investedthat they want to make sure
that everything revolves aroundthem and their bubble, that
seems like someone that isinsecure, someone that is
(50:16):
self-centered and does not haveyou in mind, and that would have
never worked.
That's what Dr Velma just said.
She was not the one.
I'm reading you off thecomments.
She was not the one.
Ms Queenie said for real, forreal.
And Dr Velma said you shouldn'tbe lonely.
And Earl Hall said Cyrus isstill available, ladies.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
And I did respond to that one and say a lot.
So I am taken, I am completelytaken by the life that I've
chosen.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Praise God for that.
Praise God for that.
So I appreciate you so much forthat.
Okay, so, moments of doubt, weall have those, yeah, and they
can feel real heavy.
Right, I'm going to fight oneaccident, share a vulnerable
(51:13):
time when you questioned yourpurpose, what pulled you from
that dark place and who was thatlifeline for you?
Speaker 2 (51:25):
So questioning purpose.
So I think, from honestly,after the suicide attempt at 20,
it wasn't so much a questioningpurpose for me at that point,
jacqueline, so it wasn't so mucha questioning purpose for me at
that point, jacqueline.
What it was was questioning myability to live up to it.
So I have, my business hasdefinitely evolved over the past
(51:46):
20 years.
Even over the past 10 years mybusiness has evolved.
That has taken some real, realhard work.
But I will tell you, I can tellyou the conversation, and I've
mentioned this to Earl beforeand I've shared it publicly I
was approached by Steve Harvey'sproducers to work on a project
and this was about, I guess,maybe seven years ago, and so
(52:10):
the meeting had been set up andso I'm on the phone with them
and they had already done theirresearch, they knew numbers,
they knew all of this stuff.
And this is what he said to me,jacqueline he says on paper you
have what it takes, but he saysyou're running a million-dollar
business like a mom-and-popshop.
He says you don't see why we'reeven on the phone with you and
(52:37):
we don't even know if you willever see it.
Now, for some people that mayhave broken them or made them
feel like, oh man, I was sothankful Because, honestly, they
weren't the first person totell me that Friends like Earl
and others have said that to mebefore about you're running.
You know, you're not runningthis like what it is Right and
(53:02):
it was so interesting.
I did end up working with themat that time.
But you know what happened?
Two years ago I ended upworking with them on a project.
They came back because they hadseen the ship.
They remembered you.
Yeah, I'm the person who,jacqueline, I never feel like I
know everything.
I never feel like I knoweverything.
I never feel like I can't grow.
I never feel like I can'tevolve.
But the difficulty was megetting out of my own way, and I
(53:24):
think a lot of people canrelate to that.
I did not want to be that guywho thought that he was worth
this or that or you know, or youknow was leaving people behind.
I didn't want to be that.
But what I didn't understandwas, by devaluing the gift, I
was in many ways diminishing it.
(53:45):
So it wasn't until thatconversation with people who had
no invested interest in methese weren't friends trying to
make me feel good or trying to,you know, blow my head up?
They were literally sayingyou're running a million dollar
business like a mom-and-pop shopand we don't know if you're
ready for an opportunity likethis.
They literally said that to me,and so I was so appreciative of
(54:07):
that.
And when they came back to me towork with them on the GameStar,
on the Family Feud game that'swhen I worked with them on the
Target I was like, oh mygoodness, they, they see me,
they see the change, and itwasn't a matter of anything.
But this is what we like tooffer you or you, that's what it
(54:30):
was.
And so that was it for me and,I think, for anybody tackling.
I hope they're open enough torealize that a lot not everybody
is out to break them down.
Some people are there to breakyou open, and that was a break
you open moment for me thathelped me to better understand
what I could do if I was willingto open myself up to it.
Speaker 3 (54:52):
Absolutely.
You know what.
This time last year I was kindof like in that same boat.
Everything that I do, I try todo it with excellence, right and
so.
But I do it so well that I,like my friend Mel and Dr Bell,
and a lot of people tell me Imake it look so easy, so easy,
(55:21):
and my turnaround time is barnone, right, like I could get it
to you in 20 seconds, and Iused to always.
Well, it ain't gonna take menothing but five minutes, you
don't have to give me anythingfor it.
And dr bell must stop me oneday.
And she was like you have tostop doing that, like you
literally have to stop doingthat.
What you're giving people isworth so much and you're not
charging them anything.
And if you keep doing that,you're going to keep feeling
(55:42):
like you're being used, which inall actuality, you know, I know
that I'm supposed to be usedand I would just take it as
someone.
You know, I'm just someone, I'mjust so.
But no, it's time for you toreap.
And I remember I got my firstcontract to speak um at uh,
(56:02):
actually at the, thetransitional living facility at
the DCFS agency that Iemancipated from, and the CEO,
her name is Malia Arnett, andChildLink Shout out good plug,
number one agency in Illinois.
I was with them since I was 13years old I emancipated at 21.
(56:23):
She took me under her wing, youknow, allowed me to be her
assistant, her office assistant,and within a year I moved up to
executive assistant to her andto the ED, to executive director
.
So I sat in board meetings, Iattended these meetings, I did
the grant writing, I dideverything.
They taught me everything,right.
(56:44):
So when it became time for me towant to go back to speak and to
do a summit with the girls atthe program, she said, well, how
much are you charging?
And I said I'm not charginganything.
She said, well, call me backwhen you have a contract gram.
She said, well, how much areyou charging?
And that's why I'm not charginganything.
She said, well, call me backwhen you have a contract.
So I was like what, okay?
So then, of course, you know, Idone looked up, I didn't get
(57:05):
the contract.
Boom, bam, okay.
So I put down.
I'm gonna tell you what I putdown.
I put down 1500.
Right, I'm like this is awesome, I'm gonna make 1500, bam.
All I gotta do is go there forfour hours and speak and make
1500.
I thought I was like, okay,this is it.
She said the budget for aspeaker is 5000.
She said, make this editable.
(57:27):
So I made it edible.
She.
She paid me five thousanddollars to do a four hour
speaking, engagement andworkshop with the girls there.
But also outside of that shebought 25 books for me to sign.
And so it's like you may not seeyour worth but other people do.
(57:50):
And even with me pivoting mybusiness now to brand
strategizing and marketing, Istill didn't see my worth until
I had a conversation with one ofthe people that I partner with
now, dr Janelle, and she waslike I just paid somebody $6,000
(58:15):
for the same thing that you'recharging twenty one hundred for,
so I'm just going to pay yousix thousand.
So we limit ourselves and welimit our worth because we're
scared that if we price too highthat we won't get the people or
we won't get the clientele.
(58:36):
But I'm a firm believer nowtoday that if you cannot afford
it then you're not my client andthat's okay and that's totally
fine.
But I just refuse to lower whatI charge or lower my worth,
(58:59):
because a lot of times when youprice.
That crab in a bucket.
That's what you receive, andusually the people with all the
problems and the headaches arethe crabs in the bucket.
It's never the people who willpay.
What you're worth that's goingto give you the most problem
will pay what you're worth.
(59:19):
That's going to give you themost problem.
So always, always, value yourgifts, because the your
inheritance from god is the giftthat he give you.
That is your inheritance.
People like, oh, I'm gonna getall these riches and god, he
promised me that.
Yeah, he promised it to you.
It's inside of you.
He already gave you everythingyou need.
All you have to do is believeit, receive it and then
(59:42):
replenish it and sow it into theearth and it's going to come
back to you.
It's going to come back to youthrough the work that you give,
because what they say, a manthat don't work, he don't eat.
So obviously, the things thatyou put out into the universe,
the gift that God give you, hewill supply all your needs
through those gifts.
So that's why I don't care if Idon't know something, cyrus,
(01:00:06):
and nobody wants to help me.
Guess what?
I'm going to go out, I'm goingto figure out how to do it, and
then I'm going to do it toexcellence, and then I'll put a
price tag on it.
Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Right, exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
I'll put a price tag on it and I'm going to say thank
you.
Thank you Because I could havehired you to do this, or I asked
you to do it, or I asked youfor help and you were so caught
up in who you are and who youdon't want me to be that you
tried to block that blessing.
But I have that sense of likeyou said, I'm always willing to
(01:00:45):
learn.
I'm always my mind is alwaysopen and optimistic and I'm
willing to listen and I'mwilling to learn from people
with wisdom.
Key word, cyrus there is wisdom.
Right Is wisdom Because we gota lot of times.
(01:01:05):
We love and respect peoplebecause they're older, because
they've been through so manythings.
Right, we want to listen tothem and what they have to say.
Right, because they're older,we feel like they've been here
long enough.
They should know Well me, myperspective, and correct me if
I'm wrong.
I look at it from all angles.
(01:01:27):
Right, a whole 18360.
Right, how were you growing up?
Versus how are you right now?
How is your heart right now?
The things that you've done inyour life, where has it gotten
(01:01:47):
you?
Okay, are you telling me not togo the path you went, or am I
listening to a toxic person,right, who is not in a place
where they should be.
They're trying to counsel me togo down that same path Because
that's not going to happen,right?
So I'm going to listen, but Ialso listen and I discern, and I
listen for the wisdom of what'sbeing told to me, and if it
(01:02:10):
sounds like it's something thatGod would do, you know what I'm
saying.
If it sounds like the word,then I'm with it, but if it
sounds like some mess, count meout.
