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September 14, 2024 • 41 mins

Become a Relative & send some love

What would you do if love meant defying societal norms and breaking generational curses? Join us for a heartfelt episode of "Relationships Worth More Than Money" as we welcome JoJo to the mic for the first time. JoJo shares the extraordinary journey of her biracial parents, whose love story overcame significant resistance and set the foundation for her deeply held values. From her mother's humble beginnings in South Carolina to her father's Italian roots in New Jersey, this episode explores the power of love and resilience, highlighting the eventual deep bond between JoJo's mother and her paternal grandmother.

Have you ever felt the joy and complexities of sibling dynamics or discovered an unexpected talent through the support of a mentor? JoJo opens up about the unique challenges and joys of being the youngest sibling in a family with older sisters and her desire to nurture a younger sibling. She recounts her serendipitous journey into high jumping, a path transformed by the belief and support of a dedicated coach. This segment underscores the invaluable role of mentorship and the importance of seizing life-changing opportunities, even when they seem daunting at first.

What does it take to transition from journalism to storytelling while balancing multiple career paths and personal growth? JoJo's Emmy-winning work and her passion for storytelling come to the forefront as she discusses her shift from journalism to a more intimate form of storytelling. She also shares insights about her involvement in the family nonprofit, Willing Warriors, and the complexities of balancing a career in government contracting. We delve into the nuances of personal growth in relationships, the appropriate reactions to disrespectful behavior, and the delicate balance of supporting a partner's dreams. This episode is a testament to the enduring impact of love, mentorship, and the value of relationships over material wealth.

Relationships Worth More Than Money by Tweezy Kennedy & Marcus Alland
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You good.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Wonderful.

Speaker 1 (00:02):
All right, cool man, we back Episode 21.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
21.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Relationships Worth More Than Money podcast.
Wow, I'm Tweezy.
Who do I got to the left of me.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm JoJo and 21 to me sounds like a very significant
number.
I don't know the meaning toshare right now, but I'm going
to look it up.
I feel honored to be here rightnow.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, so I know, jojo , you like been super, super shy
staying away from the camera,but you always behind the camera
Very much and I appreciate youfor jumping on here and getting
down to whatever we get to.
But first off, let's talk aboutthe family, like how it all
started mom and dad.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Wow, that's a great introduction to this podcast
because from the outside I knowa lot of people think that it
was a lot simpler than it was.
I am the product of a biracialfamily and my parents got

(01:06):
together meeting at a mailbox,so talk about divine alignment.
My mom grew up, she's one of 11.
She's actually child numberfour, so my grandmother was one
who was pregnant for 99 months.
Jeez, just thinking about thatalone, you know, the older I get

(01:28):
, I realize we are not normal,like we are really cut from a
different cloth, like for real.
My mom's from Charleston, southCarolina area, pineville
specifically Grew up in atrailer, shared a bed, like she.
She describes it as with thatmany siblings I mean they're

(01:51):
sitting diagonal, like whenthey're sleeping at night yeah
um, working in the fields, goingto school, going to church.
Um, my dad grew up in New Jerseyand he has one sibling, he has
a sister and his dad passed I'dsay pretty young in terms of the

(02:17):
reality that I never got tomeet him Italian also.
So you have the dynamic fromwhite and black, which, of
course, as we know hopefullyeveryone knows who's watching
this at this point that that wasnot a normalized thing back in
the day and still today it'ssomething that may or may not,

(02:38):
you know, have an effect on aparent.
But at that time, when myparents met and my dad decided
to, you know, say I want tomarry this, this woman, um,
there were many people in hisfamily who were not okay with it
at that time right and his mombeing one, specifically my

(03:01):
grandma and you he decided to dowhat a man should do when it
comes to leaving your family andcreating that legacy that it is
that you want for yourself andyour life, and so he broke that
generational curse of knowingthat there was a greater calling

(03:24):
for him than living in thelimitation of.
I don't want to be with thisperson because of the color of
their skin.
So my parents ended up gettingmarried.
His family did not come to thewedding.
However, a beautiful thingbloomed from that, because it

(03:45):
was a testament to how real andtrue love is right, and love is
the only recipe or medicine forhealing and mending anything
facts it really is true love,should I say true, say yeah love
, is love, true love.
Yes, and so you know, my parentsgot married.

