November 7, 2024 • 34 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Ashley-Lauren Elrod.
She is a true champion of diversity, safety, and inclusivity in all aspects of entertainment, media, marketing, and advocacy. At Visionary Woman Productions, they are the experts in bringing visions to life through powerful storytelling that connects with your audience and philanthropy that heals the world.
The mission and vision are to create partnerships and content that make a lasting impact on the world for the better.
Talking Points/Questions *
1. Social impact in entertainment and media.
2. How we are propelling change in and out of the industry to help give back to communities.
3. My inspiration for this company and how we transitioned into this space today.
4. The importance of true and accurate representation in media, marketing, and entertainment.
5. The work we are doing to change lives, such as with our upcoming project Verge of Remembrance in support of survivors and Project CAN HOPE with the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center. A project to raise awareness and funding for SA, DV, and sex trafficking survivors in America.
6. The importance of utilizing one's story in leadership positions to create change.
7. Our plans to make the entertainment industry and world a safer and more healed place to be.
8. The people and orgs we are partners with and supporting.
9. The importance of mental health in the work field.
10. How to have a greater impact in your business that not only aids in profitability but world sustainability.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Rashan McDonald, the host of Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success
stories and start planning their own. Listen up as I
interview entrepreneurs from around the country, talk to celebrities and
ask them how they are running their companies, and speak
with dog profits who are making.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
A difference in their local communities.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now, sit back and listen as we unlock the secrets
to their success on Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi, I'm
Rushan McDonald, a host this weekly Money Making Conversation Master
Class show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. My guest is
(00:48):
a true champion of diversity, safety and inclusivity in all
aspects of entertainment, media, marketing and advocacy. At Visionary Woman Productions,
they're of the expert and bring visions to life through
powerful storytelling that connects you with your audience and philamp
of three that heals the world. Please work in the
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Ashley Lauren L.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Rod. How are you doing? My friend?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Good? Good? Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So where you based at?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I am in New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh that's awesome. Now one of my favorite citis in
New York. Now I brought you on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And I hear the word visionaire.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Now that words, like all words have been because of
social media, gets bandied about a lot, brands and faith
and passion. What does visionary mean when I use that
in your introduction?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Visionary means honestly leading at the forefront, doing things that
we believe that are not being done to the fullest
capacity that they can be done, and being able to
merge things together that makes sense to be able to
actually help help to heal the world.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So I'm gonna use this term. You are an entrepreneur,
correct I am? Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So they're saying that's the black women or African American
women are the fastest growing entrepreneurship in the last ten years.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Why is that?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Honestly, drive, resilience, being able to command whatever we can
in our lives, to be able to propel forward through anything.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I think is.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
The most definite reason that black women are one of
the leading, actually the leading business entrepreneurs right now in
the country.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, you know, I am African American male, and I
wish I could say I could walk in the door
and somebody didn't see my skin color. Yeah, but I
know that is not something that I'm using as as
as an excuse, right, But one has to realize that's
part of reality because people can define my work to
(03:01):
find my ability to fund a project or complete a project.
So I constantly have to promote myself. I constantly have
to deliver information, stay in front of people. What are
some of the pitfalls or maybe not pitfalls that you've
experienced in developing your company of Visionary Warm Productions.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yes, well, I started Visionary Women when I was in college.
Actually it was fit over fifteen years ago, and it
actually was just a collaboration of sorts at first with
some really really great friends, all fantastic diverse women who
really accomplished so much in their own right and went
on to become celebrity photographers and makeup artists and amazing
(03:43):
people and think people that I still keep in touch
with to this day. And I feel like, you know,
in the beginning, it happened so quickly for my business,
It kind of happened overnight. Actually, to the point it
was like, oh, I think I have a business. You know,
people are asking me like, what are you charge for
X y Z. You know, we were doing consultations and
(04:03):
we were doing honestly bringing wisdom back to our college.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
That's how it started there.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I went to Columbia colle Chicago, and we were not
being taught the business side of preparing for graduation. We
were taught about acting and you know, getting your portfolio
together if you were doing technical theater and things of
that nature. But we weren't taught Okay, how do you
utilize this after you graduate? You know what, how do
you get an agent? How do you land yourself onto productions?
(04:32):
And I was already working on productions for a long
time before college. So I wanted to take all of
that and help people and give them what.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
They needed to succeed.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So I feel starting off so early and honestly not
knowing what I was doing because a lot of interesting
twists and turns on my journey of business and entrepreneurship.
I come from a family of educators, not business owners,
with the exception of my grandfathers, who were both business
(05:03):
owners and entrepreneurs. But I came from educators who were amazing,
but you know, didn't know about angel investments and you know,
planning out business from those different aspects that I just
I just wasn't taught and given the access to. So
everything has been learning and processing, especially even now fifteen
(05:26):
years later, with the scope of business changing so much.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Just keeping them.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Saying right there when you said the scope of business changing,
what has been the scope that you see? You know,
because we all know social media is like blowing everything up.
The Internet is blown everything, even the cell phone has
blown everything up. You on the I always heard the
story that you know, as an entrepreneur, you work eighty
hours a week, but you don't want to do a
for their all week job, you know, so you're willing
(05:51):
to work out sales to death, but I don't want
to do a ford their our week job. So, I mean,
there's a dream and passion that drives entrepreneurship. But they
have been changed. Now were you resistant to the changes?