I don't care if you, 80 yearsold, giving me this advice.
If it's the wrong advice, god,I am a child of God and he's
going to let me know.
Mm-mm, mm-mm, you want your God?
(01:02:33):
I'm like Willy Wonka I need myticket.
Okay, I want to be at the gate.
I want to get in the gate withmy ticket and I got tunnel
vision.
Yeah, tunnel vision.
And that leads me to the nextthing, about inspiration from
others.
Okay, so we already talkedabout your grandma, right, and
(01:02:57):
the fact that you lost yourgrandma, and she was someone who
, uh, inspires you and who stillinspires you.
Um, thinking about lessonstoday, right?
Um, and and things that she mayhave taught you other than what
we've talked about already.
What lessons did she teach youthat keeps you guided today?
That keeps you focused?
Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
you know, I think one of the biggest ones is it took
me a while to actually believeand that was, uh, my infinite
possibilities.
You know, I remember growing,growing up and her telling me
Cyrus, you know, if you applyyourself, you can do anything.
And I, you know, I think, Ithink at the time I thought well
(01:03:45):
, everybody says that.
You know, whether it's true ornot, Excess material yeah.
So I thought I said anything andshe said anything.
She said if you work hard, youcan do anything, and you know
(01:04:06):
what she's right Now.
The caveat to that is it maynot happen in the timeframe that
you want it to, it may not evenhappen in the way you envision
it, but that anything is noteven really about you.
It could be anything that couldbe a benefit and service to
others, and I think that's whatI've I've really stayed with for
myself is to realize that thatthings take time.
(01:04:27):
I look at Joseph.
You know Joseph had that dreamabout what he would become, but
that was not something thathappened overnight.
He had to go through things.
He, that was not something thathappened overnight.
He had to go through things.
He was betrayed, he was lied on, but it happened and he never
let go of that.
And I think that's the bigthing for me, that I've been
(01:04:49):
kind of thinking for myself isthat things take time and you
have to really you know someonein my circle says a lot to trust
the process, and I think thatis so true.
You have to really.
You know someone in my circlesays a lot to trust the process,
and I think that is so true,you have to be willing to trust
the process and not give up onthe thing that's been given to
you.
Speaker 3 (01:05:04):
Absolutely, absolutely.
I can agree with that as well.
A lot of times we have tobelieve that in order to receive
the blessing, we have to be theblessing.
In order to be the blessing, wehave to believe in ourselves
and believe in god more.
Um, so, absolutely now.
Art, art, art.
(01:05:25):
You know I'm gonna touch oneverything.
So you are an artist andthere's a healing power in art,
and I saw your work.
You're phenomenal.
Um, can you describe a piece ofyour work that came straight
from a place of pain or loss,and what does that piece mean to
you deep down?
Speaker 2 (01:05:46):
yeah, I love this and the.
That's an easy answer.
The real me is the piece.
I did it.
That's my last suicide attemptand it's a picture of me
picturing myself as a boy with asingle tear running down his
face.
And when I did that piece, I'msure for people who were so used
(01:06:07):
to seeing me always smiling andthat seemed odd.
But then when they found out,because a lot of people of
course didn't know about whathappened to me, I didn't tell
them about it.
And you know, when I first backfrom new york to mississippi,
but when I started sharing thatto me became not only part of my
testimony but also part of myhealing, of my freedom.
And I use it actually again asI use my platform, and I love
(01:06:31):
the fact you said the healingcomes through it, because I
think, especially for youngpeople, young men, when I go to
schools I let them know look,it's okay to not feel okay, it's
okay to you know to to feel thethings you feel.
The thing is to realize thatthat doesn't have to be the end
of your story and I think youknow it doesn't mean every day
(01:06:52):
is going to be great.
You know I am, you know what Iconsider a very happy person.
I'm a person who is veryblessed.
But my family has had somechallenges and of course that's
going to impact me.
My mother had some healthchallenges this year.
My brother had some healthchallenges this year.
You know, and you know we'vehad I think seven deaths in our
(01:07:15):
family this year.
You know, and just had knowwe've had I think seven deaths
in our family this year, youknow, and just had lost a cousin
last week.
So of course there will bethings that will weigh you down.
But I tell people, giveyourself time to acknowledge
that, acknowledge it, to be ableto take the time you need away.
You don't feel like you have torun away from it, but also
(01:07:36):
realize you don't have to staystuck there, that joy really can
come in the morning and that'sone of the big things that,
especially after my grandmotherdied, that I really embraced I
think that's wonderful,absolutely wonderful.
Speaker 3 (01:07:51):
Now, what heartfelt message do you want to leave for
the next generation of creatorsand how can they chase their
dreams while honoring thesacrifices of those who came
before them?
Speaker 2 (01:08:06):
I could not say it any better than my grandmother,
jacqueline anything is possibleif you want to do the work and I
will say this too if you'rewilling to have the faith and
patience as well.
I think that's the big thing.
I think you know anything.
You know we've all heard thatsaying, and I will say this too
if you're willing to have thefaith and patience as well, I
think that's the big thing.
I think you know anything.
(01:08:26):
You know we've all heard thatsaying that anything worth
having is worth waiting for,right.
I mean, that is so true.
And I think in the world we livein today which is really a
catch-22, we live in such afast-paced world that we expect
everything to happen now, wewant everything to happen
overnight, and if it doesn't,then we let go of it.
Well, for me, people who dothat, they're not actually
passionate about it, they're notactually people who are devoted
to it.
If you're willing to dosomething that you truly are
(01:08:48):
passionate about, you're willingto take the time that is
necessary, you know, you'rewilling to learn the things you
need to learn, you're willing togrow, you're willing to learn
from the setbacks and to keepmoving forward.
And I think, for people whowant to do that.
Not only will they be able tohonor those who came before them
, they'll be able to be aninspiration to other people too
(01:09:10):
absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:09:10):
Now, this is the part of the segment um that, if you
noticed, I never read your bio,right, because with with my show
, I don't read the bios, becausethe bios is kind of like a
cloud of things, right, right,and I want people to really get
(01:09:34):
to know you as a person, you aswho you are, because with this
show, I just feel like ComEd isa bill that comes to me every
month, right, but I'm nothingbut that number to them.
They don't know Jack, well,they don't know Marvis Cox,
because that's a name to be only, but they don't know.
They don't know him, right, tobe only, but they don't know.
(01:09:59):
They don't know him right, butif they took the time to talk to
them, to ask them thosequestions, right, then they will
get to know the person behindthe number.
So I wanted the the audience toget to know the person behind
the number.
But now I'm going to read yourmini bio and you tell me, after
having this conversation with me, what's one more thing you
would add to it.
(01:10:20):
Okay, so I'm going to read itto you.
Cyrus Ripp is a mediapersonality.
Editor in chief ofConversations Magazine, author,
social media influencer, brandstrategist, publicist and top
100 Amazoncom reviewer Since2003, he has built the
(01:10:40):
Conversations brand into aninternationally recognized force
that not just shares thestories of others but is making
a difference in the way thatpeople see themselves and what
is possible.
Over two decades, webb has beengrowing his brand, celebrating
20 years as the host ofConversations Live radio show,
(01:11:03):
interviewing over 12,000 guests,and 18 years as a leader of
Conversations magazine.
Additionally, webb has alsobeen expanding his relationship
with Amazon, producing contentfor the platform, including
being an on-air personality forAmazon Live.
He is also the author of theinspirational books Power your
(01:11:28):
Life with the Positive and thewords.
I Choose to Live by, the poetrybook my Journey in Heiku, as
well as the business bookMinding your Business, all
available on Amazoncom.
For more information, contactCyrus Webb at wwwcyruswebbcom.
(01:11:50):
Give me one adjective thatwould describe you and then I
will give you one.
Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
Determined.
Speaker 3 (01:12:03):
Trailblazer.
Oh, I like that one Trailblazer.
You are an impact to so manypeople, as well as myself.
I've only been in thepodcasting game probably about a
year, okay, and you have suchan impact, positive impact, on
(01:12:29):
so many people, cyrus, and youare truly, truly, truly
deserving of every blessing thatGod has for you, truly, truly
deserving of every blessing thatgod has for you, and I'm so
glad that all three of yourattempts you failed miserably.
God bless, yeah, god bless that.
And you just, you know I don'thave to tell you to keep going,
(01:12:49):
because you're gonna do itanyway, but keep going.
Of course you ain't gonnalisten to me who am I?
But I just, you know, I'vealways told you that I have
great respect for you.
Just keep going, man.
You are so awesome and I'm so,so blessed to have you to grace
not just grace my platform, butalso share some things that I
(01:13:13):
have had exclusive access tobecause I asked the right
questions.
Speaker 2 (01:13:17):
All right, well, look .
Thank you again, jacqueline,for the invite.
Really appreciate it, andcongratulations to you on what
you're building with yourplatform as well.
I mean, and as you said, I feelthe same way about you.
You're definitely making animpact, you're making a
difference, and I think you'reshowing other people what's
possible, and I think that's thebig thing for all of us.
Thank, I think you're showingother people what's possible and
(01:13:38):
I think that's the big thingfor all of us.
Speaker 3 (01:13:38):
Thank you so much, and now I'm going to conclude
with prayer, and then we'regoing to go out with Mariah
Carey Make it Through the Rain.