(04:10):
My grandma, after my mom hadKendra, you know, was just like
all right, you know I want to.
You know I want to meet, youknow, my granddaughter and I
only know this because ofcertain stories that aunties and
uncles tell you too, andparents tell you bits and pieces
and the older you get, the morethat you learn.

(04:31):
but I remember one of my um myaunts told me.
She said you know, the firsttime that you know your mom
really put her foot down withthe whole situation was when
your dad was going to bringKendra to go meet grandma and
she was like you're not goingwithout me.
And so Kendra and grandma andmom and Poppy all met and my mom

(04:58):
and my grandma ended up beingthe best of friends in the whole
world.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Crazy how that works.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
It's a beautiful thing and only God can do that.
But it was a beautiful andamazing thing Even just seeing
years later she passed away at94 years old but to be in her
90s and have a conversation withmy mom just walking down the
driveway you think about howmuch life has gone on since then
.
But she still remembers thesignificance of that choice, of

(05:26):
not allowing her to love onsomeone because of the color of
their skin.
And she literally just grabbedmy mom's hand one day when they
were on a walk and she just saidI'm so sorry, like I'm so sorry
, that I ever treated you thatway.
And you know my mom being theperson that she is, she sees so

(05:48):
much more than anyone's flaws.
She sees the humanity in people.
So she knew that it was only amatter of time, because
sometimes people who havehesitations about anything in
life they just don't know enough.
You know what I mean, but youspend enough time and you learn
a lot and you realize thatpeople aren't as bad as you

(06:10):
think.
And so that was a beautifulthing to just see that love can
change a heart of someone, canchange a generation you know
what I mean Can change a soul,and so yeah, like that's how we
all came into this world onundivided terms, if generational

(06:30):
curses weren't broken, should Isay Right?

Speaker 1 (06:33):
But I think to me, I think without that happening,
like we wouldn't be here today,because that's kind of like how
we met, you know what I mean?
We met just you always had lovefor everybody, like you.
Kendra, I didn't meet Kel tolike a year ago with Kadeem
doing that.
I'm like man we do got a thirdsister.

(06:54):
I'm like okay, I see Kendra, Isee you.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Right.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
But yeah, man, it's just seeing you and like you,
always being a life of the party, always bringing people
together.
It's just seeing you and youalways being a life for the
party, always bringing peopletogether, and I can see now it
all makes sense, like how ittied in from your grandma and
your mom and your poppy the popsyeah, he's super cool too, by
the way.
Yeah, super cool.
How was the childhood growingup with your sisters, though?

Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh, that is a great question.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Because, you know, I got two girls, you got two.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Listen, I'll say this I love my sisters so much, I
would literally die for mysisters.
Let me just say that I lovethem so much Growing up.
However, comma, I think havingthree kids, or I think having an
uneven amount of kids is just alittle bit difficult, and I
only say that as a third childbecause there was a life

(07:50):
established before John andMichelle Dominic.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Right.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
And that was Kendra and Kelsey Yep, the K and the K,
the Virgo and the Virgo, theAugust 26th and the August 31st.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
Kelsey a Libra.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
Kelsey.
Yeah who my sister?
No, she's a Virgo.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
Oh, you said August 26th, I'm thinking September
26th, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was aboutto say like no, no, they're both
Virgos, so you got two Virgos.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Mm-hmm.
So there's this relationship ofsiblings and sisterhood that
was established before I cameinto the earth, before.
I came into the earth, right,and also I was born breached.
I was upside down.
Okay, I was a problem from thebeginning, in a good way, though
Right Just took a lot for myparents to realize that.

(08:36):
So they had this relationshipand as a younger sibling, you
know, I'm growing up and I'mtrying to like be part of it and
it's just like, okay, theyplaying with the toys, they
doing this and doing that, theysee John come, they're like, oh
my God, we got to go, let's go,john is going to come.
That's this time or do whateverRightfully so, because I
probably would, but it was.

(08:58):
It was beautiful and alsodifficult at the same time
because I always felt like Iwish there was one more Like.
I wish that I had like anotheryounger sibling.
And it's funny because I saidthis growing up so much and now
that I'm older I see why I havesuch a nurturing, loving spirit
and I wish that I could, likeyou know, like gravitate or pull

(09:19):
or, like you know, love on,like someone.
And you know, I never had thatyounger sibling that I wanted to
just like hone on and like takewith me on the journey.
So it was just more so of youknow, the younger siblings, like

(09:43):
early 30s now done that becauseI feel a lot of motherly roles
that I'm playing now for both myolder sisters.

Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
And I love every part of it.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
And TT role.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, exactly, exactly so.
It's beautiful to be able tolike show up in a way that I
can't in my own essence, becauseI don't have my own kids yet.
Yet I feel like I do they, justthey're not from my body and I
don't have them.
24, seven.
So, there is absolutely adifference.

(10:17):
But the love and care andtenderness that I that I so into
my, my nieces and now my nephew, you know, is nothing other
than what I would do if I had myown.

Speaker 1 (10:29):
Okay, Well, I remember.
I don't know where I was, but Iseen that you was.
It was a picture of you in atrack.
Oh wow, In a track outfit.
I don't know where we were at.
Um, when did you?
When did you jump into track?

Speaker 2 (10:50):
that's a great question too, because most
people know me because I went tocollege for track.
But really I went to um collegefor track.
However, comma, I grew up doingliterally every non-competitive
sport.
I did swimming, I did golf,yeah, um.

(11:11):
I did cheerleading, I did track, um, and you know great
experiences.
Track was something that inhigh school you just see
everybody do it so.
So it's just like, yeah, I wantto do that.
And so my sophomore year I didtry out for the track team.
I made the track team, but Iwas doing hurdles.

(11:33):
My neighbor at the time, benitaMosley, she was an Olympic gold
medalist in the hurdles and sothat kind of inspired me to tap
into whatever that world waslike.
I didn't know, but I tried outand made the team for that and
you know, I ended up sucking atthat.
I was not very good.
And then one day there was likea dual meet, which meant every

(11:56):
event that they had in track andfield there had to be at least
two people to compete.
We only had one high jumper atthat time.
Shannon shout out to Shannon.
We only had one high jumper atthat time.
Shannon shout out to Shannon.
She was high jumping.
And then they were like youknow, just go for it, because
I'm just, I'm a free spirit andI'm always asked a question even
if the answer is no, becausethe worst anyone can say is no,

(12:17):
and if it doesn't work, itdoesn't work, and if not, on to
the next one.
So I tried out for track, didhurdles and I got asked to
compete in high jump one time.
At this time I had no idea howto go behind the bar.
So they said just like jumpover, like scissor kick, so
that's just like one leg up, oneleg over.

(12:37):
You ain't doing no arch, youain't doing none of that, just
keep it simple, baby steps.
That's how they did it back inthe day when they started doing
high jump.
So I did scissor jump mysophomore year of high school
and ended up being really goodat it at that one meet.
And so that one meet going intomy junior year they're like you

(12:58):
need to focus on high jumpingnow.
So in between that summer of mysophomore year and my junior
year, my friend Virginia Hill Iwill never forget, because my
life is so different.
It's crazy how one person canchange the whole trajectory of
your life.
Yeah, if it was not for myfriend Virginia Hill's dad,
coach Hill.
I still talk to him to this day.

(13:18):
Um, I wouldn't have gone toVirginia Tech to do track.
I wouldn't have gone toMaryland to do track.
He saw something in me that Ididn't see.
In to Virginia Tech to do track.
I wouldn't have gone toMaryland to do track.
He saw something in me that Ididn't see in myself, that my
parents didn't even know how toidentify because they don't know
anything about this sport.
And we spent that whole summerin between sophomore year and
junior year.
He taught me how to high jumpthe right way with the J, with

(13:41):
the going behind the back, allthat, and he really was like
like you're a six foot jumper,you're a six foot jumper and you
think about high jump?
Most girls are very tall.
I'm a tall girl, naturally,like on a day-to-day, but when
it comes to that sport I am verymuch not tall at all, exactly,

(14:02):
and so it served me well.
Up until you know what I mean,a certain point, olympics is
just like crazy, because thosegirls are like six something and
they say that you are prettymuch identified as a good jumper
if you can at least jump yourheight.

Speaker 1 (14:15):
Right.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
So I got up to jump 5'9".
It's like my record so far.
Well, I'm going to say myrecord period, because I ain't
been backwards like that in along time.
Don't know if I will, becauseit might need a massage after
that.