And tell us what those changes were?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Honestly, I feel like I've always had to pivot in
every single season of my business. It started off as
consultations and then it transferred into people asking me to
do production design, on set and then directing things and
writing scripts and then you know, one season I was
managing talent and then I really like fully propelled into casting,
(06:28):
which then took my business off actually to the next
level for the past decade.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So I feel like.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I'm used to the scope changing or having to pivot
a little bit to a rise to the occasion for
each season of business. And how I've done that is honestly,
lots of networking and putting myself out there, like you
said earlier, being able to prove myself to people in
(06:54):
a way where they referred me because, honestly, up intol
this past year, my business was a referra own business
only for the past fifteen years, and I was able
to stay afloat because of those referrals and be able
to bounce from one project to the next and bring
in those clients because of that. So that's definitely a
(07:15):
big part of it, and just building that foundation. I
think building that foundation of my brand has been really
important from a community aspect. People know Visionary Woman Productions
to be a community.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
It's not just a.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Business, but it's really what artists and other crew members
of the industry and social impact leaders can come to
for encouragement. They know that they can come to me
for good advice that's actually sustainable and be supported on
their journey.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
What advice would you give to young people, Because this
is a young person to the industry, I want to
ask that question, and then I'm I ask you a
person who's in their late forties. Which are two separate
questions to be responded to. Let's talk about a young
person who wants to get into entertainment industry.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Thought I would say, between kids and young adults, it's
very important to make sure that you are learning the
business early on. And also parents, you know, making sure
that parents are keeping their kids safe. That's a big
thing that I coach on often when I do workshops
and different one on one sessions with people. I say,
(08:21):
make sure you know where your kids are. You know
you are reading these contracts. You're teaching them how to
read contracts. If you don't know how to read a contract,
you are getting a suitable lawyer or counsel that can
be able to break things down for you of what
you should be looking out for at all times, and
if you're not able to pay for one, to make
(08:42):
sure you at least know the verbiage, so you're able
to say, hey, this doesn't look quite quite why right,
or I would like to negotiate these terms, or you know,
I want to take this down from a two year
to a one year contract to see how it goes.
Being able to make sure that you are knowledgeable of
(09:03):
these contracts and what you are signing and going into
is number one important. And making sure that you are
you're safe. You know, not everyone is safe in this industry, unfortunately,
and I have had my share of a lot of
experiences on set as a young actor coming up back
in the day that you know, I want to protect
(09:25):
as many people coming up from having you know, making
sure that you just you know, stay your course and
also you don't feel afraid to speak up when something
does happen or someone.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Is making you uncomfortable. Making sure that you.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Just always know that you have the right to speak
up no matter what if you lose the job. So
what you know, I I morals and values and standards
are a thing in this industry, even though so many
people will still to this day try to teach you otherwise,
that is thing that I teach. It's like if you
(10:01):
if you have morals and standards. If you have a
role that a certain role that you know is a
no go for you, that you would never want to do,
tell your agent that you can't do it, and if
they have a problem with that, then that's not the
agent for you. Making sure that you are comfortable, even
as an actor who is supposed to be versatile and
you know, be a chameleon of sorts, making sure that
(10:23):
you understand that can happen still, but underneath your values
and your morals and what you want for your career.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Which is really great because I've been fortunate to be
on you know, did a lot of sitcoms. So I
sold ten Tamara Maori's Mom, Yeah, I said, and a
lot of you know it did me and the boys
with Steve, they were young boys who wanted to said,
and their parents were there. You know, you can't be
an absoutee mom and entertainment, yes, let's gonna be rd
with that. You just can't let somebody, a stranger take
your child to a job where they may keep your
(10:52):
child eight to twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Hours a day each school breaks.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
But guess what you want to be there with your
child in the entertainment industry. If you want to tick
your child and put them in an entertainment game. Know
that it's responsibility to you as a parent to stay
with your child, be with your child. This is not
a part time job. This is not something you want
to do.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
You know. The last I want to say five years.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
You know, women in general have been in the forefront
of how their business can the mean women control women
put them in a position where they compromise, you know,
started with Harvey, Bill Cosby and now PP Daddy. I've
been in this business since ninety two. I've seen not
(11:36):
that side of the business, but I know there is
power in a business that can cause people or women
in particular to be uncomfortable, but they still move forward.
How do you, being a woman, a woman of color,
how do you deal with those circumstances and also with
the recent revelations that come out that force you to
even rethink some of the processes that you have in place.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Right, Yeah, that's definitely a loaded question. I am a survivor,
but from multiple other things growing up in my family,
issues and things of that nature, which I believe plays
into the overall issue that I think has been ingrained
in our country for a very very long time, since
(12:20):
the beginning of time, especially within the entertainment industry. I
always tell people when these things arise with you know, P.
Diddy for instance, or Harvey or R Kelly whoever, that
these are things that have been happening for a very
long time from the very inception of the entertainment industry. Unfortunately,
you know, women were expected to you know, put out
(12:44):
to be quite frank, you know, I always tell people,
look at Marilyn Monroe, look at Eartha kit look at
Dorothy Dandridge, look at all of these people that had
very intense stories regards to in regards to abuse and
having to you know, go through their lives, which you know,
a lot of them unfortunately had very tragic ends due
(13:06):
to not being able to cope with all of that
after a while, which you can, you know, And it's
been a cycle that's been perpetrated, you know, for decades
and decades and decades, and there hasn't been accountability. There
hasn't been people that that felt that they could speak
up fully regarding their stories regarding their pain up until
(13:29):
honestly the past few years where you hear child stars
finally saying, hey, this happened to me, and I'm tired
of being silent about it and you know, being able
to process through their trauma for however long they have
been able to to be able to have the courage,
because it takes a lot of courage to share your
story after going through things like that, to be able
(13:50):
to speak out and to say, hey, enough, we need
to put this out into the light and something needs
to change. And Visionary Woman Productions, that is something I'm
very passionate about. I am, like I said, as a survivor,
I'm very passionate and it refuses me every day to
be able to help set protections in place for kids,
(14:11):
for teens, for everyone on sets to be able to
feel safe and comfortable and included on our sets. I
take things very seriously from hiring. I'm very particular of
the people that I'm hiring to make sure everyone is safe.
I am very very particular regarding that. So that's something
(14:32):
that I have put into place where I heavily vet
people and make sure that even like their backgrounds, are
you know, good to be on our.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Sets because you know so, Ashley, I'm talking to Ashley
Lauren a Rod of Visionary Woman Production. You know the
volatility of you know, of the last going on five years.
Is started with the death of the tragic death of
George Floyd.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Diversity, echoing inclusion exploded.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Everybody said, hey, white people, go, hey, we got to
see things from a different perspective. We have wrong black
people or people of color. Let's give them equal footing.
And then all of a sudden, by twenty one twenty two,
the word woke popped up and all of a sudden,
you know why we banning books popped up, and all
(15:20):
of a sudden, you know, different waves of discontent, and
it felt like we were suddenly under attack for just
saying we want to equal footing right in your business
and your company, your production company. Tell us the work
process that weighed across you, the diversity equoing inclusion process
(15:42):
that weighed across your company, and how did you deal
with it and still dealing with it by the.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Way, right, I mean, we've always been that and I've
always been very vocal about how we need more diversity
and inclusion and equity within the production space because we
have a very long way to go. I have been
in those casting you know CSA meetings, I've been, I've
(16:07):
talked to you know, the DGA and PGA, and I've
always been very vocal about this before it really honestly
became a thing.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
You were talking before everybody else.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Right now, Honestly I really was.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I wouldn't hear the truth now because a lot of
people act like this thing just jumped.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Off last week, right.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
People have been screaming, especially the entertainment business. I always
tell people about this. In the entertainment business, it has
the most racially imbalanced format age discrimination, okay, and a
gender discrimination. That's entertainment. And people have allowed this to happen.