Heavenly Father, we just wantto take a moment to thank you
for this beautiful opportunityto share with such a powerful,
powerful, powerful conversation.
We're grateful for the insightsand stories that have touched
(01:14:01):
our hearts today and, as we wrapthis up, may your peace be
filled.
May your peace fill the heartsof everyone who's listened and
those who will listen to thisshow.
Let those messages of love andresilience really just sink in.
Lord God, guide us as we moveforward, helping us take these
(01:14:24):
lessons out into the world.
Speaker 2 (01:14:26):
Amen.
Thank you, tessa, I appreciateit.
Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
No problem, and we're going to end right now with,
through the Rain, everybody.
It's been a pleasure.
You guys have a great,wonderful rest of your day.
Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
Thank you when you get caught in the rain With
nowhere to run.
When you're distraught and inpain, without anyone, when you
keep crying out to be saved butnobody comes, and you feel so
(01:15:30):
far away that you just can'tfind your way home.
You can get there alone, it'sokay, won't you say, yes, I can
(01:15:53):
make it through the rain, I canstand up once again on my own,
and I know that I'm strongenough to mend.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tight to my fate and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
(01:16:23):
And if you keep falling down,don't you dare give in.
(01:16:46):
You will arise safe and sound.
So keep pressing on, step bystep, and you'll find what you
(01:17:06):
need to breathe in what you sayI can make it through the rain,
I can stand up once again on myown, and I know that I'm strong
enough to mend.
(01:17:26):
And every time I feel free, Ihold tight to my faith and I'll
(01:17:49):
live one more day Bye.
There's nothing you can't face.
And should they tell you,you'll never pull through.
Don't hesitate, stand tall andsay, yeah, yeah, I can make it
(01:18:14):
to the right.
I can stand up once again On myown, and I know that I'm strong
(01:18:34):
enough to match.
And every time I feel afraidI'm all tied into my faith and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
I can make it through the rainand then I won't forget.
(01:18:56):
I can make it through the rainand send the ones back out.
And I have one more day I canmake it.
When you get caught in the rain With nowhere to run,
when you're distraught and inpain Without anyone, when you
keep crying out to be saved butnobody comes, when you keep
crying out to be saved butnobody comes and you feel so far
(00:51):
away that you just can't findyour way home, you can get there
alone, it's okay.
Won't you say, yes, I can makeit through the rain, I can stand
(01:22):
up once again on my own, and Iknow that I'm strong enough to
mend.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tight to my faith and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
And if you keep falling down,don't you dare give in.
(02:06):
You will arise safe and sound.
So keep pressing on, step bystep, and you'll find what you
need to breathe in what you sayI can make it through the rain,
(02:35):
I can stand up once again On myown, and I know that I'm strong
enough to mend.
And every time I feel free, Ihold tight to my faith and I
(02:55):
live one more day and I'll makeit through the rain.
And when the rain blows andshadows grow close, thank you,
you'll never pull through.
(03:20):
Don't have to say.
Stand tall and say, yeah, yeah,I can make it through the rain.
(03:43):
I can stand up once again on myown and I know that I'm strong
enough to last.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tighter to my faith.
(04:05):
I can make it through the rainand send the woods again and I
live one more day and night.
I can make it through the rain.
(04:28):
Oh, yeah, she can.
You'll make it through the rain.
You're broken down and tired Ofliving life on the
(05:07):
merry-go-round and you can'tfind a fighter.
But I see it in you.
So we can walk it out.
Ooh, mountains, we can walk itout.
(05:30):
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again.
And I'll rise up.
I like the waves.
(05:52):
I'll rise up In spite of theache.
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again For you,
for you, for you, for you.
(06:17):
The silence isn't white and itfeels like it's getting hard to
breathe and I know you feel likedying.
But I promise we'll take theworld to its feet.
(06:38):
Ooh, I won't take it to its feet.
I won't dance and I'll rise up.
I'll rise like the day.
I'll rise up.
(06:59):
I'll rise unafraid.
I'll rise up and I'll do it athousand times again For you,
for you, for you, for you.
(07:28):
All we need, all we need, ishope, and for that we have each
other, and for that we have eachother, and we will rise, we
(07:48):
will rise, we will rise, we willrise, we will rise, oh, we will
rise.
I'll rise up, rise like the day.
I'll rise up in spite of theday.
I rise up In spite of the ache.
I will rise a thousand timesagain and we'll rise up High
(08:18):
like the waves.
We'll rise up In spite of theache.
We'll rise up and we'll do it athousand times again.
For you, for you, for you, foryou, you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Hello, hello, hello.
That was Miss Andra Day andMariah Carey with Rise Up and
Make it Through the Rain.
(09:20):
We are still waiting on theanticipated guest.
You guys know, sometimesstation here can just really be,
you know, difficult if you'renew to the platform, and that is
okay.
So while we are waiting, I wantto say I apologize, thank you
(09:47):
All right now.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I apologize, cyrus, if you can hear me.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I almost had to meet Anita singing to you.
Now how you doing.
Hit your icon and you can comeoff of mute.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
All right, jacqueline .
Thank you so much for having meReally appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Thank you, thank you and, just like Miss anita said,
I apologize now I apologize forevidently trying to log in.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I was like I thought I was in already on spotify, but
look, I'm so glad I make it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Thanks again for the invite oh no, no problem, no
problem at all.
I I am so, so glad and for youguys.
You guys know this is the firsttime in Listen Linda history
that a male has been a guest onthis platform.
Uh-oh, I am turning over a newleaf.
I only allow women on myplatform.
(11:18):
I only allow myself to do mystuff, but I am bringing down
the walls.
You guys Ain't y'all proud ofme?
All right, all right.
So cyrus is making historytoday as the first male other
than mr cox and my boy to evergrace the listen linda platform.
(11:39):
So welcome mr cyrus cox.
I mean look, oh lord, I'm gonnahave some trouble when I get
off of here.
Welcome Mr Cyrus Cox.
I mean look, ooh Lord, uh-oh,I'm going to have some trouble
when I get off of here.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Look, hey, look, I'm like man.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
did I miss something?
We're about to go into prayerright now.
All right God, all right, allright, god.
As we step into this momenttogether, we're asking for your
presence to guide us.
Lord, god, help us speak fromthe heart, with realness and
compassion, as we connect withCyrus and just dive into his
journey.
(12:14):
Let us listen deeply, shareemotions that resonate, with
everyone tuning in, and may thisconversation be lit with your
light, bringing hope andinspiration to all who hear it.
Amen, amen, all right, allright.
So we're just gonna jump rightinto it.
All right, cyrus, because allright, we're just gonna get real
(12:36):
, because I know they canprobably prep you.
You got a whole team that'sbeen on my show, so I I know
they impressed you Like look you, finna, get ready and go in the
hot seat.
She finna try to get you andthey was right.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Hey, it's my pleasure .
It's my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Yes, yes, yes.
So let's get real.
Can you take us back to amoment in your journey when you
felt like you were totallybroken, Like what did that teach
you about resilience and howdid it shift your whole outlook
on life?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Wow, that's a great first question, jacqueline.
You know, and I can't, and itdoesn't even take much thought I
was 20 years old, living in NewYork, and just survived my
third suicide attempt, and Iremember being in the hospital,
and I was living in New York bymyself, so I had no family there
.
All my family was still in theSouth.
And so I remember waking up andalmost hearing God say to me
(13:37):
how dare you try to take whatyou can't give?
And I realized then that I waslooking at my life in a totally
distorted way.
I was so focused on what Ididn't think I could give
instead of thinking about whatGod could do through me.
And when I started making thatshift at 20, everything that has
(14:02):
happened in my life since thenhas basically been revealed to
me as God's plan, and so I can Italk about that.
But I think it's one thingthat's important for especially
us guys to admit that, yes, wecan be broken.
And I should say too my, whatled me to my suicide attempts
had nothing to do with abuse,had nothing to do with bullying,
(14:25):
had nothing to do with neglect.
I literally did not feel worthy.
I did not feel like I was aperson of worth.
I felt like people were lyingto me when they said I was smart
, that I was gifted.
I did not see the gifts orappreciate the gifts that God
had given me up until that pointand again because I was
(14:46):
thinking about it from myperspective and then, when I
realized my gifts were not evenfor me, jacqueline, that is
literally what shifted my entirelife and the way I've lived
ever since.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Oh, my goodness, Well we done.
Kicked it off y'all because heshowed he came in guns blazing,
praise the Lord, and I just youknow that's right.
Dr Velma, I truly appreciateyour transparency, and you know
(15:20):
if you've read most of myliterature and so you can kind
of know that we kind of relatein that area.
I've also survived suicideattempt, but mine was while I
was pregnant with my first child, and so I took a bunch of pills
(15:41):
heart pills, all type of pillsand they had to pump my stomach
out and luckily, you know, Isurvived that and that was also
a pivot in my life.
That said, you know what yougot so much to live for.
You know God has a plan foryour life, and who do you think
(16:02):
you are to just come in and saywhat you're going to do?
Like I tell my kids I havedominion over you, and I guess
god was telling me.
Like I have dominion over you,how dare you right right, look,
go somewhere and set out youain't going nowhere till I tell
you you're going.
So yeah, I appreciate, I prayand I thank God for keeping you
(16:25):
here, because look at themillions of lives you've changed
in just a short period of time.