Speaker 1 (14:37):
All right.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
At that time in high school I got up to jump 5'5",
which still to this day is thehigh school record, and I
graduated over a decade ago.
Wild, wild, damn.

Speaker 1 (14:49):
I'm old A decade.
A decade Shit I just had my20-year reunion last year.

Speaker 2 (14:58):
Ouch, ow, it's right, it hurts.
It hurts to even think about.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
It's crazy though, does time fly?
Time flies, it really does.
Yeah, like you never know, likewhat comes about where you
going.
But I remember y'all was doinga fan swap you, tim, mm-hmm, who
else?
Kendra, frank, frank the host.

(15:22):
Shout out to Frank the host man.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
Shout out Frank.
We're Frank at.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
Shout out Frank man, Wherever you at he in Tampa
right, that's my dog man Him,anybody that he always
recommended me to.
They were always good peopleand that's one thing I can vouch
for.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
Frank like that's a blessing.
Yeah, if he say hey.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
I need you to meet him yeah, I need you to meet her
.
I need you to meet him.
Yo, this dude do this.
I'm like all right, cool.
But he told me about you and hewas like yeah, man, she, uh,
she got like an Emmy orsomething and I was like what
she got?
An Emmy and she just walkingaround Manassas like like a
regular, like you know what Imean.

(16:02):
Like Manassas is a solo key.
That is some like supertalented people there and I'm
like Emmy yeah like what you do.
How did you?
Get into videographyphotography.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Yes, these segues are amazing.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
You like them, right?
I was a recruiter.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
I love this.
Okay, okay, marines.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
So I, literally I was talking to someone about this
earlier this morning.
I was at farm brewery for myparents bike ride for their
non-profit and someone wasasking me, like so how did like,
how did you get into this rolelike of taking photos and videos
?
Because, like you know, justyour family is like I was just

(16:43):
like no, it's actually like alot more than that, because my
parents don't do this at all.
It's actually very interesting.
All three of us, like mysisters and I, we are very
creative in our own ways.
However, it had to come fromsomewhere.
You know what I mean.
My parents do.

(17:05):
My mom does like governmentcontracting and real estate.
My dad does real estate, andthen you have me doing photo
video.
You have Kendra doing graphicsand web development, then you
have Kelsey making the mostbeautiful custom gowns for any
occasion and have been all overthe world, all over the world.
Let me just say that, okay, talkabout just touching the surface

(17:28):
.
And she is carrying her fourthchild in four years.
It's just very interestingbecause I was explaining to them
that the way that I got into itwas through an avenue that I no
longer pursue, which isjournalism.
I spent six years of my lifegetting a degree in journalism

(17:50):
four years in undergrad, twoyears in grad school, trying to
find out if this is for me orthis is what I want Right, and

(18:13):
just to learn that I don't.
However, comma, I utilize thegood parts of what I learned on
that journey and and I maximizedon it.
So I went to school forjournalism, like I said, and it
wasn't until my last semester,not even just the last year.
It wasn't until my lastsemester of grad school, where I
had Bethany Swain, the mostamazing professor in the world
introduced me to the world ofstorytelling, in a sense,
because storytelling is a lotdifferent than journalism,

(18:37):
especially when it's done theright way.
When it's done the right way,it's a very intimate experience
with whoever you're interviewingor whoever you're interviewing
if there's more than one and shechallenged us that semester to
produce a documentary on theopioid epidemic that was
happening in Anne Arundel County.
Anne Arundel County, maryland.
Right, it was so bad at thattime to the point where what?

Speaker 1 (19:01):
year was that.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
This was in 20, this was 2016, going in in 2017.
And it was so bad to the pointwhere they changed the drunk
driver awareness boards tooverdose awareness boards, which
is something I wish that theywould do in our county.
However, this is a rich, royalcounty and they want everything
to seem, as you know, as good asas it is.