They could ask for just odd asked. The things they
(16:45):
can do is for a black person who who don't
like white people, and that's your casting description, right, and
then people go, okay, fine, let's go find that person.
Right and so, but when you look at the role
of how people are starting to do it kind of
like forcibly pull back, I will say the degree of
integration even you said, Rashaan, I've been screaming.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I've been hollering about this.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass. Hosted by Rashan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(17:36):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Along the way.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Have they started listening to you Ashley talk about that process?
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yes, so yeah, they actually have. I mean sometimes I
feel like I have probably lost clients because I you know,
some people will literally come to me.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And I actually just talked about this.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
It was a huge, huge threads conversation that blew up
actually via Instagram that I posted because I said, hey,
I work in production and one gal was saying, why
is there only I feel like on every commercial only
multi racial families. There's no just black families or just
Asian or Native America. Like there's all it's either white
(18:20):
or it's like they have to have you know, maybe
one the blacks start.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
When did that start?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
It's not a commercial that runs nowadays that is black
black or white white? Yeah, somebody's mixed. Who made that
decision that that's the way we're going to promote commercials?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Now?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
All right?
Speaker 4 (18:38):
I honestly, I feel like I've been casting a bunch
of commercials for the past decade, and I feel like
it started happening. Yeah, like over probably ten years ago.
But also it's always in a format, always been a thing,
you know, when it comes to even movies and television,
you know, there's always there. I mean, colorism is a thing,
and you know, you don't see too many like dark
(19:00):
skinned you know, black men and women being able to
be in those leads as much as we would like
it outside of you know, specifically just black television, you know,
and black films like black centric projects, and you know,
you don't see like them leading in a mission impossible
film or you know just even you know, psychological thrillers
(19:21):
and horrors and stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Like that about elbows possibly beings exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
He probably would look look, look, just take my name
out of the.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Hand right exactly. And that's crazy, you know, it's like
we're in twenty twenty four. We should be in a
position where that is acceptable beyond honestly, just Denzel Washington,
who is you know, a dark skinned black man who
was able to break through the mold and be that
person that can do thrillers, can do sometimes horrors when
(19:53):
he did when he started back in the day, and
you know, dramas and pretty much anything he's one of
the few that's actually mis because he's now yes exactly,
he's been able to break the mold all of these years.
But that's very far and few between when you compare
that to our white counterparts. And I have been in
(20:14):
these meetings where people have accepted and you know, taken
a look at my suggestions of different people different casting choices,
because they have brought me specs and said, oh, we
went X, Y Z or we're interested in these celebrities
and they've all been white for pretty much, and me
being like, hey, you know, this is a horror and
(20:37):
this actually happened. It was a horror film, a psychological horror,
and you know, everyone was predominantly white at first, and
I just said, hey, you know it's this was in
twenty twenty three, and I was like, this, it's twenty
twenty three. You know, people are looking for diversity. You know,
people of my community love these movies as well, and
(20:58):
we can have other ethnicities in these types of congress rights. Yeah,
but it's like, you know, but it's like you know,
we there are there is a huge following with these
genres from our community. I know because I'm a part
of a lot of the groups, and it's like they
(21:18):
love thrillers, they love mysteries, they love whoores, and it's
like they want to be included too. So I put
I presented that to them, and they actually did take
my advice and they ended up making it a pretty
diverse film, which was incredible. They really did follow a
lot of what I said, and they were very sensitive
to certain things that needed to be changed in the script,
(21:39):
which was great. But that doesn't happen all the time,
you know. I've definitely lost clients before who One person
was trying to do a Joseph movie on the story
of Joseph from his perspective with having Jesus and in
that whole situation and story. Cool script, interesting perspective to
(22:00):
go from, which I was excited about. But they were
looking for white people to be the lead characters.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And I said, hey, I heard, yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Said, Jesus none of them were like whites. I tell you,
I have to just say that straight up, like this
was one. I think this was the twenty twenty twenty
twenty one. I was like, this is a very sensitive time.
People are looking for actual authenticity in these films. There
are so many great wonderful Middle Eastern actors that I
can give you a list of right now who would
(22:32):
be phenomenal in these roles and adequate and accurate for them,
and I never heard from them again.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, you know the thing about it, That's why I
wanted to bring you on my show, because you know,
I talk about industry. I've never talked into the entertainment side,
something that has been a major part of my life.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know, a sitcom, right. I know the power of writing.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I know the power of casting because I've been fortunate
to I've cast you know, Gabrielle Union have cast many,
many people from from lo Lanthony, from Kim Woodley to
Sherry Shepherd to Chris Spencer, all these people just the
name of few.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
So I know the power what you can do.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
And when you when you're writing for stars like Monique
and Robert Towns, and then Jamie Fox and Tia and
Tomorrow Mari and Senior Hall and Steve Harvey, then you
realize that you can position people to look look at
things a certain way and feel a certain way about
a particular character, and then that walks away with expectations
(23:34):
what they think these people are on the streets.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And so when I look at what you're doing, which.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Is even more incredible because of the fact that it's imagery.
It's imagerying what people expect in their philosophy, what they want,
and then you, being strong enough to have before, say
can I just say something?
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Now? I know raising that finger? Can I say something finger?
How much courage does it take as ley the race
that can I say something finger?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
I mean it definitely takes a lot of courage. Like
I said, I've been in those meetings where you know,
you know, if you do say this out loud.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It's a potential that you'll lose that client.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And like I said, I have lost clients before by
speaking up and raising that finger. But I don't regret
it because it's something that has to be done. I'm
a person that's always been a person of justice and
truth and that's something that I want to see ingrain
more in our world, in every community and every space
(24:39):
and every business. And I know that we have such
a far away to go, and I want to be,
you know, a part of leading the charge when it
comes to propelling it along.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
A little bit faster in any way that I can.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Now I get a lot of questions from people you
know and running RuSHA to get into business their late
thirties forties, really in the late forties. Yes, is there
an opportunity for people in their late thirties or forties
to get into entertainment business and be successful?