So I thank God for keeping youhere.
Okay, honey, like we all know,words can heal or hurt.
Can you recall a time whensomeone's words have pulled you
(16:47):
up from your darkest days, like,how did that moment change how
you see the power of connection?
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, you know, there's been.
Honestly, I've had severalincidents in my life that have
led me to that point.
But I have to tell you one ofthe biggest ones, and it's a
slogan that has lived forever inmy head, ever since Jacqueline,
and I can even tell you theyear it was 2006.
And a friend of mine, locallyin Mississippi you know I've
(17:16):
always been a person who Ididn't care what people had to
say about me or what I did, orhe thinks he's so much, or he
thinks he can do this.
Do this Because, again, at thispoint, by the time it's
surviving three, two or threeattempts.
Look, I know, I'm here, I'mdoing what I'm supposed to be
doing.
You may not see it, it may notbe for you, that's fine, but
this is what I'm supposed to bedoing.
And a friend of mine her name isStephanie Mitchell, jacqueline,
(17:38):
and she's living today.
She's having her own challenges, health wise.
(17:59):
But she said to me in 2006, shesaid Cyrus, she said they just
don't see it.
She said they have placed theselimitations on themselves.
And then she said these words,said you need to put that on the
shirt, not me, because you werethe one who said it.
You know what I'm saying.
That is something you need toput on the shirt, because those
words, when you limit your mind,you limit yourself.
That goes to not only whatyou've been called to do by God.
That goes to not only when itcomes to what you can do in your
family.
What you can do you know withyourself.
(18:21):
You know, I think when yourealize that with the moment you
put a ceiling on it, you'rebasically blocking the blessings
of God.
Amen.
And for me, when she said that,it's like, oh, my goodness,
that is a big thing.
So that again has stood with me, because when something happens
(18:42):
, always keep in mind, when youlimit your mind, you limit
yourself, and that's what'shelped me not to put ceilings or
caps on the blessings or thethings I know God has for me.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Well, I can attest to that.
I remember, probably about ayear and a half ago, when I kind
of broke out and just started,you know, like you know what,
I'm tired of playing background,I'm tired of playing Milli
Vanilli.
Like my husband, you know, hesaw all the work that I was
doing, like behind the scenes,right, and he's like why do you
(19:14):
do that?
Why do you allow people to justdo that to you?
And I was like do what.
He was like you call it helping, but you're doing everything.
He was like you are phenomenal,like your talent is limitless,
like you're.
Like he was like a bottomlesspit, like a bottomless well, and
you don't understand how manygifts that you have.
(19:39):
And he was like you.
You basically what he wastelling told me, said change
your mind, change your life.
Once you change your mindset,your whole life will change.
And I I never thought about itthat way, because I'm just
always, just naturally, a giverright, and it started out as
(20:00):
being what dr velma would call apeople pleaser right, and just
it's just always wanting toplease everybody, always wanting
to please everybody.
Because I was, you know, ofcourse, you know I'm a product
of the foster care system, so Ialways wanted to make sure that
I pleased whoever I was aroundso they would keep me around.
(20:24):
That's the feeling of beingunwanted or unneeded, or feeling
like you know, I don't belong,I don't fit in.
Well, god told me one day, likeyou know what, you're not meant
to fit in.
That's why you're the blacksheep.
You're not meant to fit in,you're meant to stand out
because what I have for you isso much greater.
If you just allow people to seethe things that I'm doing in
(20:50):
your life, then they will knowthat there is a God, because
only God is able to do thesethings for you.
I can't do anything by myself,cyrus.
You can't do anything byyourself, and so that is the
reason people will, like you,say, oh, he thinks he did.
I get that a lot, cyrus.
You can't do anything byyourself, and so that is the
reason people will, like you,say, oh, he thinks he's this.
I get that a lot too.
Oh, she thinks she's this, Iabsolutely do.
(21:12):
I remember I was on the bus theother day and someone told this
guy who do you think you don'teven know who you are?
And he said I do know who I am.
And he said what are you?
He said the s and it took me tothe moon.
(21:35):
Because I'm like that is me, I,that's what I think.
I, yes, absolutely the, becausehow you, of course, I do, and
when people don't feel thatabout themselves, they, they try
to project that onto you andthat's not your problem.
And so, yes, thank you so muchfor that.
(22:11):
In who's tuning in?
Who will tune into the replay?
Please take note of that.
Is is 100 to.
To be 100 confident in yourself, that's not being braggadocious
, that is confidence.
And a lot of times the enemywill try to come and they will
try to make you feel guilty forbeing confident, because that is
something that they lack.
So let's stop practicing thatminimizing who you are,
(22:34):
compartmentalizing yourself forbeing great, because God, he
does not make any mistakes andhe is of excellence and royalty.
And if you are his child, likeI know and like Cyrus know, you
are his child.
You are of royalty andexcellence.
You inherited that from thefather and never let nobody make
you feel less than that.
(22:54):
And on that note, I got anotherquestion for you Because I
caught with the questions.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
All right.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Now I've been tuning in to your shows a lot,
especially with Dr V, becauseyou know, when y'all two get
together y'all are like y'allneed, like TV gold, like TV gold
.
It's just so funny, it'sentertaining, but it's also very
intellectual conversations.
(23:21):
You know it's a lot of wisdomthat comes from you.
Know, just you two collabing,and I learn a lot every time I
listen to you guys, but everytime, like I remember you saying
how close you were with yourmom, and so let's talk about
your mom Like what's onesacrifice that she made for you
that still gets you emotional,like how has her strength been
(23:44):
the fire that pushed you throughyour own challenges in life?
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
My mom and I, and my dad aswell, but definitely my mom, I
think you know I and Jacquelineyou can relate to this and
probably a lot of your listenerscan too.
The path I take makesabsolutely no sense to my family
.
What I've been able to do makesabsolutely no sense to them.
(24:10):
When I first started this in2003, they had, you have to
think, no one in my family hadever been on television, no one
had been on radio, no one hadwritten a book, no one had done
all this traveling.
And who do you work for?
You know, those are thequestions I would get up in the
(24:31):
morning and I would literally mygrandmother, who I got a chance
to be her caregiver until shedied in 2014.
I remember, before thingskicked off, she I would be here
working and I would hear hersometimes say, well, he didn't
go anywhere.
Today I don't know what he'sdoing.
It's not real.
I mean because the world welive in is so different than the
world they knew For them, for aman to work, you got up, you
got dressed and you punched theclock for somebody else the
(24:53):
whole idea of entrepreneurship.
So for my mom, growing up, Iused to say I wanted to be an
author.
This was me as a child.
I wanted to be an author.
I wanted to be an illustrator,a drawer, an artist.
And she would always say, okay,but in her mind, like what are
you going to do for a job?
You know what I'm saying.
(25:15):
And so I'm like no, that's thejob I want.
She's like well, no, I hearartists don't make it to their
dead, and so that means youwon't actually, so what are you
gonna do?
So when she saw that wasn'tgoing anywhere, she would give
get me.
I mean, I was the first one inmy neighborhood, jack, when we
had a computer, and these arethe little slim computers like
(25:36):
we have today.
These are the.
I know both.
He was.
You know that he's the app, yeah, and then we have dial up.
So there was that.
But she would sacrifice to getme art books and to get me
things because she I guess sheeven then saw it saw that.
(25:58):
Okay, if he's saying this iswhat he wants to do, I'm going
to do my part to support it.
Now, we were not people of means, we were not people who could
afford.
You know, we were literallypaycheck to paycheck.
A family that's paycheck topaycheck.
My mom worked, my dad worked,you know, but they were.
I think, about the sacrificesshe made as far as time, I mean,
(26:18):
she worked at, he worked in thedaytime, she worked in the
daytime, he worked at night.
So there were.
You know we didn't really sitdown together as a family, but
we knew we were loved from thesacrifices.
So I think about that and whatI'm able to do for them today,
when my dad retired and helpinghim out and both of my parents
are living close and beingmindful even though I do have to
(26:41):
travel for work and stuff beingmindful of their needs.
So I think about that sacrificeand the example of hard work.
They said, even though we'reworking totally different, the
idea of hard work.
And I tell them, I said I wouldnot be who I am.
I don't believe without thatexample Because they showed me,
and I think it's the only way Ithink about a lot of things but,
(27:02):
especially when it comes tohard work, you have to make
sacrifices, right.
Absolutely Nothing's going tocome easy, and I've always known
but especially when it comes tohard work, that you have to
make sacrifices, right.
Absolutely nothing going tocome easy, and I've always known
that I've never expected anyoneto give me anything, because my
parents didn't expect anyone togive them anything, you know,
and so I think that has been thebiggest thing and the biggest
gift, because it's a lesson Icontinue to learn from
(27:23):
absolutely.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It's like train train your child up in a way they
should go and they will neverpart from it.
And absolutely, I'm a hundredpercent.
Anybody who know me, who see me, who know me in the street, who
know, who know anything aboutme the way I ride for my boys is
second to none, I think in theuniverse.
(27:46):
I think, if I'm gonna be an art,the light.
Whatever they want to do, theywant to do karate oh, we signing
them up.
The dukes want to play thepiano we bought a piano.
Jay wants to do the guitar wegot the guitar with the bass.
Jay wanna do debate we gotdebate.
Jay wanted a clothing line weit.