(19:25):
However, there's still a lot ofissues that are happening in our
schools and in our cities, too.
But so we did a year-longinvestigation on the opioid
epidemic happening, and one ofthe pieces that was produced by
me and two other classmates atthe time won an Emmy, and it's

(19:45):
really, really a crazyexperience because we were at
the same Emmy that you seenationwide that happens between
all these television stations,but we're just students, Right
and yeah, so that's how we wonour Emmy.
The piece specifically that gotrecognized was the one where we

(20:05):
talked to the police officerthat was in the city and he just
told us about what they weredoing specifically, and he
talked about how they areemphasizing so much so that they
want to help these people towhere, if your friend overdosed
like if you come to me and youtell me you're not going to get

(20:25):
in trouble Because a lot ofpeople sometimes like they're
seeing their family members andtheir friends die because
they're too scared to sayanything.
Yeah, and so that was an amazingeffort that was made, but
that's one of the many piecesthat we produced that year.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
That's dope, and then like but you went in that, Emmy
, is that like?
Was that like the start of youwanting to like do more
storytelling, or is that likesomething you just like?
Ah, I dabbled in that and now Ijust want to go do something
else.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Definitely the start of wanting to do more.
However, the more has not trulyhappened To this day.
I can't honestly say that I'veproduced something that I'm
proud of.
To that extent, I've producedshort pieces, especially with
Willing Warriors, my parents'organization of warriors, who

(21:20):
have gone through hell and backliterally, but those pieces have
been like solo features.
I won't feel accomplished tothe point that I did in grad
school until I produce multiplefeatures on one platform.
So, yeah, like that was areally amazing journey, amazing

(21:42):
challenge, because I didn'treally know what it even took to
produce something like that,but now I do.
I've been in the driver's seatbefore.
I've been in the passenger seatbefore something like that, but
now I do.
I've been in the driver's seatbefore.
I've been in the passenger seatbefore.
There's so many moving piecesand so many moving components,
and a lot of it is about beingable to pull out a story from

(22:02):
your character by making themfeel comfortable too.
There's not many people who arewilling to talk about their
trauma and their scars, and notfrom their past but from their
current situation too.
But when you can do that, younot only can heal like that
person in their own way, but youcan heal any.

(22:22):
You know anyone watching orlistening at the same time.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
Yeah, I think you kind of have a niche that you
don't even know you have, butyou have it.
All these people out here,these are the people you can
interview first.
You know what I'm saying Get aYouTube.
I want to touch back on to yourmom and dad's.

(22:46):
Is that a nonprofit?

Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
Let's talk about it, man, Because I've seen you.
I've seen Kadeem.
You're always reaching out,asking people hey, who wants to
do this job with me?

Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
And you tell the price yeah, like up front.
And hey, this is for this, thisis what it is.
I just need a videographer or Ineed a photographer.
Got to be here at this time.
Send me something.
Let's talk about your mom anddad's nonprofit.

Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, so my mom retired from 20 plus years in
the Air Force 20 plus years agoat this point.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
Shout out to the Air Force.
Shout out to the Air Force.
Shout out to all armed services.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Shout out to all of them.

Speaker 1 (23:25):
Shout out to all of them.

Speaker 2 (23:28):
So we moved here when I was in fourth grade.
That's when she retired andshe's still to this day.
She works more now than she didbefore this and you know I
mentioned earlier she doesgovernment contracting and I
have stepped into the role oftrying to, you know, be her
second brain and learn that and,to be quite frank, it's almost

(23:51):
like Chinese.
It's another language, yeah, theterminology, it's another
language and I try to remindmyself every day when I feel
stressed.
Got to give myself gracebecause it takes time.
But she works a nine to five.
She's in the rush hour trafficin the morning and at night.
Know a nine to five, she's inthe rush hour traffic in the

(24:16):
morning and at night, um, andover 10 years ago she just felt
called driving home one day likeyou got to do more.
Yeah, like I want you to do more.
And what was more was helpinghelping wounded and ill veterans
.
You know, whether those woundswere physical wounds or internal
wounds.

(24:36):
That's a lot of the things thatwe found, you know, since my
parents started Wailing Warriors.
A lot of the times, people withinternal trauma are suffering
just as great as someone with,you know, a missing leg or a
missing arm.
Um, it's incomparable.
When you experience what it'slike to give up your life for

(24:59):
your country yeah and I'm surethat you know as a.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
That's why I got it right here.
There you go sacrifice yesbecause I'm blessed to be here.
But but I sacrificed a lot,sacrificed family.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
So much.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
But I was able to be there for my daughters when they
were both born, so I think thatwas a plus for all of the stuff
I've been through.
But yeah, you, your mom, yourdad, your sisters, they are
always at these events and I'mlike man I seen kadeem doing
them a couple times and I'm likeyo, this is dope, I gotta, I
gotta be a part of it becauseit's it's for us yeah and you

(25:39):
know I mean like I, I still haveall my limbs yeah but I know
it's people that don't you know?
I mean, I know it's people thatthat go through it on a daily
basis.
So just having that out issuper dope and I think think,
shout out to your mom and yourdad, but I'm also put the link
too up under where we're talking, so they can.
People can go check that outyes.