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Yes, and absolutely, one hundred percent is possible.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I will give you my father as an example.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Okay, yes, he was. He retired. Like I said, he
was an educator. He worked his way from a teacher
to a superintendent over thirty years. He had done like
one play and one like modeling gig, random modeling gig.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Oh, yeah, it actually was.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
It was for Texas Instruments calculators way back in the day.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
When he was a teacher.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
He got good. Yeah, I'm challenged, really, I'm jealous to
the model.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, he got a modeling gig. And it was like
when he was a teacher.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
They chose them for the Texas Instruments to be on
a magazine, for the actual Texas Texas Instruments magazine when
they had it back in the day to go out
to all the schools and I had a billboard and stuff.
So that's the only thing he had ever done. And
throughout the years, Like when I would he would drop
me off of my agency to do a tape or
(26:12):
something or do a go see, and he would stick around.
My agent always did say she was like, your dad,
I always think he's one of the models because he's
just so good looking, Like he's just he should really
because now, but he always thought these compliments. I mean,
(26:32):
it was crazy. Everybody always was like, your dad really
should be on TV, and you know.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
It was not. It was far for his lid.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeah, well so he actually just retired. But the past
six years he was very successful. And my dad is
now seventy four and he got started over six years
ago before I moved to New York, and he, you know,
he was bored. He was getting a little depressed because
he wasn't working anymore.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
And that's something that you.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
Know, I don't think it's talked about enough when people
end up having to retire, that they do get depressed.
They go through a withdrawal of not feeling needed in
the big way that they were with their purpose. And
my dad was a very inspiring educator at the school
district and really really led it to be honest in
many ways, and these kids, even adults to this day.
(27:21):
He'll he'll run into them on the street and they'll
be like, mister l Rod, oh my god, Like you
changed my life, you know when I was a teenager,
and you you know, you really whip me into shape,
you know, because he was really good with the inner
city kids who were coming to the suburbs because my
dad grew up in the ghetto. So you know, he
grew up in Kabrini Green in Chicago, and he had
that vibe, right, yeah, like he grew up in the
(27:43):
real hood, like he went.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Around television hood.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Yeah, like actually, and you know migrated from the you know,
the depths of Mississippi to Chicago, and you know, his
story is wild, but you know, he had that vibe
with the kids, so he was very inspirational. And not
having that need fulfilled anymore for him, you know, really
kind of put him down in the dumps a little bit.
So I just was like, you know what I was like, Dad,
(28:09):
everyone keeps saying that you would be good on TV,
and like you should model and everything. Why don't we
just try it, Like I'll take some headshots for you.
I'll submit them to a few agencies and we'll just
see how it goes and at first he was very,
very hesitant, and he was like, no, I don't want
to do that, that's your thing. No, And then finally
I broke him and I took his headshots. And then
(28:33):
there happened to be a modeling ghostye for one of
the big agencies that I knew for many years. And
I was like, you should go, just go and see
what she says and see what happens. Instantly she signed him,
like right away on the spot. And I mean, when
I tell you, this man took was booking more than
(28:53):
I was, because I'm still acting myself, and I swear.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
I was like, what is happening?
Speaker 4 (28:59):
He was booking like multiple gigs a week, like before
he graduated or graduated before he retired. He you know,
got SAG after eligible. He did different multiple national commercials
and had billboards.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I mean, a.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Wild six years, the best six years anyone could have
had at that age sixty plus, right, And.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So you're sat Rashwan, there's a dream for you, Yes,
Like the elderly lady was in Black Panther, you know,
yeah in Atlanta. You know they cast her in that role.
So you know, because I always tell people that you know,
never stop, never.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Let age be an excuse.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, you know, because a lot of people get fifty sixty. Well,
you know, I'm just gonna pack it in, and pack
it in.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Does leave.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
The depression does leave to a different level of stress
because we're in the mental a world that just keeps
evolving and information that is being pushed down our throat
even if we don't want it on a daily basis
through your cell phone. Used to be talking on your phone,
now you're the cell phone could be a distraction with
notifications and things of that nature. But I really, you know,
(30:07):
bringing you on the show was important to me because
I always want to share stories of entrepreneurship and your
side of being an entertainer, your side of being having
a voice, and also giving some notes of advice for
people who think it's such a cool deal to be
an entertainer, a deal of opportunity, and it is, but.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Bod the pit palls are ugly and closing.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Actually, what would you recommend or what advice would you
give your Secrets to success?
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Secrets of success?
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm a hard on myself,
so I'm always like I.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
There's so much more to do.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
But I think the biggest secrets to success is always
being available and adaptable to the pivots of life. I think,
especially as we continue to go throughout this crazy world
that we're in, it's very important to learn to do
that because you never know when the market is going
(31:10):
to change, and you know things are going to get
a little bit harder, and it's always best to understand
how to pivot, but also to prepare as best as
possible for those things, especially in entrepreneurship and being a creative.
Something that I am working towards helping hopefully more creatives
(31:30):
do in the next year is really learn how to
be smart with your finances and to understand you know,
how to form your LLCs and how that's a benefit
for taxes, and being able to make sure you're keeping
yourself covered and prepared for those rainy days. I think
that's the biggest secret to success that will never go
(31:53):
out of style, is being prepared and always.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Learning how to lean.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Into those pivots, because it's always there's always going to
be a pivot. Things are always going to be changing.