Everything that these kids wantto do oh, they want to write a
(28:10):
book.
Cool, we're going to write thebook.
You know, we're going to getthis.
You know, mom, you're abestseller.
I wish I could do that.
Okay, no problem, I'll run yourbestseller campaign.
Whatever it is that my kids wantto do, they are 100% want to do
(28:32):
, they are 100 able to do.
And I really, truly just haveto give props, like you said, to
my husband, because my husbandgets up every day.
He makes sure the kids get toschool, because he know I have
health challenges myself a lotof times.
I'm bear ridden and I can't um,but he gets up, he makes sure
my kids get to school, he works,he works out, he comes home, he
makes sure I had my medicineand I ain't fluke, because, you
know, sometimes I don't feellike taking, but he'll make sure
(28:54):
I took it, I ate it.
Just he makes sure that home iswell, taken care of, the bills,
everything, and all he wants meto do is just do what makes me
happy and I just thank Godbecause I didn't always have
that.
I was a single mom for fouryears with my oldest son before
(29:20):
me, and my husband got marriedand I worked three jobs.
I remember walking.
I dropped Jayden off at schoolon the bus and I had to walk the
rest of the way because Ididn't have bus fare and a snow
blizzard, a mile and a half toget to work, to work with people
with disabilities, until 11 atnight and my husband was a good
(29:44):
friend of mine at the time,would pick me up from school, go
take me to my foster mom'shouse to pick up my son, and
that continued for about a yearand a half.
And so the sacrifices that momsmake for their children, but
also the sacrifices that the dadmakes to make sure that the mom
(30:05):
is good, to make sure good dadsand good moms.
And I just you know Iappreciate your mom, especially
because I'm a mom, a real mom,that I don't care if somebody is
going to.
I've had offers.
Cyrus, you will not believe.
Hey, you can make 5 000 if youtravel to this state.
They're looking for this personto come speak or they're
(30:27):
looking for this person to be akeynote.
If my kid got a basketball game, or my kid got something going
on at home or he's sick, or myhusband got something that he
can't break away from, if theycan't come with me, or I have to
miss something, it wasn't meantfor me, because my kids going
(30:47):
to always trump whatever isgoing on in the universe to me.
You know, and so I see thatthat's how your mom was.
So I just kudos, kudos to you,mrs Webb.
You know you got it on lock.
I appreciate that.
Um, now, um, as far as likeinfluence in the community,
community, your community hasbeen there for you.
(31:10):
As far as, like your, not justprobably your village around you
at home in Mississippi, butalso your virtual community.
No doubt, no doubt, can youshare a heartfelt story about a
time that they rallied aroundyou during a tough moment.
(31:33):
How did that love remind you ofthe power of your connection
with them and their love andtheir connection with you?
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Yeah, that would definitely have to be going back
to May of 2014, which is, Imean, as an adult, after my
suicide attempt, was probablythe most difficult time of my
life, and that was the death ofmy grandmother, someone who gave
me my first haircut.
I moved back to Brandon,mississippi, where I currently
(32:05):
live, to take care of her aftershe was put on dialysis, and so
you know, they told her at thetime, you know, she probably
would not live three years.
She lived nine years ondialysis, died at the age of 91
in 2014.
But we had a very specialrelationship.
I'm an interesting person,jacqueline, in that, because of
(32:29):
my schedule, if it was up to melike living the life I live now,
I would not eat three meals aday.
Well, I don't eat three meals aday.
I'm not a person who, you know,I was not as focused on other
people except when it came toher, so when my schedule was the
most flexible.
(32:50):
So when they told me what wasgoing on, I said, well, I'll
move back to Brandon, I can bethere, I can take her to Dallas
on Mondays, wednesdays andFridays.
I can cook her three meals aday.
I can check her blood sugar andgive her insulin shots.
It was a privilege for me to dothat.
It was a privilege for me to dothat.
That's how I looked at it,because I moved in with her when
I was a teenager because shewas living by herself.
(33:12):
Her children, which now all ofthem are gone, except for my mom
, so she's buried all of herchildren and so it's not stuff
for my mom who's still living,and so it's my privilege to be
able to do that.
But when she that last year 2014, was very difficult.
It was for me professionallywas a high point.
(33:33):
Personally it was a disaster.
I got my first book deal thatyear at the beginning of the
year.
She started having heart issuesat the beginning of the year,
so we were back and forth to thehospital, which had not
happened at the beginning of theyear.
So we were back and forth tothe hospital, which had not
happened, and so I did not postabout it initially on social
(33:55):
Jacqueline only because I wastrying to stay focused and I was
building a business.
I did not, but people were usedto seeing my grandmother with
the magazine.
She was a reader like me, so Iwould take pictures of her with
the magazine and those kinds ofthings and leave them to house
it out at the grocery store orwhatever.
So when May came around and itwas obvious that we were coming
(34:18):
to the end, I didn't know whatto do, and so that last week she
died and that day she died Iwent on Facebook and I told them
.
I said, because I was trying toprocess it myself, but I knew
that my community, to your point, would understand, because all
(34:41):
of us go through loss, all of usgo through challenges, and this
has been the biggest thing thatliterally had ever happened to
me.
So, you know, I went on to talkabout her and the outpouring of
support and love that I got wasamazing.
I mean, authors were sharingpictures because she would read
(35:02):
some of the books of the authors.
I would be interviewing withJacqueline, and so they were
sharing and I would takepictures of her with.
They were sharing the pictures,and so I had those moments to
smile about, you know, and thosekinds of things, and so that
really kind of sealed thecommunity for me in 2014,.
That it was bigger than justprofessional, because I always
(35:24):
joke with people.
I don't have a personal life.
That really became morereinforced after she passed.
Passed because she was theclosest I had to Normacy,
because you know, like I said,cooking and and doing things,
you know I I that was notsomething I typically do today.
You know it's not something Ido like that.
So I think that that really wasa moment for me in 2014, and it
(35:48):
has continued.
So I do share things with mymom.
My family does not.
They are not social mediapeople, so I'm very respectful
of that.
None of them are on social.
So I share pictures, mostlywith my mom and with my nephew,
but I don't include a lot ofthem mostly with my mom and with
my nephew, but I don't includea lot of them.
(36:08):
My dad people literally justsaw him, I think, this year,
because he's not big on picturesand that kind of thing.
But yeah, 2014 was really thatbig moment when I really felt
the friendship of social mediaoutside of just the professional
, absolutely absolutely and itis.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
It's a professional, absolutely, absolutely, and it
is.
It's a blessing to have.
I was talking to my husband theother night because ever since
I moved out here with my husband, I've had to kind of break away
from some people who you, just,you still love and you used to
be friends with these people.
But you go on different pathsand you, just, you still love,
and you, you, you used to befriends with these people, but
you, you go on different pathsand you just outgrow, um, a lot
(36:53):
of things that some people arestill trapped in.
They're still trapped in thattime because they're afraid of
change, and so I had todisconnect from a lot of people.
But also I lost soul, like mysoul, people that I kept close.
I lost my grandmother, I lostmy dad, I lost my sister, I lost
(37:16):
a couple of my uncles.
I lost my best friend, and shewas only 30, to kidney failure.
I lost, and we were friendssince the third grade, and so
when you lose your entire circle, a couple of my foster parents,
who I was very, very close to,a foster sister, I'm losing all
(37:38):
these people within a five-yeartimeframe, right, and so I'm not
processing it, I'm justblanking, iteting it, if that,
if that's even a word I think Ijust made it up, but I'm
basically enveloping everythingand I'm just stuffing it in the
envelope and moving on.
Stuffing it in the envelope andmoving on.
(38:00):
I think when I lost my dad iswhen I I went numb and then I
lost a few more people that arereally really close to me after
that, but by that time I wasnumb and then one day, uh, on
the anniversary of his death, Ijust broke and after that it was
just like a spiral of me havingto unpack all of that hurt and
(38:25):
you know, with, of course, with,um, god and with my pastor, but
the, the, the rallying ofsupport that I had behind me
with my true friends, um, that Ihad made through social media,
um, that I met on the book slam,dr velma, laquita parks,
(38:46):
carolyn coleman, all of thesepeople that I met on an app
called the clubhouse, and youknow it's just, it was like
crazy, because I was justtelling my husband I don't have
any friends like my husband.
Of course he's an army man,hurrah, right, like he has his
army buddies that he can call,he can talk to, or he has, like
(39:07):
his, his biological family.
I didn't have that.
I have one sister that I'lltalk to every single day.
The rest of my siblings, I lovethem, they love me, but
everybody is just kind of likemoving, you know.
That's kind of like how we'vebeen our whole life.
So we don't, we only know thatright.
And so I'm like I only gotDarcelle and if I can't call her
(39:27):
, I don't have anybody else.
I can't unload on my husbandall the time, you know, because
he'd be like that's womenbusiness, I don't care about
that.
So it's like you don't havenobody.
But now I have a village rightof people through social media
who have not just been friendssocial media friends but been
(39:50):
friends outside of social media.
Me and my husband were honoredwith the Presidential Lifetime
Achievement Award just this pastSeptember and Carolyn Coleman
drove four hours just to comewatch us receive that award.
Laquita, who we all know,laquita Parks of Pay-Per-Beat
(40:12):
Publishing.