(26:00):
And get it.
You know, get in and donatewhatever they can do to be a
part of it.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
So what has grown over the past 10 years of my mom
having that calling is theypurchased a property on 32 acres
of land.
It was just one property andnow it's grown to three
different properties and it is arespite for wounded warriors
and we don't like to say wounded, they change it to willing.

(26:29):
Yes, because it was thedecision that they made.
And we want't like to saywounded, they change it to
willing.
Yes, because it was a decisionthat they made and we want to
honor that.
But it is an opportunity forthem to have a home away from
home.
That's what they call it Avacation, all expenses paid.
They have chefs from the WhiteHouse that come and cook for
them every week when they come.

(26:50):
It's amazing, white House thatcome and cook for them every
week when they come.
It's amazing.
And then we have activitiesthat they can participate in,
from helicopter rides tohorseback riding, to having you
know someone with kids just havebubbles and games and stuff.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
So that's dope Again.
This is just the world of JoJo.
Like you do so much for so manypeople and I always tell you,
like yo, keep going, keep doingit, keep going.
Let's get to um, I always dothis segment yeah it's called um
gym class, so not G-Y-M, g-e-m.

(27:29):
I do this every segment, um ofeach podcast episode Gym class
what's a gym that you can giveto anybody, boy or girl, male or
female?
Some gyms that you know I canput in a toolbox to carry on
with them?

Speaker 2 (27:46):
That is a great question.
I think the first and mostimportant thing that comes to my
mind that I have experienced asa gem wish somebody told me, do
not associate time with growth.
I think that's one thing thathas held me up in life dating

(28:08):
life specifically is thinkingthat if I keep investing this
much time into someone and if Ikeep giving this many chances to
someone, and if I keep paintingthese red flags yellow and
green after so many months andyears, they have to change right
, they have to be better youwould think you would think, but

(28:28):
it's what they do with thattime that will reveal, you know,
I mean the growth or lack of,should I say that exists in that
person.
Um, that is a gem.
I think that will be beneficialfor anyone to not just hear but
to actually digest and receiveand to live with, because, it's

(28:52):
really true, you teach peoplehow to treat you.
So if you allow someone, aftermonths, after years, you know
what I mean of wrongs.
Not saying anyone's perfect,definitely you know.
Be intentional about seeing thehumanity in people.
However, comma, when the samepattern continues to repeat, you

(29:14):
have to be real with yourself.

Speaker 1 (29:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
I know they're being crazy.
I already know.

Speaker 1 (29:20):
Check a fool, so don't confuse.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
Don't associate time with growth.

Speaker 1 (29:27):
Yeah, Don't associate time with growth.

Speaker 2 (29:30):
Yeah, don't associate time with growth.
Don't associate time withgrowth.
Yeah, because sometimes, ifthat is the only mindset that
you have when it comes to time,you will fool your own self.
It's not them fooling youalmost five, like almost five,
six years, with someone thinkingthat, you know, after we went

(29:52):
our separate ways, not talkingfor x amount of months and years
, the rekindling was going toend in a different situation,
and so I learned very fast too,because that's just how God
moves for real, when, when theysay, what happens in the dark
always comes to light.
I mean, there's a reason why Ihave it tattooed on me, because

(30:13):
it has been shown to me over andover again how real and how
true and how powerful it is.
You don't have to go look forthe wrongs that are done to you.
It's going to be revealed, it'sjust a matter of time.
So that's why I say that'sprobably the number one gem to
date that I would share withanyone.

Speaker 1 (30:36):
Don't associate time with growth.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Big gem.
That might be the best gem ofthem all that I heard so far.

Speaker 2 (30:42):
I love it, but look, we got a new segment.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
Oh God, tonight's conversation, yeah Okay,
relationship debates.

Speaker 2 (30:52):
All right here we go, here we go.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
Your significant other tells you that they need
some time off from therelationship to refresh.
Would you be open to thatExplain?