Who knows what the entertainment industry is going to look
like in the next even two years. You know, we've
seen the strikes, We've seen the detrimental effects that the
strikes are still having right now, and you know, hopefully
people are saying in twenty twenty five, you know, things
(32:21):
will get a little bit better, but they're still honestly
scraping the ground trying to figure out what happened. You know,
these higher ups at these at these executives and you
know at these at these networks. So it's always it's
important for us to be able to learn how to
create our own things for ourselves that we can profit
off of for the foreseeable future and not rely on
(32:45):
just pitching to these big execs and trying to work
at Netflix or Paramount. But being able to actually create
something for ourselves is very important, and I think that's
a big secret to success.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
She's visionary. That's name of visionary, warm production that tieses
hefing Ashley. I appreciate you coming on the show. Her
real name Ashley Lauren er Rod. And you know her
dad after just left Roushon in the Dust Boy Chicago,
Richard Romfrey looking dude.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That was a dad, looked like Richard rot.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
He was the everyday man Jack Beauty of the week,
handsome of the week.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
He was making new to finding new parts out there.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
But again, thank you for coming on Money Making Conversation
Master Class show.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you as well. Resigned.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rushawn McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join us
next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
Keep winning the
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm Rashan McDonald, the host of Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success
stories and start planning their own. Listen up as I
interview entrepreneurs from around the country, talk to celebrities and
ask them how they are running their companies, and speak
with dog profits who are making.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
A difference in their local communities.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Now, sit back and listen as we unlock the secrets
to their success on Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Hi, I'm
Rushan McDonald, a host this weekly Money Making Conversation Master
Class show. The interviews and information that this show provides
off for everyone. It's time to stop reading other people's
success stories and start living your own. My guest is
(00:48):
a true champion of diversity, safety and inclusivity in all
aspects of entertainment, media, marketing and advocacy. At Visionary Woman Productions,
they're of the expert and bring visions to life through
powerful storytelling that connects you with your audience and philamp
of three that heals the world. Please work in the
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Ashley Lauren L.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Rod. How are you doing? My friend?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Good? Good? Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So where you based at?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I am in New York City.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh that's awesome. Now one of my favorite citis in
New York. Now I brought you on the show.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And I hear the word visionaire.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Now that words, like all words have been because of
social media, gets bandied about a lot, brands and faith
and passion. What does visionary mean when I use that
in your introduction?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Visionary means honestly leading at the forefront, doing things that
we believe that are not being done to the fullest
capacity that they can be done, and being able to
merge things together that makes sense to be able to
actually help help to heal the world.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So I'm gonna use this term. You are an entrepreneur,
correct I am? Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So they're saying that's the black women or African American
women are the fastest growing entrepreneurship in the last ten years.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Why is that?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Honestly, drive, resilience, being able to command whatever we can
in our lives, to be able to propel forward through anything.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I think is.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
The most definite reason that black women are one of
the leading, actually the leading business entrepreneurs right now in
the country.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, you know, I am African American male, and I
wish I could say I could walk in the door
and somebody didn't see my skin color. Yeah, but I
know that is not something that I'm using as as
as an excuse, right, But one has to realize that's
part of reality because people can define my work to
(03:01):
find my ability to fund a project or complete a project.
So I constantly have to promote myself. I constantly have
to deliver information, stay in front of people. What are
some of the pitfalls or maybe not pitfalls that you've
experienced in developing your company of Visionary Warm Productions.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yes, well, I started Visionary Women when I was in college.
Actually it was fit over fifteen years ago, and it
actually was just a collaboration of sorts at first with
some really really great friends, all fantastic diverse women who
really accomplished so much in their own right and went
on to become celebrity photographers and makeup artists and amazing
(03:43):
people and think people that I still keep in touch
with to this day. And I feel like, you know,
in the beginning, it happened so quickly for my business,
It kind of happened overnight. Actually, to the point it
was like, oh, I think I have a business. You know,
people are asking me like, what are you charge for
X y Z. You know, we were doing consultations and
(04:03):
we were doing honestly bringing wisdom back to our college.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
That's how it started there.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I went to Columbia colle Chicago, and we were not
being taught the business side of preparing for graduation. We
were taught about acting and you know, getting your portfolio
together if you were doing technical theater and things of
that nature. But we weren't taught Okay, how do you
utilize this after you graduate? You know what, how do
you get an agent? How do you land yourself onto productions?
(04:32):
And I was already working on productions for a long
time before college. So I wanted to take all of
that and help people and give them what.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
They needed to succeed.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So I feel starting off so early and honestly not
knowing what I was doing because a lot of interesting
twists and turns on my journey of business and entrepreneurship.
I come from a family of educators, not business owners,
with the exception of my grandfathers, who were both business
(05:03):
owners and entrepreneurs. But I came from educators who were amazing,
but you know, didn't know about angel investments and you know,
planning out business from those different aspects that I just
I just wasn't taught and given the access to. So
everything has been learning and processing, especially even now fifteen
(05:26):
years later, with the scope of business changing so much.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Just keeping them.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Saying right there when you said the scope of business changing,
what has been the scope that you see? You know,
because we all know social media is like blowing everything up.
The Internet is blown everything, even the cell phone has
blown everything up. You on the I always heard the
story that you know, as an entrepreneur, you work eighty
hours a week, but you don't want to do a
for their all week job, you know, so you're willing
(05:51):
to work out sales to death, but I don't want
to do a ford their our week job. So, I mean,
there's a dream and passion that drives entrepreneurship. But they
have been changed. Now were you resistant to the changes?
And tell us what those changes were?
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Honestly, I feel like I've always had to pivot in
every single season of my business. It started off as
consultations and then it transferred into people asking me to
do production design, on set and then directing things and
writing scripts and then you know, one season I was
managing talent and then I really like fully propelled into casting,
(06:28):
which then took my business off actually to the next
level for the past decade.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
So I feel like.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I'm used to the scope changing or having to pivot
a little bit to a rise to the occasion for
each season of business. And how I've done that is honestly,
lots of networking and putting myself out there, like you
said earlier, being able to prove myself to people in
(06:54):
a way where they referred me because, honestly, up intol
this past year, my business was a referra own business
only for the past fifteen years, and I was able
to stay afloat because of those referrals and be able
to bounce from one project to the next and bring
in those clients because of that. So that's definitely a
(07:15):
big part of it, and just building that foundation. I
think building that foundation of my brand has been really
important from a community aspect. People know Visionary Woman Productions
to be a community.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
It's not just a.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Business, but it's really what artists and other crew members
of the industry and social impact leaders can come to
for encouragement. They know that they can come to me
for good advice that's actually sustainable and be supported on
their journey.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
What advice would you give to young people, Because this
is a young person to the industry, I want to
ask that question, and then I'm I ask you a
person who's in their late forties. Which are two separate
questions to be responded to. Let's talk about a young
person who wants to get into entertainment industry.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Thought I would say, between kids and young adults, it's
very important to make sure that you are learning the
business early on. And also parents, you know, making sure
that parents are keeping their kids safe. That's a big
thing that I coach on often when I do workshops
and different one on one sessions with people. I say,
(08:21):
make sure you know where your kids are. You know
you are reading these contracts. You're teaching them how to
read contracts. If you don't know how to read a contract,
you are getting a suitable lawyer or counsel that can
be able to break things down for you of what
you should be looking out for at all times, and
if you're not able to pay for one, to make
(08:42):
sure you at least know the verbiage, so you're able
to say, hey, this doesn't look quite quite why right,
or I would like to negotiate these terms, or you know,
I want to take this down from a two year
to a one year contract to see how it goes.