She has a child, you know, adisability, you know, with her
leg, and she made sure that notonly did she attend that
ceremony but showed us aroundAtlanta, you know, invited us to
meet her whole family.
And these are the things thatpeople don't even know.
(40:34):
Dr Velvo, you already know Italk to her every single day.
I call her Mama B and it's, youknow.
I know her family, I know herhusband, I know both of her
daughters, I know hergranddaughter, you know, and
it's like these people haveinvited us outside of the app
into their homes to meet theirfamilies, dr Audrey, and all of
(40:58):
these people.
Melanie Johnson, who's also fromMississippi, who we call each
other sister cousins, who wecall each other sister cousins,
and we look alike, and I gotfamily that's in mid-group.
My dad is from Sunflower County, mississippi.
My grandma is from Greenville,mississippi.
You know, like I got people inMississippi who are still there
(41:22):
New Orleans, you know, andLouisiana.
My other grandmother is Creole.
She's from Louisiana, she'sfrom New Orleans, and so it's
like, you know, I was raised bypeople from the South and just
to be able to kind of bond withjust people from all over the
world I have a friend even inthe UK just all over the world,
(41:45):
and it's just an amazing feelingthat social media can be that
place where you can find comfortoutside of your local community
that you would never be able todo had not these apps ever been
created.
So it's not always negative.
You know, people say I don'twant to get on social media.
It's negative, it's what youmake it.
(42:07):
It's truly what you make it,and if you're pouring out love,
that's what you'll receive, youknow.
So I just I thank, I thank youfor sharing that and allowing me
also to kind of share mine aswell.
Now, we all have personalsacrifices when we're chasing
our dreams, because chasing ourdreams is not easy and it comes
(42:29):
with tough choices.
What's a personal sacrificethat you feel that you made that
still weighs on your heart, andhow has it impacted your
relationship with your lovedones?
Speaker 2 (42:43):
Well, Jacqueline, it's been great being on your
show.
I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
I know.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Look when they say you're not going anywhere.
So let me just say this whatI'm about to say, almost nobody
probably listening will agreewith.
But you asked me a personalquestion and I'm going to give
you the truth and a personalanswer, okay.
So help me, jesus, all right.
So, growing up, I always wantedto have a family.
(43:19):
Now I thought, you know, I'm afaithful guy, I'm a good guy,
I'm a nerdy guy, but I'm a goodguy, and that was my thing.
I was going to get married,have a wife, have children.
I never doubted I could takecare of my family, right, okay?
So I had the suicide attempt in2020.
(43:40):
And then I thought to myselfyou know what?
Actually, I don't really want afamily.
I was looking at my family andthought this is what I'm
supposed to have, and I telleverybody this.
And you ask me a personalquestion.
I'm going to give you.
This is my truth.
(44:01):
Here I feel like this, and I'veheard this saying and,
jacqueline, for me it rings true, and that is you cannot have
everything all at once, and forme, the sacrifice has been that
I have had to make tough choices.
A lot of people don't know this.
(44:22):
I was actually engaged, and thiswas at the very beginning of my
professional career as anentrepreneur, and I never will
forget this experience Now.
I would go to her house onSunday.
She lived with her mom and hersister.
I would cook for them onSundays, we'd hang out.
But when the work startedpicking up, I started doing
(44:44):
in-person events and so I waslike you know, well, I have an
event coming up.
I would love for you to come.
You know, sometimes she'd belike you know, you know I don't
really want to go.
I said, okay, well, cool, I'llcheck in with you.
You know, after the eventSometimes she would go and I
didn't see it at the time.
I understand it better now thatI don't know what she thought
(45:08):
was going to happen at the event, that it was going to be just
us.
But it was my event.
Other people were here, right,so you have to network, right,
exactly.
So I never will forget thisconversation.
She says to me one day she sayssorry.
She says I just feel like youdon't have the time right now
for me, the time that I need,and she says I'm going to need
(45:32):
you to make a choice.
Now, one thing, anyone whoknows me will tell you, my mom,
my brother, anybody.
If you give me a choice, I'mgoing to make an honest choice.
I'm not going to do what youthink I should do.
I'm going to do what I feellike is the best thing to do.
And I said to her.
I said I totally understandthat.
(45:53):
And I said to her at that pointand I hope you find somebody
that can give you what you want.
Now let me tell you what andI'm not saying this to be petty,
I'm not saying this foranything.
I'm just answering the questionthat the host asked me.
That was it.
(46:13):
I want you to think about this.
That was in 2008.
She's still single to this day.
Now I say this to say this.
Now I say this to say this.
A lot of times, we do thingsbecause it's what people expect
(46:34):
us to do or we feel pressured todo.
What she did, honestly, wasgive me a gift, and that gift
was to realize that you knowwhat.
This may not be the path for me.
No-transcript.
There's nobody that I want tospend my life with at this point
(46:55):
, not one person.
There's nobody that I yearn for.
And I'm going to tell youanother thing I don't get lonely
.
I can't tell you the last timeI was depressed I don't think
I'm missing out on anything.
I have a very fulfilled life.
So I said that to say I do notbelieve you can have everything
(47:15):
all at once, not if you aretruly going to give it your all.
And I don't regret the choice Imade in that moment in 2008.
And every day since then Ithought to myself you know what?
I could not have made a betterchoice.
Now people look at all thestuff I do and say you do all
(47:37):
this stuff.
How do you do all this stuff?
To your point?
You make sacrifices.
You know there are things Ihave to tell people no to.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
I'm just learning that word and it feels so good
to come out when I say it, itfeels magnificent.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
It is one of my top three.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
It's an exhilarating feeling that I get when I say no
.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
It is a word of freedom and even my parents have
understood that no is acomplete sentence.
There's no, don't you think?
There's no trying to figure itout.
There's no explanation.
Speaker 3 (48:15):
Yeah, my yes to my little sister.
You know, what I love aboutwhat you just said is the fact
that you are absolutely right.
Sometimes, when people will tryto do is gaslight you, or they
will try to make you feel as iflike pressured into, like an
ultimatum, and theyautomatically think, because you
(48:36):
have a good heart and you're aChristian and you're a good
person, that you're going tojust go with whatever they say
and just you know.
Ok, all right, so I have anultimatum here to you and the
rest of the world that I'm goingto choose what I want to do,
(48:57):
because if you allow people todo that to you, it's going to
have a snowball effect.
Now, everything after that inyour life would have been well.
It's an ultimatum.
Either I get these shoes ornobody gets anything.
It's an ultimatum.
If I don't get this, then no,you know either this or this.
And it's an ultimatum.
If I don't get this, then no,you know either this or this.
(49:18):
And it's always like you givingin at some point.
So at some point in life wehave to stand our ground and
just truly do what feels rightfor us.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Yeah, I was talking to you exactly.
I was going to add the week mygrandmother died.
You know one of the things shesaid to me I'm so glad you
didn't get married.
I was going to add the week mygrandmother died.
You know one of the things shesaid to me.
I'm so glad you didn't getmarried the week she died.
That's one of the things shesaid to me.
(49:50):
She said because there would nothave been time for anybody else
, and that to me was even moretime Because it's supposed to
cling to your wife.
Speaker 3 (49:55):
Yeah, but you're supposed to cling to your wife.
Yeah, but you're supposed tocling to your wife, but it's
still supposed to be a sense offamily there, and if there's
somebody that's so self-investedthat they want to make sure
that everything revolves aroundthem and their bubble, that
seems like someone that isinsecure, someone that is
(50:16):
self-centered and does not haveyou in mind, and that would have
never worked.
That's what Dr Velma just said.
She was not the one.
I'm reading you off thecomments.
She was not the one.
Ms Queenie said for real, forreal.
And Dr Velma said you shouldn'tbe lonely.
And Earl Hall said Cyrus isstill available, ladies.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
And I did respond to that one and say a lot.
So I am taken, I am completelytaken by the life that I've
chosen.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Praise God for that.
Praise God for that.
So I appreciate you so much forthat.
Okay, so, moments of doubt, weall have those, yeah, and they
can feel real heavy.
Right, I'm going to fight oneaccident, share a vulnerable
(51:13):
time when you questioned yourpurpose, what pulled you from
that dark place and who was thatlifeline for you?
Speaker 2 (51:25):
So questioning purpose.
So I think, from honestly,after the suicide attempt at 20,
it wasn't so much a questioningpurpose for me at that point,
jacqueline, so it wasn't so mucha questioning purpose for me at
that point, jacqueline.
What it was was questioning myability to live up to it.
So I have, my business hasdefinitely evolved over the past
(51:46):
20 years.
Even over the past 10 years mybusiness has evolved.
That has taken some real, realhard work.
But I will tell you, I can tellyou the conversation, and I've
mentioned this to Earl beforeand I've shared it publicly I
was approached by Steve Harvey'sproducers to work on a project
and this was about, I guess,maybe seven years ago, and so
(52:10):
the meeting had been set up andso I'm on the phone with them
and they had already done theirresearch, they knew numbers,
they knew all of this stuff.
And this is what he said to me,jacqueline he says on paper you
have what it takes, but he saysyou're running a million-dollar
business like a mom-and-popshop.
He says you don't see why we'reeven on the phone with you and
(52:37):
we don't even know if you willever see it.
Now, for some people that mayhave broken them or made them
feel like, oh man, I was sothankful Because, honestly, they
weren't the first person totell me that Friends like Earl
and others have said that to mebefore about you're running.