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Okay, that is a great question.
At this point in my life, theanswer is no, and I can
definitely explain why, and Ithink that my answer prior to
explains a lot of that For me.
I feel like I'm very intuitiveat this point in my life to
where I know what I'm dealingwith, whether it's through a

(31:31):
family member or a friend or ajob or a relationship, so much
so to even when I see the good,bad and the ugly, I can still
give you an answer of whether ornot I'm in or not.
And so if someone cannot lookat me through that same lens and
see my flaws you know what Imean, the highs and lows of me

(31:51):
as a being and see my flaws youknow what I mean, the highs and
lows of me as a being thenthere's nothing for us to
continue experiencing with eachother.
So for me, my answer to that isno.
I'm at that point in my lifewhere I know what I want and I
know that I deserve to be withsomeone who doesn't make me
question whether or not theydeserve to be with someone who

(32:12):
doesn't make me question whetheror not they want to be with me.
The lady's snapping fingersback there.

Speaker 1 (32:21):
Thank you, brother.
All right, thank you.
Next question A man is on adate with a woman and she is on
her phone the whole time.
Oh, when the check comes, heasks for it to be split because
of it.
Okay, is that fair Explain?

Speaker 2 (32:38):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (32:40):
Y'all good, yeah, y'all good, y'all good, they
good yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
So if I like how that explained, because of that.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
I'm very intentional on what comes out of my mouth
and I'm very intentional on whatI'm receiving.
That's coming to me too.
I take full account onto thethings that are said to me or
the things that I hear around me.
I love that.
That explained that.
That's the reason why I feellike she deserves to pick up her
part of the check for thatWholeheartedly.

(33:12):
See, look.
Like she deserves to pick upher part of the check for that
Wholeheartedly See look, Iwouldn't even tell her to pick
up the split.
That's so nice, you're so nice.
Huh, you're so nice.
Oh, I'm not nice, you're notnice.
What's going to happen then?
I'm a Virgo.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
What's going to happen?
Then I'm dipping, I'm going tothe bathroom.
Now I'm out.
I'm out because I mean, like,if we're on a date like yeah,
you all on your phone, like Ican't even get conversation with
you, so like we're supposed tobe on a date and having
conversations, that's the bestplace to have conversations, ie
not the movies and stuff likethat and you, you all on your

(33:50):
phone.
Okay, let me help you yeah,yeah, let me help you yeah, I
love that.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
I love that, don't be .

Speaker 1 (33:57):
Please don't be the person that I picked up, because
if I picked you up, I'm outuber, uber, baby, uber, baby
lift.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
Well deserved, well deserved, well deserved, that's
true that's true I I have thistendency to be too nice but
that's what.

Speaker 1 (34:13):
That's why I used to be nice as hell and I used to
like allow a lot of stuff andlike sometimes it's like I'm
about to push 40 yeah, I'm not.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
I love that.
One of the biggest lessons thatmy mom taught me is that, like
sometimes lessons in life areexpensive and maybe one time you
were too nice in a situationlike that.

Speaker 1 (34:34):
It was too expensive.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
And you swiped and you learned your lesson and
maybe it took a you orderedlobster and not chicken.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
You know what I'm saying?
Nah, yeah, you gotta go.
You gotta go.
Last one.

Speaker 2 (34:46):
Okay, go ahead.

Speaker 1 (34:47):
You don't believe.
Your significant other has whatit takes to make the dream
they're chasing.
To make the dream they'rechasing to make their dream.
They're chasing, okay, cometrue.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
It's been years of failing.
Do you tell him how you feel?
Explain.

Speaker 2 (35:08):
Gosh, that's a hard one because, like you, can put
your all into a dream and itreally is about the environments
or the opportunities that do ordo not open for you and what
comes of that.
So I don't know.
That's kind of hard because youcan see someone put their all
into something and theopportunities that they're

(35:30):
getting are not allowing them toexcel in the way that you know
that they deserve.
But then there are situationswhere your partner is saying, oh
, I want to do this and I wantto be this, but you're really
not giving it your all.
So that's a little bit hard forme to answer on that one,

(35:50):
because it really depends onwhat that person is putting into
their day to day, and I'mtalking mentally, physically,
emotionally, spiritually.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
I'm talking beyond the talk.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
It definitely got to be a conversation like, hey,
let's have a cutoff date.
Yeah, if you don't make it byhere.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
Yeah.
Let's move on the other partthat's very important is if this
doesn't work, then what?
Yeah, and I think the otherpart that's very important is if
this doesn't work, then what?
Because at the end of the day, Iremember, specifically for me,
when it comes to to track andfield and I'm sure it's the same
for any athlete, or even anyonelike in the military or
whatever it is that you know sowell you can do in your sleep.