Being able to make sure that you are knowledgeable of
(09:03):
these contracts and what you are signing and going into
is number one important. And making sure that you are
you're safe. You know, not everyone is safe in this industry, unfortunately,
and I have had my share of a lot of
experiences on set as a young actor coming up back
in the day that you know, I want to protect
(09:25):
as many people coming up from having you know, making
sure that you just you know, stay your course and
also you don't feel afraid to speak up when something
does happen or someone.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Is making you uncomfortable. Making sure that you.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Just always know that you have the right to speak
up no matter what if you lose the job. So
what you know, I I morals and values and standards
are a thing in this industry, even though so many
people will still to this day try to teach you otherwise,
that is thing that I teach. It's like if you
(10:01):
if you have morals and standards. If you have a
role that a certain role that you know is a
no go for you, that you would never want to do,
tell your agent that you can't do it, and if
they have a problem with that, then that's not the
agent for you. Making sure that you are comfortable, even
as an actor who is supposed to be versatile and
you know, be a chameleon of sorts, making sure that
(10:23):
you understand that can happen still, but underneath your values
and your morals and what you want for your career.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Which is really great because I've been fortunate to be
on you know, did a lot of sitcoms. So I
sold ten Tamara Maori's Mom, Yeah, I said, and a
lot of you know it did me and the boys
with Steve, they were young boys who wanted to said,
and their parents were there. You know, you can't be
an absoutee mom and entertainment, yes, let's gonna be rd
with that. You just can't let somebody, a stranger take
your child to a job where they may keep your
(10:52):
child eight to twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Hours a day each school breaks.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
But guess what you want to be there with your
child in the entertainment industry. If you want to tick
your child and put them in an entertainment game. Know
that it's responsibility to you as a parent to stay
with your child, be with your child. This is not
a part time job. This is not something you want
to do.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
You know. The last I want to say five years.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
You know, women in general have been in the forefront
of how their business can the mean women control women
put them in a position where they compromise, you know,
started with Harvey, Bill Cosby and now PP Daddy. I've
been in this business since ninety two. I've seen not
(11:36):
that side of the business, but I know there is
power in a business that can cause people or women
in particular to be uncomfortable, but they still move forward.
How do you, being a woman, a woman of color,
how do you deal with those circumstances and also with
the recent revelations that come out that force you to
even rethink some of the processes that you have in place.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Right, Yeah, that's definitely a loaded question. I am a survivor,
but from multiple other things growing up in my family,
issues and things of that nature, which I believe plays
into the overall issue that I think has been ingrained
in our country for a very very long time, since
(12:20):
the beginning of time, especially within the entertainment industry. I
always tell people when these things arise with you know, P.
Diddy for instance, or Harvey or R Kelly whoever, that
these are things that have been happening for a very
long time from the very inception of the entertainment industry. Unfortunately,
you know, women were expected to you know, put out
(12:44):
to be quite frank, you know, I always tell people,
look at Marilyn Monroe, look at Eartha kit look at
Dorothy Dandridge, look at all of these people that had
very intense stories regards to in regards to abuse and
having to you know, go through their lives, which you know,
a lot of them unfortunately had very tragic ends due
(13:06):
to not being able to cope with all of that
after a while, which you can, you know, And it's
been a cycle that's been perpetrated, you know, for decades
and decades and decades, and there hasn't been accountability. There
hasn't been people that that felt that they could speak
up fully regarding their stories regarding their pain up until
(13:29):
honestly the past few years where you hear child stars
finally saying, hey, this happened to me, and I'm tired
of being silent about it and you know, being able
to process through their trauma for however long they have
been able to to be able to have the courage,
because it takes a lot of courage to share your
story after going through things like that, to be able
(13:50):
to speak out and to say, hey, enough, we need
to put this out into the light and something needs
to change. And Visionary Woman Productions, that is something I'm
very passionate about. I am, like I said, as a survivor,
I'm very passionate and it refuses me every day to
be able to help set protections in place for kids,
(14:11):
for teens, for everyone on sets to be able to
feel safe and comfortable and included on our sets. I
take things very seriously from hiring. I'm very particular of
the people that I'm hiring to make sure everyone is safe.
I am very very particular regarding that. So that's something
(14:32):
that I have put into place where I heavily vet
people and make sure that even like their backgrounds, are
you know, good to be on our.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Sets because you know so, Ashley, I'm talking to Ashley
Lauren a Rod of Visionary Woman Production. You know the
volatility of you know, of the last going on five years.
Is started with the death of the tragic death of
George Floyd.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Diversity, echoing inclusion exploded.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Everybody said, hey, white people, go, hey, we got to
see things from a different perspective. We have wrong black
people or people of color. Let's give them equal footing.
And then all of a sudden, by twenty one twenty two,
the word woke popped up and all of a sudden,
you know why we banning books popped up, and all
(15:20):
of a sudden, you know, different waves of discontent, and
it felt like we were suddenly under attack for just
saying we want to equal footing right in your business
and your company, your production company. Tell us the work
process that weighed across you, the diversity equoing inclusion process
(15:42):
that weighed across your company, and how did you deal
with it and still dealing with it by the.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Way, right, I mean, we've always been that and I've
always been very vocal about how we need more diversity
and inclusion and equity within the production space because we
have a very long way to go. I have been
in those casting you know CSA meetings, I've been, I've
(16:07):
talked to you know, the DGA and PGA, and I've
always been very vocal about this before it really honestly
became a thing.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
You were talking before everybody else.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Right now, Honestly I really was.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I wouldn't hear the truth now because a lot of
people act like this thing just jumped.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Off last week, right.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
People have been screaming, especially the entertainment business. I always
tell people about this. In the entertainment business, it has
the most racially imbalanced format age discrimination, okay, and a
gender discrimination. That's entertainment. And people have allowed this to happen.