You know, you're not runningthis like what it is Right and
(53:02):
it was so interesting.
I did end up working with themat that time.
But you know what happened?
Two years ago I ended upworking with them on a project.
They came back because they hadseen the ship.
They remembered you.
Yeah, I'm the person who,jacqueline, I never feel like I
know everything.
I never feel like I knoweverything.
I never feel like I can't grow.
I never feel like I can'tevolve.
But the difficulty was megetting out of my own way, and I
(53:24):
think a lot of people canrelate to that.
I did not want to be that guywho thought that he was worth
this or that or you know, or youknow was leaving people behind.
I didn't want to be that.
But what I didn't understandwas, by devaluing the gift, I
was in many ways diminishing it.
(53:45):
So it wasn't until thatconversation with people who had
no invested interest in methese weren't friends trying to
make me feel good or trying to,you know, blow my head up?
They were literally sayingyou're running a million dollar
business like a mom-and-pop shopand we don't know if you're
ready for an opportunity likethis.
They literally said that to me,and so I was so appreciative of
(54:07):
that.
And when they came back to me towork with them on the GameStar,
on the Family Feud game that'swhen I worked with them on the
Target I was like, oh mygoodness, they, they see me,
they see the change, and itwasn't a matter of anything.
But this is what we like tooffer you or you, that's what it
(54:30):
was.
And so that was it for me and,I think, for anybody tackling.
I hope they're open enough torealize that a lot not everybody
is out to break them down.
Some people are there to breakyou open, and that was a break
you open moment for me thathelped me to better understand
what I could do if I was willingto open myself up to it.
Speaker 3 (54:52):
Absolutely.
You know what.
This time last year I was kindof like in that same boat.
Everything that I do, I try todo it with excellence, right and
so.
But I do it so well that I,like my friend Mel and Dr Bell,
and a lot of people tell me Imake it look so easy, so easy,
(55:21):
and my turnaround time is barnone, right, like I could get it
to you in 20 seconds, and Iused to always.
Well, it ain't gonna take menothing but five minutes, you
don't have to give me anythingfor it.
And dr bell must stop me oneday.
And she was like you have tostop doing that, like you
literally have to stop doingthat.
What you're giving people isworth so much and you're not
charging them anything.
And if you keep doing that,you're going to keep feeling
(55:42):
like you're being used, which inall actuality, you know, I know
that I'm supposed to be usedand I would just take it as
someone.
You know, I'm just someone, I'mjust so.
But no, it's time for you toreap.
And I remember I got my firstcontract to speak um at uh,
(56:02):
actually at the, thetransitional living facility at
the DCFS agency that Iemancipated from, and the CEO,
her name is Malia Arnett, andChildLink Shout out good plug,
number one agency in Illinois.
I was with them since I was 13years old I emancipated at 21.
(56:23):
She took me under her wing, youknow, allowed me to be her
assistant, her office assistant,and within a year I moved up to
executive assistant to her andto the ED, to executive director
.
So I sat in board meetings, Iattended these meetings, I did
the grant writing, I dideverything.
They taught me everything,right.
(56:44):
So when it became time for me towant to go back to speak and to
do a summit with the girls atthe program, she said, well, how
much are you charging?
And I said I'm not charginganything.
She said, well, call me backwhen you have a contract gram.
She said, well, how much areyou charging?
And that's why I'm not charginganything.
She said, well, call me backwhen you have a contract.
So I was like what, okay?
So then, of course, you know, Idone looked up, I didn't get
(57:05):
the contract.
Boom, bam, okay.
So I put down.
I'm gonna tell you what I putdown.
I put down 1500.
Right, I'm like this is awesome, I'm gonna make 1500, bam.
All I gotta do is go there forfour hours and speak and make
1500.
I thought I was like, okay,this is it.
She said the budget for aspeaker is 5000.
She said, make this editable.
(57:27):
So I made it edible.
She.
She paid me five thousanddollars to do a four hour
speaking, engagement andworkshop with the girls there.
But also outside of that shebought 25 books for me to sign.
And so it's like you may not seeyour worth but other people do.
(57:50):
And even with me pivoting mybusiness now to brand
strategizing and marketing, Istill didn't see my worth until
I had a conversation with one ofthe people that I partner with
now, dr Janelle, and she waslike I just paid somebody $6,000
(58:15):
for the same thing that you'recharging twenty one hundred for,
so I'm just going to pay yousix thousand.
So we limit ourselves and welimit our worth because we're
scared that if we price too highthat we won't get the people or
we won't get the clientele.
(58:36):
But I'm a firm believer nowtoday that if you cannot afford
it then you're not my client andthat's okay and that's totally
fine.
But I just refuse to lower whatI charge or lower my worth,
(58:59):
because a lot of times when youprice.
That crab in a bucket.
That's what you receive, andusually the people with all the
problems and the headaches arethe crabs in the bucket.
It's never the people who willpay.
What you're worth that's goingto give you the most problem
will pay what you're worth.
(59:19):
That's going to give you themost problem.
So always, always, value yourgifts, because the your
inheritance from god is the giftthat he give you.
That is your inheritance.
People like, oh, I'm gonna getall these riches and god, he
promised me that.
Yeah, he promised it to you.
It's inside of you.
He already gave you everythingyou need.
All you have to do is believeit, receive it and then
(59:42):
replenish it and sow it into theearth and it's going to come
back to you.
It's going to come back to youthrough the work that you give,
because what they say, a manthat don't work, he don't eat.
So obviously, the things thatyou put out into the universe,
the gift that God give you, hewill supply all your needs
through those gifts.
So that's why I don't care if Idon't know something, cyrus,
(01:00:06):
and nobody wants to help me.
Guess what?
I'm going to go out, I'm goingto figure out how to do it, and
then I'm going to do it toexcellence, and then I'll put a
price tag on it.
Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Right, exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
I'll put a price tag on it and I'm going to say thank
you.
Thank you Because I could havehired you to do this, or I asked
you to do it, or I asked youfor help and you were so caught
up in who you are and who youdon't want me to be that you
tried to block that blessing.
But I have that sense of likeyou said, I'm always willing to
(01:00:45):
learn.
I'm always my mind is alwaysopen and optimistic and I'm
willing to listen and I'mwilling to learn from people
with wisdom.
Key word, cyrus there is wisdom.
Right Is wisdom Because we gota lot of times.
(01:01:05):
We love and respect peoplebecause they're older, because
they've been through so manythings.
Right, we want to listen tothem and what they have to say.
Right, because they're older,we feel like they've been here
long enough.
They should know Well me, myperspective, and correct me if
I'm wrong.
I look at it from all angles.
(01:01:27):
Right, a whole 18360.
Right, how were you growing up?
Versus how are you right now?
How is your heart right now?
The things that you've done inyour life, where has it gotten
(01:01:47):
you?
Okay, are you telling me not togo the path you went, or am I
listening to a toxic person,right, who is not in a place
where they should be.
They're trying to counsel me togo down that same path Because
that's not going to happen,right?
So I'm going to listen, but Ialso listen and I discern, and I
listen for the wisdom of what'sbeing told to me, and if it
(01:02:10):
sounds like it's something thatGod would do, you know what I'm
saying.
If it sounds like the word,then I'm with it, but if it
sounds like some mess, count meout.
I don't care if you, 80 yearsold, giving me this advice.
If it's the wrong advice, god,I am a child of God and he's
going to let me know.
Mm-mm, mm-mm, you want your God?
(01:02:33):
I'm like Willy Wonka I need myticket.
Okay, I want to be at the gate.
I want to get in the gate withmy ticket and I got tunnel
vision.
Yeah, tunnel vision.
And that leads me to the nextthing, about inspiration from
others.
Okay, so we already talkedabout your grandma, right, and
(01:02:57):
the fact that you lost yourgrandma, and she was someone who
, uh, inspires you and who stillinspires you.
Um, thinking about lessonstoday, right?
Um, and and things that she mayhave taught you other than what
we've talked about already.
What lessons did she teach youthat keeps you guided today?
That keeps you focused?
Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
you know, I think one of the biggest ones is it took
me a while to actually believeand that was, uh, my infinite
possibilities.
You know, I remember growing,growing up and her telling me
Cyrus, you know, if you applyyourself, you can do anything.
And I, you know, I think, Ithink at the time I thought well
(01:03:45):
, everybody says that.
You know, whether it's true ornot, Excess material yeah.
So I thought I said anything andshe said anything.
She said if you work hard, youcan do anything, and you know
(01:04:06):
what she's right Now.
The caveat to that is it maynot happen in the timeframe that
you want it to, it may not evenhappen in the way you envision
it, but that anything is noteven really about you.
It could be anything that couldbe a benefit and service to
others, and I think that's whatI've I've really stayed with for
myself is to realize that thatthings take time.
(01:04:27):
I look at Joseph.
You know Joseph had that dreamabout what he would become, but
that was not something thathappened overnight.
He had to go through things.
He, that was not something thathappened overnight.
He had to go through things.
He was betrayed, he was lied on, but it happened and he never
let go of that.
And I think that's the bigthing for me, that I've been
(01:04:49):
kind of thinking for myself isthat things take time and you
have to really you know someonein my circle says a lot to trust
the process, and I think thatis so true.
You have to really.