(36:29):
Almost it is that you know sowell you can do in your sleep.
Almost you have to like, if yousaid, that you're a spiritual
person, you have to love God somuch that you trust it's okay
for this door to close, and thenI'm going to move on and I'm
going to be okay and not okay.
I'm going to be better thanthis version of me that I know
now doing the only thing that itis that I know I can do, even

(36:51):
with me.

Speaker 1 (36:52):
That I know now doing the only thing that it is that
I know I can do.
Yeah, because even with me,like I've been doing music for
20 years and I was about to giveit up.
But I remember back then I wantto say like when I was still
married with Benita, it was like08, 09.
I had just got back from Iraqthe second time and we have.

(37:13):
I got stationed here inQuantico and we lived in
Annandale.
She bought me my first MacBookbecause she believed in the
dream of me making beats andeverything right.
And then it just got to thepoint where she didn't say it
but I could tell she wanted tobe like yeah.
Are you going?

Speaker 2 (37:31):
to stop.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
Yeah, but I was still in the Marines, so I still had
my main job and I had that aslike it was a hobby, but it was
something that I wanted to learnand get better at.
So then when I got out theMarine Corps I was working at
the AOC for the government andthen I quit that and music
became my main thing.
So then by that time we wasalready going.

(37:54):
And then I quit that and musicbecame my main thing.
So then by that time we wasalready going through a divorce.
So it was like she like thehell.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
She don't really care .

Speaker 1 (37:57):
But at the same time I respected that because she was
there putting up money for meto go to these.
I was going to events to beat,battle against people, stuff
like that, and I was still inthe marines, yeah, and I always
tell people have your, have yourplan a, make sure you got a
plan b.
That's backing the plan a yeahor vice versa yeah so if you got

(38:21):
a job, keep that job.
It don't matter if it's wendy'sor whatever.
You get some income coming inso you can fund because because
music is expensive anything youdo is expensive.
If you want to travel, go tothese different shows.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
Waking up every day is expensive.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
Waking up every day is expensive, Because I was just
thinking about it.
I don't want to tell my age,but you know, early 90s gas was
$0.89.
It's like $3.50 now, and ifyou're in Cali it's like $7, $8,
$6.
You know what I'm saying?
50 cent, nah, and if you inCali it's like seven, eight
dollars six dollars.
You know what I'm saying.
So, yeah, yeah, you definitelyhave a conversation with that
significant other indefinitely.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:58):
But you know that was the new segment, tonight's
conversation.
Shout out to tonight'sconversation.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
I love that, and I also just want to give you your
flowers too, for not up on music.
Oh no, because look at how farthat you have come, appreciate
it.
You know and shout out, toshout out to everyone in your
past, in your present and inyour future who is watering the
seeds for you to continueexcelling in it, Because I tell

(39:26):
people all the time you haven'tlived 100% of your best like
life yet.

Speaker 1 (39:32):
Not even you know time.
You haven't lived a hundredpercent of your best like life.
Yet not even you know at all.

Speaker 2 (39:33):
You, you just touching the surface maybe so
you got a lot of life to live.
You got a lot of legacy to livetoo, not just through being a
father, but being a producer aswell.
A friend a podcaster apodcaster.
Here we are right right and andyou never know what that one

(39:54):
day or that one podcast, or thatone beat is going to do for
your life.
And that's why you can't giveup.

Speaker 1 (39:59):
And that's why they oh, I keep them, I keep them up
and I go back and watch them.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
And I even go and listen to them.
Just sometimes.
I just like I was telling CJ,like I just listen in the car
and just listen to podcasts andbooks, audio books, because you
never know Like it be that whenyou least expect it.

Speaker 2 (40:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
So that's what, you know, I'm always waiting for,
but, as always, this isRelationships Worth More Than
Money.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
As it always will be worth way more than money.
Thank you for coming.
Thank you for having me, yeah,okay.
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