They could ask for just odd asked. The things they
(16:45):
can do is for a black person who who don't
like white people, and that's your casting description, right, and
then people go, okay, fine, let's go find that person.
Right and so, but when you look at the role
of how people are starting to do it kind of
like forcibly pull back, I will say the degree of
integration even you said, Rashaan, I've been screaming.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I've been hollering about this.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass. Hosted by Rashan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Masterclass
continues online at Moneymakingconversations dot com and follow money Making
(17:36):
Conversations Masterclass on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Along the way.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Have they started listening to you Ashley talk about that process?
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Yes, so yeah, they actually have. I mean sometimes I
feel like I have probably lost clients because I you know,
some people will literally come to me.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
And I actually just talked about this.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
It was a huge, huge threads conversation that blew up
actually via Instagram that I posted because I said, hey,
I work in production and one gal was saying, why
is there only I feel like on every commercial only
multi racial families. There's no just black families or just
Asian or Native America. Like there's all it's either white
(18:20):
or it's like they have to have you know, maybe
one the blacks start.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
When did that start?
Speaker 2 (18:25):
It's not a commercial that runs nowadays that is black
black or white white? Yeah, somebody's mixed. Who made that
decision that that's the way we're going to promote commercials?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Now?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
All right?
Speaker 4 (18:38):
I honestly, I feel like I've been casting a bunch
of commercials for the past decade, and I feel like
it started happening. Yeah, like over probably ten years ago.
But also it's always in a format, always been a thing,
you know, when it comes to even movies and television,
you know, there's always there. I mean, colorism is a thing,
and you know, you don't see too many like dark
(19:00):
skinned you know, black men and women being able to
be in those leads as much as we would like
it outside of you know, specifically just black television, you know,
and black films like black centric projects, and you know,
you don't see like them leading in a mission impossible
film or you know just even you know, psychological thrillers
(19:21):
and horrors and stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Like that about elbows possibly beings exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
He probably would look look, look, just take my name
out of the.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Hand right exactly. And that's crazy, you know, it's like
we're in twenty twenty four. We should be in a
position where that is acceptable beyond honestly, just Denzel Washington,
who is you know, a dark skinned black man who
was able to break through the mold and be that
person that can do thrillers, can do sometimes horrors when
(19:53):
he did when he started back in the day, and
you know, dramas and pretty much anything he's one of
the few that's actually mis because he's now yes exactly,
he's been able to break the mold all of these years.
But that's very far and few between when you compare
that to our white counterparts. And I have been in
(20:14):
these meetings where people have accepted and you know, taken
a look at my suggestions of different people different casting choices,
because they have brought me specs and said, oh, we
went X, Y Z or we're interested in these celebrities
and they've all been white for pretty much, and me
being like, hey, you know, this is a horror and
(20:37):
this actually happened. It was a horror film, a psychological horror,
and you know, everyone was predominantly white at first, and
I just said, hey, you know it's this was in
twenty twenty three, and I was like, this, it's twenty
twenty three. You know, people are looking for diversity. You know,
people of my community love these movies as well, and
(20:58):
we can have other ethnicities in these types of congress rights. Yeah,
but it's like, you know, but it's like you know,
we there are there is a huge following with these
genres from our community. I know because I'm a part
of a lot of the groups, and it's like they
(21:18):
love thrillers, they love mysteries, they love whoores, and it's
like they want to be included too. So I put
I presented that to them, and they actually did take
my advice and they ended up making it a pretty
diverse film, which was incredible. They really did follow a
lot of what I said, and they were very sensitive
to certain things that needed to be changed in the script,
(21:39):
which was great. But that doesn't happen all the time,
you know. I've definitely lost clients before who One person
was trying to do a Joseph movie on the story
of Joseph from his perspective with having Jesus and in
that whole situation and story. Cool script, interesting perspective to
(22:00):
go from, which I was excited about. But they were
looking for white people to be the lead characters.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
And I said, hey, I heard, yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Said, Jesus none of them were like whites. I tell you,
I have to just say that straight up, like this
was one. I think this was the twenty twenty twenty
twenty one. I was like, this is a very sensitive time.
People are looking for actual authenticity in these films. There
are so many great wonderful Middle Eastern actors that I
can give you a list of right now who would
(22:32):
be phenomenal in these roles and adequate and accurate for them,
and I never heard from them again.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, you know the thing about it, That's why I
wanted to bring you on my show, because you know,
I talk about industry. I've never talked into the entertainment side,
something that has been a major part of my life.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know, a sitcom, right. I know the power of writing.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I know the power of casting because I've been fortunate
to I've cast you know, Gabrielle Union have cast many,
many people from from lo Lanthony, from Kim Woodley to
Sherry Shepherd to Chris Spencer, all these people just the
name of few.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
So I know the power what you can do.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
And when you when you're writing for stars like Monique
and Robert Towns, and then Jamie Fox and Tia and
Tomorrow Mari and Senior Hall and Steve Harvey, then you
realize that you can position people to look look at
things a certain way and feel a certain way about
a particular character, and then that walks away with expectations
(23:34):
what they think these people are on the streets.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And so when I look at what you're doing, which.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Is even more incredible because of the fact that it's imagery.
It's imagerying what people expect in their philosophy, what they want,
and then you, being strong enough to have before, say
can I just say something?
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Now? I know raising that finger? Can I say something finger?
How much courage does it take as ley the race
that can I say something finger?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
I mean it definitely takes a lot of courage. Like
I said, I've been in those meetings where you know,
you know, if you do say this out loud.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It's a potential that you'll lose that client.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
And like I said, I have lost clients before by
speaking up and raising that finger. But I don't regret
it because it's something that has to be done. I'm
a person that's always been a person of justice and
truth and that's something that I want to see ingrain
more in our world, in every community and every space
(24:39):
and every business. And I know that we have such
a far away to go, and I want to be,
you know, a part of leading the charge when it
comes to propelling it along.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
A little bit faster in any way that I can.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Now I get a lot of questions from people you
know and running RuSHA to get into business their late
thirties forties, really in the late forties. Yes, is there
an opportunity for people in their late thirties or forties
to get into entertainment business and be successful?