You know someone in my circlesays a lot to trust the process,
and I think that is so true,you have to be willing to trust
the process and not give up onthe thing that's been given to
you.
Speaker 3 (01:05:04):
Absolutely, absolutely.
I can agree with that as well.
A lot of times we have tobelieve that in order to receive
the blessing, we have to be theblessing.
In order to be the blessing, wehave to believe in ourselves
and believe in god more.
Um, so, absolutely now.
Art, art, art.
(01:05:25):
You know I'm gonna touch oneverything.
So you are an artist andthere's a healing power in art,
and I saw your work.
You're phenomenal.
Um, can you describe a piece ofyour work that came straight
from a place of pain or loss,and what does that piece mean to
you deep down?
Speaker 2 (01:05:46):
yeah, I love this and the.
That's an easy answer.
The real me is the piece.
I did it.
That's my last suicide attemptand it's a picture of me
picturing myself as a boy with asingle tear running down his
face.
And when I did that piece, I'msure for people who were so used
(01:06:07):
to seeing me always smiling andthat seemed odd.
But then when they found out,because a lot of people of
course didn't know about whathappened to me, I didn't tell
them about it.
And you know, when I first backfrom new york to mississippi,
but when I started sharing thatto me became not only part of my
testimony but also part of myhealing, of my freedom.
And I use it actually again asI use my platform, and I love
(01:06:31):
the fact you said the healingcomes through it, because I
think, especially for youngpeople, young men, when I go to
schools I let them know look,it's okay to not feel okay, it's
okay to you know to to feel thethings you feel.
The thing is to realize thatthat doesn't have to be the end
of your story and I think youknow it doesn't mean every day
(01:06:52):
is going to be great.
You know I am, you know what Iconsider a very happy person.
I'm a person who is veryblessed.
But my family has had somechallenges and of course that's
going to impact me.
My mother had some healthchallenges this year.
My brother had some healthchallenges this year.
You know, and you know we'vehad I think seven deaths in our
(01:07:15):
family this year.
You know, and just had knowwe've had I think seven deaths
in our family this year, youknow, and just had lost a cousin
last week.
So of course there will bethings that will weigh you down.
But I tell people, giveyourself time to acknowledge
that, acknowledge it, to be ableto take the time you need away.
You don't feel like you have torun away from it, but also
(01:07:36):
realize you don't have to staystuck there, that joy really can
come in the morning and that'sone of the big things that,
especially after my grandmotherdied, that I really embraced I
think that's wonderful,absolutely wonderful.
Speaker 3 (01:07:51):
Now, what heartfelt message do you want to leave for
the next generation of creatorsand how can they chase their
dreams while honoring thesacrifices of those who came
before them?
Speaker 2 (01:08:06):
I could not say it any better than my grandmother,
jacqueline anything is possibleif you want to do the work and I
will say this too if you'rewilling to have the faith and
patience as well.
I think that's the big thing.
I think you know anything.
You know we've all heard thatsaying, and I will say this too
if you're willing to have thefaith and patience as well, I
think that's the big thing.
I think you know anything.
(01:08:26):
You know we've all heard thatsaying that anything worth
having is worth waiting for,right.
I mean, that is so true.
And I think in the world we livein today which is really a
catch-22, we live in such afast-paced world that we expect
everything to happen now, wewant everything to happen
overnight, and if it doesn't,then we let go of it.
Well, for me, people who dothat, they're not actually
passionate about it, they're notactually people who are devoted
to it.
If you're willing to dosomething that you truly are
(01:08:48):
passionate about, you're willingto take the time that is
necessary, you know, you'rewilling to learn the things you
need to learn, you're willing togrow, you're willing to learn
from the setbacks and to keepmoving forward.
And I think, for people whowant to do that.
Not only will they be able tohonor those who came before them
, they'll be able to be aninspiration to other people too
(01:09:10):
absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:09:10):
Now, this is the part of the segment um that, if you
noticed, I never read your bio,right, because with with my show
, I don't read the bios, becausethe bios is kind of like a
cloud of things, right, right,and I want people to really get
(01:09:34):
to know you as a person, you aswho you are, because with this
show, I just feel like ComEd isa bill that comes to me every
month, right, but I'm nothingbut that number to them.
They don't know Jack, well,they don't know Marvis Cox,
because that's a name to be only, but they don't know.
They don't know him, right, tobe only, but they don't know.
(01:09:59):
They don't know him right, butif they took the time to talk to
them, to ask them thosequestions, right, then they will
get to know the person behindthe number.
So I wanted the the audience toget to know the person behind
the number.
But now I'm going to read yourmini bio and you tell me, after
having this conversation with me, what's one more thing you
would add to it.
(01:10:20):
Okay, so I'm going to read itto you.
Cyrus Ripp is a mediapersonality.
Editor in chief ofConversations Magazine, author,
social media influencer, brandstrategist, publicist and top
100 Amazoncom reviewer Since2003, he has built the
(01:10:40):
Conversations brand into aninternationally recognized force
that not just shares thestories of others but is making
a difference in the way thatpeople see themselves and what
is possible.
Over two decades, webb has beengrowing his brand, celebrating
20 years as the host ofConversations Live radio show,
(01:11:03):
interviewing over 12,000 guests,and 18 years as a leader of
Conversations magazine.
Additionally, webb has alsobeen expanding his relationship
with Amazon, producing contentfor the platform, including
being an on-air personality forAmazon Live.
He is also the author of theinspirational books Power your
(01:11:28):
Life with the Positive and thewords.
I Choose to Live by, the poetrybook my Journey in Heiku, as
well as the business bookMinding your Business, all
available on Amazoncom.
For more information, contactCyrus Webb at wwwcyruswebbcom.
(01:11:50):
Give me one adjective thatwould describe you and then I
will give you one.
Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
Determined.
Speaker 3 (01:12:03):
Trailblazer.
Oh, I like that one Trailblazer.
You are an impact to so manypeople, as well as myself.
I've only been in thepodcasting game probably about a
year, okay, and you have suchan impact, positive impact, on
(01:12:29):
so many people, cyrus, and youare truly, truly, truly
deserving of every blessing thatGod has for you, truly, truly
deserving of every blessing thatgod has for you, and I'm so
glad that all three of yourattempts you failed miserably.
God bless, yeah, god bless that.
And you just, you know I don'thave to tell you to keep going,
(01:12:49):
because you're gonna do itanyway, but keep going.
Of course you ain't gonnalisten to me who am I?
But I just, you know, I'vealways told you that I have
great respect for you.
Just keep going, man.
You are so awesome and I'm so,so blessed to have you to grace
not just grace my platform, butalso share some things that I
(01:13:13):
have had exclusive access tobecause I asked the right
questions.
Speaker 2 (01:13:17):
All right, well, look .
Thank you again, jacqueline,for the invite.
Really appreciate it, andcongratulations to you on what
you're building with yourplatform as well.
I mean, and as you said, I feelthe same way about you.
You're definitely making animpact, you're making a
difference, and I think you'reshowing other people what's
possible, and I think that's thebig thing for all of us.
Thank, I think you're showingother people what's possible and
(01:13:38):
I think that's the big thingfor all of us.
Speaker 3 (01:13:38):
Thank you so much, and now I'm going to conclude
with prayer, and then we'regoing to go out with Mariah
Carey Make it Through the Rain.
Heavenly Father, we just wantto take a moment to thank you
for this beautiful opportunityto share with such a powerful,
powerful, powerful conversation.
We're grateful for the insightsand stories that have touched
(01:14:01):
our hearts today and, as we wrapthis up, may your peace be
filled.
May your peace fill the heartsof everyone who's listened and
those who will listen to thisshow.
Let those messages of love andresilience really just sink in.
Lord God, guide us as we moveforward, helping us take these
(01:14:24):
lessons out into the world.
Speaker 2 (01:14:26):
Amen.
Thank you, tessa, I appreciateit.
Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
No problem, and we're going to end right now with,
through the Rain, everybody.
It's been a pleasure.
You guys have a great,wonderful rest of your day.
Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
Thank you when you get caught in the rain With
nowhere to run.
When you're distraught and inpain, without anyone, when you
keep crying out to be saved butnobody comes, and you feel so
(01:15:30):
far away that you just can'tfind your way home.
You can get there alone, it'sokay, won't you say, yes, I can
(01:15:53):
make it through the rain, I canstand up once again on my own,
and I know that I'm strongenough to mend.
And every time I feel afraid, Ihold tight to my fate and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
(01:16:23):
And if you keep falling down,don't you dare give in.
(01:16:46):
You will arise safe and sound.
So keep pressing on, step bystep, and you'll find what you
(01:17:06):
need to breathe in what you sayI can make it through the rain,
I can stand up once again on myown, and I know that I'm strong
enough to mend.
(01:17:26):
And every time I feel free, Ihold tight to my faith and I'll
(01:17:49):
live one more day Bye.
There's nothing you can't face.
And should they tell you,you'll never pull through.
Don't hesitate, stand tall andsay, yeah, yeah, I can make it
(01:18:14):
to the right.
I can stand up once again On myown, and I know that I'm strong
(01:18:34):
enough to match.
And every time I feel afraidI'm all tied into my faith and I
live one more day and I make itthrough the rain.
I can make it through the rainand then I won't forget.
(01:18:56):
I can make it through the rainand send the ones back out.
And I have one more day I canmake it.
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