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Yes, and absolutely, one hundred percent is possible.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
I will give you my father as an example.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Okay, yes, he was. He retired. Like I said, he
was an educator. He worked his way from a teacher
to a superintendent over thirty years. He had done like
one play and one like modeling gig, random modeling gig.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Oh, yeah, it actually was.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
It was for Texas Instruments calculators way back in the day.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
When he was a teacher.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
He got good. Yeah, I'm challenged, really, I'm jealous to
the model.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah, he got a modeling gig. And it was like
when he was a teacher.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
They chose them for the Texas Instruments to be on
a magazine, for the actual Texas Texas Instruments magazine when
they had it back in the day to go out
to all the schools and I had a billboard and stuff.
So that's the only thing he had ever done. And
throughout the years, Like when I would he would drop
me off of my agency to do a tape or
(26:12):
something or do a go see, and he would stick around.
My agent always did say she was like, your dad,
I always think he's one of the models because he's
just so good looking, Like he's just he should really
because now, but he always thought these compliments. I mean,
(26:32):
it was crazy. Everybody always was like, your dad really
should be on TV, and you know.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
It was not. It was far for his lid.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeah, well so he actually just retired. But the past
six years he was very successful. And my dad is
now seventy four and he got started over six years
ago before I moved to New York, and he, you know,
he was bored. He was getting a little depressed because
he wasn't working anymore.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
And that's something that you.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
Know, I don't think it's talked about enough when people
end up having to retire, that they do get depressed.
They go through a withdrawal of not feeling needed in
the big way that they were with their purpose. And
my dad was a very inspiring educator at the school
district and really really led it to be honest in
many ways, and these kids, even adults to this day.
(27:21):
He'll he'll run into them on the street and they'll
be like, mister l Rod, oh my god, Like you
changed my life, you know when I was a teenager,
and you you know, you really whip me into shape,
you know, because he was really good with the inner
city kids who were coming to the suburbs because my
dad grew up in the ghetto. So you know, he
grew up in Kabrini Green in Chicago, and he had
that vibe, right, yeah, like he grew up in the
(27:43):
real hood, like he went.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Around television hood.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Yeah, like actually, and you know migrated from the you know,
the depths of Mississippi to Chicago, and you know, his
story is wild, but you know, he had that vibe
with the kids, so he was very inspirational. And not
having that need fulfilled anymore for him, you know, really
kind of put him down in the dumps a little bit.
So I just was like, you know what I was like, Dad,
(28:09):
everyone keeps saying that you would be good on TV,
and like you should model and everything. Why don't we
just try it, Like I'll take some headshots for you.
I'll submit them to a few agencies and we'll just
see how it goes and at first he was very,
very hesitant, and he was like, no, I don't want
to do that, that's your thing. No, And then finally
I broke him and I took his headshots. And then
(28:33):
there happened to be a modeling ghostye for one of
the big agencies that I knew for many years. And
I was like, you should go, just go and see
what she says and see what happens. Instantly she signed him,
like right away on the spot. And I mean, when
I tell you, this man took was booking more than
(28:53):
I was, because I'm still acting myself, and I swear.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
I was like, what is happening?
Speaker 4 (28:59):
He was booking like multiple gigs a week, like before
he graduated or graduated before he retired. He you know,
got SAG after eligible. He did different multiple national commercials
and had billboards.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I mean, a.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Wild six years, the best six years anyone could have
had at that age sixty plus, right, And.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So you're sat Rashwan, there's a dream for you, Yes,
Like the elderly lady was in Black Panther, you know,
yeah in Atlanta. You know they cast her in that role.
So you know, because I always tell people that you know,
never stop, never.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Let age be an excuse.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, you know, because a lot of people get fifty sixty. Well,
you know, I'm just gonna pack it in, and pack
it in.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Does leave.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
The depression does leave to a different level of stress
because we're in the mental a world that just keeps
evolving and information that is being pushed down our throat
even if we don't want it on a daily basis
through your cell phone. Used to be talking on your phone,
now you're the cell phone could be a distraction with
notifications and things of that nature. But I really, you know,
(30:07):
bringing you on the show was important to me because
I always want to share stories of entrepreneurship and your
side of being an entertainer, your side of being having
a voice, and also giving some notes of advice for
people who think it's such a cool deal to be
an entertainer, a deal of opportunity, and it is, but.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Bod the pit palls are ugly and closing.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Actually, what would you recommend or what advice would you
give your Secrets to success?
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Secrets of success?
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm a hard on myself,
so I'm always like I.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
There's so much more to do.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
But I think the biggest secrets to success is always
being available and adaptable to the pivots of life. I think,
especially as we continue to go throughout this crazy world
that we're in, it's very important to learn to do
that because you never know when the market is going
(31:10):
to change, and you know things are going to get
a little bit harder, and it's always best to understand
how to pivot, but also to prepare as best as
possible for those things, especially in entrepreneurship and being a creative.
Something that I am working towards helping hopefully more creatives
(31:30):
do in the next year is really learn how to
be smart with your finances and to understand you know,
how to form your LLCs and how that's a benefit
for taxes, and being able to make sure you're keeping
yourself covered and prepared for those rainy days. I think
that's the biggest secret to success that will never go
(31:53):
out of style, is being prepared and always.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Learning how to lean.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Into those pivots, because it's always there's always going to
be a pivot. Things are always going to be changing.
Who knows what the entertainment industry is going to look
like in the next even two years. You know, we've
seen the strikes, We've seen the detrimental effects that the
strikes are still having right now, and you know, hopefully
people are saying in twenty twenty five, you know, things
(32:21):
will get a little bit better, but they're still honestly
scraping the ground trying to figure out what happened. You know,
these higher ups at these at these executives and you
know at these at these networks. So it's always it's
important for us to be able to learn how to
create our own things for ourselves that we can profit
off of for the foreseeable future and not rely on
(32:45):
just pitching to these big execs and trying to work
at Netflix or Paramount. But being able to actually create
something for ourselves is very important, and I think that's
a big secret to success.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
She's visionary. That's name of visionary, warm production that tieses
hefing Ashley. I appreciate you coming on the show. Her
real name Ashley Lauren er Rod. And you know her
dad after just left Roushon in the Dust Boy Chicago,
Richard Romfrey looking dude.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That was a dad, looked like Richard rot.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
He was the everyday man Jack Beauty of the week,
handsome of the week.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
He was making new to finding new parts out there.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
But again, thank you for coming on Money Making Conversation
Master Class show.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you as well. Resigned.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
hosted by me Rushawn McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymaking Conversations
dot com.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join us
next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
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